If you or a loved one were injured in a motor vehicle crash, it is best to seek help from an experienced car accident lawyer as soon as possible. The most important reasons why a person injured in a car accident in Fort Worth should contact a car accident lawyer are so they can determine liability, negotiate a fair settlement, and handle all communications with an insurance company. They can also assist with locating medical providers who will work on car accident cases because a lot of primary-care doctors will not. To improve your understanding of motor vehicle collisions, call a lawyer in your community who can explain what to know about Fort Worth car accidents.
Steps to Take Following a Collision
Following a collision, vehicles should remain where they are unless they are blocking traffic. If the person is seriously injured, they should call 911 and not move, and call the police to determine the cause of the accident. Next, the person should take pictures of everything: the vehicles, the scene, any visible injuries.
If a person is seriously injured after a car wreck, they should go to the hospital. Immediately afterward, before calling the insurance company, they should call an attorney in Fort Worth to find out what they should do. If the police do respond to the scene and make a report, it can take two weeks, sometimes even longer, to get it. All the person will receive is the report number, none of the information the police got from the other driver.
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Common Causes of Car Crashes
There are various reasons why a car accident could occur in Fort Worth. The most common causes include:
- Texting while driving
- Driver impairment such as driving under the influence
- Fatigue
- Driver inattentiveness
- Inexperienced motorist
- Hazardous road conditions
- Dangerous weather
- Speeding
- Failure to abide by traffic rules
- Low visibility
- Auto defects
Having a drunk driver involved in an accident will have an impact on a car accident case because damages are usually greater, and the cases usually do not get to trial. With driver inattention, the attorney has to prove the driver was not paying attention. If the accident involved an 18-wheeler, it takes a lot of discovery to get that kind of information, especially logs that might show the driver was on the road too long. Also, with driver inattention involving someone on their cell phone, that will usually go to litigation because an attorney cannot get that information until they can get discovery.
The Comparative Negligence Rule
The State of Texas follows the rules of comparative negligence. In other states, the share of liability would be based on the percentage of fault, but in Texas and Fort Worth, usually, someone will not pursue the case if there is not nearly 100 percent liability.
It is important to know that a Fort Worth lawyer will likely not take a case because the goal is to get the other party to accept 100 percent liability. If they do not, they will reduce the recovery amount to the property damage amount they are willing to pay the plaintiff, even medical bills.
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Call Our Attorneys and Learn About Fort Worth Car Accidents
It is important that someone contact a local attorney early on in a case because if the person calls the insurance company on the day of the accident, it will want to offer them a settlement right out of the gate if its insured driver was at fault. It may offer them $500 right away, and the person might take it. Sometimes it takes a couple of days for onset of pain if an injury is not serious, and then they find out too late that they could and should have gotten more.
An attorney in your community can advise them on their options and explain the process to them, so they do not make a decision when pushed by the insurance company too quickly. Also, if they give a statement to the insurance company the day after, they may still be in shock and say they are not injured. Many people do not have an onset of pain until a couple of days after the accident.
An experienced attorney could help individuals understand what to know about Fort Worth car accidents. Call today to learn more.
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