Laredo Car Accident Lawyer

Laredo Personal Injury Lawyers » Our Top 3 Goals in a Car Accident Case

The Three Most Important Goals of a Law Firm in a Auto Accident Injury Case

Car Accident Attorney in Laredo

Our firm has represented thousands of clients in accident cases. While we understand that each particular auto accident victim has different needs, we also understand that every car accident victim has the desire to feel that their attorney is diligently working for them. With that in mind, our firm makes a concerted effort to fully inform our clients of the strategy we’ll employ in their cases. Moreover, although our firm understands that although the goals in Laredo accident cases are similar, no two cases on the same. Thus, our firm develops a custom plan based on our top three goals in a car accident case when attempting to recover for our each of our client’s needs.

Our First Goal: Win Our Client’s Case

Obviously, one of our firm’s primary goals in every Laredo auto accident case we take is to win. However, our firm is superior to most other Laredo car and truck accident firms because we know how to win even the most complex accident cases. Specifically, other firms lack the resources, knowledge, and experience needed to fully compensate their clients that our firm possesses. While most other firms have good intentions when representing Laredo’s injury victims, they don’t legitimately now how to win a case. On the other hand, our record speaks for itself. Whether you’ve suffered soft tissue injuries or suffered catastrophic life-altering injuries, our attorneys may be able to help.

Second Goal: We Strive to Make Sure our Clients Feel like They’ve Been Treated Fairly

Our firm is committed to ensuring that our clients feel as if they’ve been treated fairly by being completely transparent through every phase of recovering compensation for their injuries. We do this by not only explaining to our clients how their case works, but also by providing detailed information and asking questions every step along the way.

Specifically, from initially meeting with a client throughout the entire course of representation, we’ll answer all of our clients’ questions and allow ample time to review and sign necessary documents, all in a no-pressure environment.

Another major step we take to ensure that our clients feel like they’ve been treated fairly is to use all of our resources to ensure they’re fairly compensated for their injuries. We understand that when a car accident victim retains our firm, they trust us with not only navigating them through one of their life’s major crises, but that they’re adequately compensated for their injuries. With these responsibilities in mind, our firm fights hard to ensure that our clients are fully compensated for the full extent of their injuries.

Third Goal: We Want to Make Sure That Our Clients Are So Pleased With the Services We Provide That They Recommend Our Firm to Their Family and Friends

As our firm’s survival in Texas’ legal market is based primarily on referrals to family and friends from past clients we’ve successfully represented, we want to ensure that we represent each client to the full extent of our ability. Specifically, we strive to impart an impression of success and compassion on each of our clients so that when their friends and family are injured by someone else’s negligent actions, they know they have a strong ally on their side.

If you’ve suffered moderate to severe injuries in a car or truck accident while traveling in or around Laredo, our attorneys may be able to help. For more information regarding our firm’s top three goals when representing Laredo’s accident victims and a free consultation regarding the facts of your case, give one of our experienced Laredo accident attorneys a call at 210-202-4027

First Steps in Filing a Car Accident Claim

Laredo Personal Injury Lawyers » First Steps in Filing a Car Accident Claim

Important Steps to Take Immediately Following a Laredo Accident to Preserve Your Claim

Laredo Texas Car Accident Lawyer

When you’ve been injured in a car accident resolving your claim will be a process, and not a single event. And as with any process the first few steps are always the most critical. This article will discuss the first steps in starting the car accident claim process.

Step 1: You Should Always Call an Attorney Immediately

A lawyer is going to be able to advise you with regard to what you should specifically do in your case. You typically only have one shot at doing everything exactly correct so it is important that you have no missteps. By contacting an attorney immediately following the accident you greatly reduce your chances of having invaluable evidence destroyed or lost, and you are better able to meet certain deadlines required by the court. If your evidence is not properly preserved or if it is carelessly discarded your entire personal injury claim could be ruined. And even if you adequately document everything, but fail to adhere to certain deadlines instituted by the courts your claim may be barred.

