Houston Car Accident Lawyer

We help accident victims injured in Texas vehicle collisions and the families of those killed due to the negligence of another. For over three decades, the top-rated car accident attorneys at Baumgartner Law Firm, Personal Injury Lawyers, have handled car accident cases in the greater Houston, TX, area and worked hard to ensure each car wreck victim receives the maximum possible compensation.

Our award-winning car accident lawyers have over 35 years of experience with car accident claims. We have handled all of the common car accident injuries and are known to car insurance companies. Call the Houston car accident lawyers at Baumgartner Law Firm if you are seeking the best lawyer for car accidents in Houston.

A Houston auto accident attorney will deal with your personal injury claim and the insurance adjusters from the car insurance companies on your car accident claim. A car accident attorney offers a free consultation. If you are worried about medical expenses or medical bills, lost wages, or the impact of your making a claim with your own insurance company.

Talk with an experienced car accident attorney. Our auto accident attorneys have been filing personal injury lawsuits on car accident cases since 1985.

Contact us before talking to an insurance adjuster if you were involved in a vehicle accident in Texas that was not your fault and you feel you have a personal injury claim. There is no charge for your free consultation.

Getting quality legal representation is important. Baumgartner Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers have practiced only personal injury trial law in Houston, TX, since 1985. Auto accident adjusters know we fight for fair compensation. Our experienced Houston auto accident lawyers have helped thousands of people with motor vehicle accidents.

Our auto accident attorneys can help get a copy of your crash report and seek to hold the negligent driver accountable. If the insurance company refuses to pay fair compensation for your personal injury claims, we will file a personal injury lawsuit. Houston car accidents can be complicated. Let our experienced car accident lawyers help.

Houston car accident cases are usually very time-sensitive and require fast action and an immediate investigation. Don’t put off obtaining legal help. Contact a top-rated Houston car accident lawyer today. Call a car accident lawyer in Houston, TX, who has been recognized as one of the best in Houston, to schedule a free consultation.

If you’ve been involved in a serious car accident in Houston, our firm’s experienced Houston car accident attorney can help. We have extensive experience handling complex personal injury cases all over Texas. Here are some examples of the types of car accident injuries our Houston car accident lawyers may seek compensation for:

• Head and brain trauma and Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
• Whiplash & neck injuries
• Lacerations, cuts, burns, and scrapes
• Chest injuries
• Arm & leg injuries
• Spinal injuries
• Soft tissue injuries
• Fractured and broken bones
• Physical pain
• Internal bleeding
• Chronic pain
• Organ damage
• A catastrophic injury that impacts mobility or quality of life
• Wrongful death claims

Here you’ll find helpful information if you find yourself involved in hit-and-run accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, car accidents, or other types of collisions.

The steps you take immediately following your auto accident can have a great impact on your insurance claim and the compensation and financial recovery available to you in legal proceedings. Follow the steps below. Don’t worry. We know it can be difficult to remember exactly what to do in the moments following an accident – especially if you’re injured and in shock. Following this list, you’ll find a copy you can download and keep in your car.

Texas law requires the officer to file a police report if someone is hurt or killed in a car wreck or if there is more than $1,000 in property damage. Often you are in an accident and call the police, but after an hour, they still haven’t arrived. This forces you to exchange information with the other driver and leave the accident scene.

Officers not arriving timely at a crash site is a problem in Houston and Harris County. A report will not be filed if an officer does not show up at the scene. In Texas, you may file a Driver’s Crash Report (CR-2) online on the TxDOT website.

Experienced attorneys will often be able to settle a personal injury case before filing a lawsuit. However, some insurance companies may need encouragement to offer fair compensation for your damages. Filing a lawsuit lets the insurance company know that if an agreement can’t be reached, a jury will get to decide on fair compensation.

Personal injury claims can take from a few months to a few years. The process of dealing with the insurance adjuster on reasonable compensation generally happens after you have been released from medical care and the adjuster has been given your medical records.

If a lawsuit must be filed, getting an attorney is suggested. Most cases will settle before going to a trial.

Not every case requires a lawsuit. For example, 15 or 20 years ago, about 80% of all automobile accident claims were settled before filing a lawsuit.

But, in the meantime, Texas has enacted “tort reform,” which has encouraged automobile insurance companies and adjusters to take a more hardline approach to injury victims.