Step 2: Take as Many Photographs as You Can

If you adequately fulfilled step 1, your attorney should do this for you. He will conduct an analysis of the accident scene and both vehicles, but if you do not immediately call an attorney it is best that you do this yourself. Our best recommendation is take pictures of everything. Photograph all vehicles involved, buildings, street signs and lights surrounding the accident. You should take multiple photographs from the perspective of your car and then take multiple shots from the perspective of the defendant’s car. This visual perspective can be crucial in convincing a jury of the defendant’s fault and can greatly increase your chances of financial recovery.

If you are like most of our clients, you are probably too injured to do this yourself. If this is the case, you should have a friend take pictures at the scene of the accident for you. We have even had cases where our clients asked a paramedic to take photographs. Ultimately, it does not matter who you choose to take photos, all that matters is that you have this critical evidence. You should even photograph the defendant’s driver’s license, insurance card, and any other contact information which may be helpful in conducting evidence research later on. The most important thing to remember is: you can never have too many pictures.

Step 3: See a Doctor

The longer you wait between your accident and seeing a doctor, the weaker your claim becomes. You should see a doctor as soon as possible after you have been involved in a car or truck accident. You should immediately go to the emergency room or to see your personal physician after an accident.

However, it is also important to realize that many injuries caused by a car accident will typically not begin to show symptoms until a day or several days after the initial impact. Therefore, it is important to see a doctor immediately after your accident, but it is just as important to follow up and see the physician again after several days have passed.

Step 4: Set Up an Insurance Claim

Ideally, your attorney should do this for you. You should have as little communication with the insurance company as possible. By immediately contacting Grossman Law Offices we can easily handle all contact and negotiations with the insurance company on your behalf. This allows the process to be much smoother and often results in a faster recovery process. But if you have not contacted an attorney and need to set up an insurance claim, you should only do so after completing the above mentioned steps. You should never speak with an insurance company without first documenting as much evidence as possible about the car accident and being thoroughly evaluated by a physician.

What to do Immediately After an Accident

Laredo Personal Injury Lawyers » What to do Immediately After an Accident

Best Practices: The 7 Most Important Steps to Take After a Car Accident

Laredo Car Accident Lawsuit Attorney

While there are many variables that determine the outcome of a car accident lawsuit, there are certainly several things that successful cases all have in common. By following the below list immediately after an accident, you will stand the greatest chance of obtaining fair compensation.

Odds are, you, your family, or someone you love will be involved in one of these accidents and will suffer economic loss as a result. Grossman Law Offices has assembled this article for your benefit, and is designed to educate and equip you to use Texas Car Accident laws to your full advantage. Reviewing this article will assist you in receiving any medical care you might need after an accident, and to maximize your recovery for economic loss that you might experience as a result.

Overview

The best time to collect evidence of the accident is immediately after it happens. Too often, precious evidence is lost or becomes undiscoverable when it is not collected immediately. Ideally, you should begin the following steps (discussed in detail below) the moment you step out of your vehicle after you’ve been in an accident. If you are unable to do any of these steps yourself, have a family member or friend do them for you.

Step 1: Take a Deep Breath and Try to Remain Calm

Simply put, car accidents are stressful. After an accident, you may experience a range of emotions in addition to any injuries you’ve suffered. Although you are justified in being upset, it’s important to keep your emotions in check. A clear head and a well-executed plan are necessary to maximize both recovery and your rights under Texas law.

Step 2: Get Medical Attention, Even if You Think Your Injuries Aren’t Severe

Sometimes the most serious injuries are those that aren’t apparent immediately following an accident. Adrenaline and other hormones often trick our bodies into thinking that our injuries aren’t severe, and mask the full extent of our injuries until after we’ve left the scene of the accident. The dangers of undiscovered injuries are very real, as failure to obtain immediate medical attention could cause irreparable injury or death. Thus, it is good practice to call EMS to evaluate your injuries, even if you think they aren’t severe. Also, when an ambulance ride is offered, it is good practice to err on the side of caution and take it. Odds are that an ambulance ride is being offered to you because a trained paramedic realized that you need medical treatment that is too severe to be treated at the scene.

Similarly, it’s important to not downplay your injuries to police or medical personnel. Even highly qualified medical personnel, including paramedics and doctors, usually require full disclosure of your injuries to make an accurate diagnosis and to prescribe a comprehensive treatment plan. Although you may be tempted to “be strong” for loved ones, it is more important that you address your injuries frankly and directly.

Promptly obtaining medical attention for any injury, no matter how small, is essential to obtain maximum recovery for your injuries. If you fail to obtain medical attention immediately following the accident, the defendant may claim that your injuries were caused or aggravated by an outside force. As the person seeking recovery for your injuries, you have to prove that the defendant caused them. Here’s an illustrative example: say that your only feel a bit sore after you’re rear-ended by distracted driver. Two weeks later, you are having a hard time breathing so you go to the emergency room, where your x-ray shows that you have a several broken ribs and a punctured lung, which were caused when you were rear-ended. Here, the defendant will claim that something else must have happened, and will argue that anyone who has a broken rib or punctured lung would need immediate medical attention. As a result, the court may believe the defendant and limit your recovery to soreness instead of broken ribs and a punctured lung, an amount that is significantly less. Thus, it’s in your best interest to obtain medical attention immediately after you’re in an accident to obtain complete recovery for your injures.

Step 3: Call the Police for an Officer to come to the Accident Scene to Write an Accident Report, and Explain the Accident to the Investigating Officer in Explicit Detail.

Obtaining a police report should be one of your main objectives after you are in an accident, even where the other driver immediately and clearly admits fault. A police report is a document prepared by a police officer that includes the names, addresses, and insurance information of all parties involved, as well as the investigating officer’s findings as to the cause of the accident.

Although having an officer write, and later obtaining, a police report may seem confusing or intimidating, Grossman Law Offices has simplified this process by outlining steps and tips designed to assist you in procuring a police report below. In addition, a competent car accident attorney is able to do most of this for you. However, in the event that you have not retained an attorney, such as immediately after the accident occurs, the following steps are helpful.

The first step is to call the police immediately after the accident occurs. Although you may suspect that someone has called the police on your behalf, you should call anyway to ensure that they arrive quickly and to disclose information that other drivers may not know, such as the existence and severity of injuries. Please note that it is important to obtain a police report for all accidents, regardless if the other driver admits fault. Too often, the responsible driver changes their story after they leave the accident scene, leaving the victim without this crucial piece of evidence.

Second, you should give the officer a concise 30-second explanation of what caused the accident. Just the facts are needed here. For example, something as simple as this will work: “I was traveling east, and the other guy was traveling west. In the distance, I saw him swerving in his lane. He then swerved into my lane, and although I applied my brakes and tried to pull onto the shoulder to avoid him, it didn’t work and he ran into my car. After the accident, I noticed that my head was bleeding and I had a hard time breathing.” Note that officers only write a report if an injury has occurred, so be sure to disclose any injury that you’ve suffered, even if you think it’s small.

Third, you should describe the accident as accurately as possible to the officer. Officers use information from accident victims while compiling their report, and it’s important that they have all of the facts. While talking with the officer, it is extremely important to disclose the full extent of your injuries. You should tell the officer of any injury you suffered as a result of the accident in detail, even if you think it is “small” at the time. Small injuries often become more severe after the passage of time, and it is crucial that the police report show that the injury originated with the accident. In no event should you tell the peace officer that you are “okay” or feel “fine.”

When you wish to pick up a copy of the police report prepared for your accident, you might have several options to do so. Police reports are often available in person at the office that investigated the accident, and are usually available two to five days after the report is written. Alternatively, your car accident attorney can easily obtain an accident report on your behalf.