The net result of this law change is that, more often than not, a Houston car accident lawyer must file a lawsuit to get the insurance company’s attention focused rightly on your claim.

Of course, that is not to say that your case will go to a trial, as most cases settle before the trial starts. But the odds of a car accident lawsuit being filed are much higher today than before “tort reform.”

The reason is that tort reform makes it much easier for an insurance company to lowball and force a trial on both their insured and the innocent victim. Usually, the insurer uses employee counsel to reduce the costs of disputing every case.

The general rule is the more serious the injuries, the more you need a skilled attorney to handle your case. With fatal accidents, getting a leading wrongful death lawyer is recommended.

Your attorney will file a lawsuit if your case cannot settle for a fair amount. A Houston personal injury lawsuit can take over a year to get to the first trial setting.  With the backlog of cases in Harris County, it isn’t easy to get a trial in the first trial setting.

Between one and two years after the lawsuit is filed is the most reasonable estimate of when you may get to a trial. After COVID, many courts are backed up, and it might take more than one trial setting to get your day in court.

Cases can take as little as 1 to 2 days or go on for weeks. A lot depends on the complexity of the case, the number of parties, and the damages in dispute.

If a lawsuit is filed, your “day in court” can be as early as a year from the filing date in Harris County, Texas, but most often, it is closer to two years. The exact day is up to the court, and it is not unusual to have multiple settings before a trial is conducted on a case. In the meantime, your car accident attorney will prepare your case and obtain demonstrative evidence to tell your story.

Fault determination is the most crucial factor in car accident cases.  Of course, if you contributed to the cause of the accident, then the outcome will be determined based on the laws of your state.  In Texas, we use a comparative fault system.  You may still be entitled to compensation if you are less than 51% at fault.

If you are NOT at fault, you may use several options to result in being compensated:

• You can file a claim with your own car insurance company for your property damage.
• You can file a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance company.
• You can also file a lawsuit against the other driver.

Should you file a lawsuit, it is crucial to remember that the other party could counter-sue you.  Therefore, finding an injury attorney specializing in car injury settlement cases is vital. Common types of car accidents include rear-end collisions and disregarding traffic signals.

If you choose that route, your insurance company must pay for any medical bills (PIP or Med Pay) and property damage (if you have full coverage), according to your policy coverages and limits.

To reach a car accident settlement, the required steps can be quite lengthy to carry out.  You can choose to resolve without dispute, which is what most parties choose.  It is often favorable to settle before filing a lawsuit and going to a courtroom, as any jury verdict could potentially lead to a non-guaranteed decision taken by the jury.

The first step to reaching a car accident settlement is to gather all information about the accident, including evidence.  Medical records, receipts for medical costs, photos, and witness testimony must all be presented to prove your case.

Once you have gathered the information and documentation, it is time to prepare a demand letter addressed to the insurance company, which will need to clearly and concisely state your claim.

In the demand letter, your personal injury or injuries must be detailed and contain information about the damages you wish to recover as part of the final compensation amount.

Upon receipt of the demand letter by the insurance company, it will investigate the case and decide, in its opinion, whether or not you are eligible for an accident settlement based on the evidence that was provided.

If the insurance company accepts your evidence, you will be offered a settlement amount.  At this point, you can negotiate an agreement if the amount is less than what you anticipate.  Should the insurance company deny your negotiation for a different amount, you can consider filing a lawsuit to obtain just compensation.

How long a car accident case takes depends on many factors. One of which is your Houston personal injury lawyer.

Some choose to sue the other driver.  If you decide to do this, a lawsuit will be filed with a local court.

Each state in the United States has its own statute of limitations, which are the laws that place time limits for filing an injury claim for a car accident.  You should review the rules in the state in which you reside.  In Texas, the general statute of limitations is two years from the date of the accident.  Other factors can potentially shorten or lengthen a time limitation on bringing a lawsuit in Texas.  Always consult a local attorney.

The clock for the statute of limitation starts the minute you are involved in a car accident.  You will only have that stated time in which to file a lawsuit against the other driver who has caused personal injury, damage, or/and pain and suffering.

Once the time limit expires, you will no longer be able to sue the other driver, and they won’t be able to sue you.

An injury claim adjuster does NOT work for you, unlike a lawyer you hire for your case.  The adjuster does not protect your interests.  Instead, the adjuster simply negotiates a claim where necessary.  The other person’s insurance adjuster is NOT on your side.