Step 4: Obtain Information From the Other Driver

Your goal in talking to the other driver is two-fold: First, to elicit evidence that shows that they were at fault in causing the accident, and second, to not inadvertently admit that it was your fault.

When talking with other drivers involved in an accident, ask questions that are helpful in determining if it was irresponsible for them to be driving in the first place. For example, if their speech is slurred or they are unable to walk normally, ask them questions such as “have you been drinking alcohol?” or “are you under the influence of drugs?”

Although a confession is ideal, the other driver may attempt to conceal their liability from you. When that happens, ask them questions that cut through their concealment and reveal the truth. Helpful questions include:

“Where are you coming from?” The place where the other driver is coming from can have wide implications on his liability for causing the accident. For example, if the driver is on the way home from working a night shift, he might be too tired to drive responsibly. Or, if a driver has left a bar or restaurant, he may have consumed too much alcohol, and as a result, drove recklessly and caused the accident.

“What were you doing when the accident happened?” This question is important because it will tell if the driver was distracted when the accident occurred. A distracted driver is a dangerous driver. Distractions come in several forms, and include talking on the phone, texting, arguing with a passenger, shaving, putting on makeup, and attempting to retrieve something dropped on the floor. In Texas, drivers have the duty to operate their vehicles in a responsible manner, which includes driving while not distracted.

“Were you in a rush to get somewhere?” This question is important because it will tell if the driver may have been driving negligently or recklessly when the accident occurred. People who are in a rush often don’t use their best judgment, and may have operated their vehicle in a manner that is unreasonable under the circumstances.

Additionally, you should never admit that the accident was your fault, in full or in part, to the other driver, to medical personnel, or to police officers. Similarly, although you might feel bad or sorry for the other driver, you shouldn’t say anything that reduces his fault in causing the accident. Your objective in obtaining maximum recovery is to be pleasant, but stern in asserting the cause of the accident. Note also that the cause of an accident is often complex, involves several factors (some of which may be unknown to you), and requires the opinion of an expert. Admitting that the accident was your fault before an expert analyzes the facts may cause substantial and irreparable damage to your case, and almost always unfairly benefits the other driver when the accident was really their fault.

Step 5: Talk to and Obtain Information From Witnesses

Witnesses are an excellent resource for you to maximize your rights and recovery under Texas auto accident laws. Although helpful, you should exercise a level of caution when talking and obtaining information from them. First, under no circumstances should you admit fault to a witness. The other driver can use this information against you, even if it’s not included in the police report. Second, have all witnesses, when possible, give their account of the accident to a police officer for their report.

Step 6: Take Pictures of Everything

The saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” rings especially true for car accidents. It is good practice to immediately take pictures of anything you think may be useful in determining the cause and effects of the accident. Waiting to take pictures at a later date may be harmful to your case, as evidence may have been altered or may not be viewed credibly by a court. Importantly, pictures are crucial to a jury’s understanding of the case, and are often necessary to obtain a full recovery for your injuries. In all cases, be sure to take pictures of the following:

The license plate on all vehicles involved in the accident;
All vehicles involved;
Any injuries you’ve suffered;
The other driver, and the other driver’s license and insurance card;
The accident scene from several angles;
Any incriminating evidence, including empty beer cans (even if in the bed of a truck), drug paraphernalia, or possible distractions inside the vehicle;
Pictures of witnesses and their license plates;
Pictures of traffic control devices, including stop signs and lights, mile markers, street signs, and traffic cameras; and
Pictures of landmarks to pinpoint the exact location of the accident, such as billboards and surrounding buildings.

Step 7: Call a Competent Car Wreck Attorney

If you’ve been in a car wreck as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and economic loss. It is important that you have an attorney that understands your rights and has a history of success in representing car accident victims. The team at the Law Office has a track record of success, and has obtained numerous recoveries for our clients.

The attorneys at our Law Office are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to provide a free consultation regarding your auto accident at 210-202-4027