Negotiation with an injury claim adjuster can go on for a while.  If you find this to be true in your case, it is important to practice patience and remember that you may reach a fair car accident compensation amount in some cases.  However, without an experienced lawyer, it can be challenging to be treated well by an injury adjuster.

If you’re dealing with an injury claim adjuster and need our help, call us today at 281-587-1111 to discuss your settlement needs.

The amount you can be paid if you were injured in a car accident that wasn’t your fault will be based on several factors, and no two car accident cases are the same.  This is why the insurance company must assess all of the evidence submitted. Common car wreck injuries include neck and back injuries and many others.

We recommend working closely with a legal professional to gather all of the evidence you need and present it properly.  There are multiple things that an injured party can claim if involved in a car accident, including medical bills, pain, suffering, damages to parts of the car such as the rear end, severe cases, long-term conditions, and care for such things as brain injuries.

The compensation paid per case must be assessed independently.  A car accident attorney can closely work with you if you want to sue the driver responsible for the car accident.  For a personal injury case, having a professional on your side can work in your favor when you are suing for injuries.

You could be eligible for just a few thousand dollars in the case of a minor car accident or hundreds of thousands of dollars if you have sustained severe physical damages.  There is no exact answer to the above question, as everything must be accounted for and assessed before putting forward a compensation settlement amount for a car accident. Many victims call us to ask if their settlement offer is fair.

But our Houston car accident lawyers can’t give an evaluation of the value of the case without knowing the full details of the case.

Your personal injury case is calculated based on several different factors, which are both physical and economic.  Everything must be assessed when it comes to your pain and suffering. The process can take a while.  You must submit all evidence of medical treatment, medical bills, damage to your car, and other expenses.

The settlement will also be calculated at a higher amount should it be found that the at-fault driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.  If this is the case, you will need to preserve important evidence, which your personal injury attorney can take care of on your behalf.

There is no right or wrong answer to this question.  A fair car accident settlement is one that takes into consideration the emotional, physical, and economic impact on the victim.  Usually, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will pay up to the insurance limit where they feel the damages are substantial and the liability clear.

Otherwise, a fair settlement amount considers all of the above factors to calculate the amount of money that should be paid to the victim.  The victim or their car injury lawyer can submit all types of evidence and request compensation for everything from vehicle damages to the time lost at work due to medical injury and treatment.

An insurance company will pay for injuries and damages sustained when you are eligible for a car accident settlement.  Each accident case is unique, which is to be kept in mind when claiming car accident compensation.  In some cases, a smaller settlement amount might be offered, in which case you can handle a negotiation with an insurance adjuster.  If the amount you are offered is not fair, you can negotiate or seek help from an experienced lawyer or consider small claims court.

In some cases, where an insurance company will not pay you a settlement, you can choose to sue the driver for your injuries.  Most of the time, an insurance company will payout to an accident victim where evidence has been provided proving fault and damages.  Some insurance companies have a take-it-or-leave-it approach and may require you to get an attorney. However, some highly-rated attorneys will not take minor injury collision cases.

Car crash settlements can be difficult to reach an agreement on.  If you decide to take your case to court, have a solid lawyer on your side!

Your medical bills in Texas are limited to bills actually paid or incurred.  You will need to include details of the medical costs you have had to pay and the details of any outstanding balances on medical bills.

The amount you are entitled to recover for your medical bills will depend on the out-of-pocket payments, the outstanding balance, and what a health insurance company may have paid for your care resulting from the collision.

Possibly. Texas is a comparative responsibility state. If you are less responsible than the other driver, you may be entitled to recover your damages, less the percentage of your own fault. For example:

Joey was in an accident where the other driver failed to yield the right of way and struck Joey’s car at an intersection. The other driver was ticketed. However, Joey was speeding at the time as shown by the computer download from his car, and witnesses confirmed speeding to the crash. A jury found Joey to be 20% at fault and the other driver 80% at fault. Joey would be entitled to 80% of his total damages.

At Baumgartner Law Firm, our attorneys know how devastating an auto collision can be, especially if you have sustained life-changing injuries. After a motor vehicle collision, you must contact an auto accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect your claim.

At our award-winning personal injury law firm in Houston, TX, we can handle every aspect of this complex legal process, which will allow you to focus on recovering from your injuries and moving on with your life. Contact our top-rated personal injury law firm today to schedule a free consultation, and let us help you hold the at-fault driver accountable for their negligence.