HOUSTON PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY

Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyer in Brownsville, TX

Ryan A Dehoyos Image | Houston Personal Injury Law Firms | DeHoyos Accident Attorneys

10+

YEARS OF PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

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1,000+

CASES AND
CLIENTS

$20 M

IN SETTLEMENTS & VERDICTS

Most car accidents in Brownsville, like everywhere in the Rio Grande Valley, are caused by either distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or speeding.

The devastating effects of such accidents are not limited to the driver of the at-fault vehicle. Unfortunately, many innocent victims are affected every year in Brownsville from the negligent or reckless actions of other drivers.

Some suffer life-altering injuries or lose their lives. There were 35 fatalities in Cameron County in 2018, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The total number of accidents in Brownsville alone amounts to around 10 per day.

Car accidents leave families in great distress. Compensation from the at-fault driver will never fully cover it, but it can help people pay bills, repair vehicles, and plan for the future with greater optimism.

As experienced car accident lawyers based here in the Valley, DeHoyos Accident Attorneys can help you move on with your life if you or a family member have been the victim of a car accident in Brownsville.

What is the Texas statute of limitations with car accidents? 

With most legal claims, there is a statute of limitations that governs the maximum time period for taking legal action.

In the case of car accidents in Texas (or any type of personal injury), this is two years.

However, this period may be shorter if you file against a government entity.

When filing a car accident claim, it is best to pursue action through your car accident lawyer as soon as you have all of the necessary evidence and documentation for your case.

This ensures that the details remain fresh in your mind and that you are sending the right message to the courts and the insurance company that your case requires urgent attention.

You were just involved in a car accident in Brownsville. What should you do?

Although it’s impossible to completely predict or prevent an accident, you can take precautionary measure for what to do afterwards. For example, always keep a copy of your car registration and proof of insurance in the glove box so you’re prepared if you need them. If law enforcement becomes involved, they will ask for these documents, so it’ll save time if they’re easily accessible.

Have a backup plan to record the license plate number, driver’s registration, and insurance information in case your phone is dead or you don’t have it on you..

Call an ambulance

Check on your well being and the well being of others.

  1. Check Yourself for Injuries – Your safety is paramount. After a collision, check for cuts, broken bones, and other injuries. If you need emergency medical treatment, ask someone to call an ambulance or request one yourself.
  2. Check on Your Passengers – If there is more than one injured person in the accident, you are required to provide reasonable assistance to them, including arranging for their transportation to the hospital. Check on the well-being of any occupants in your vehicle and see whether anybody requires medical attention. Request an ambulance for each accident victim.
  3. Get to Safe Location – You should stay at the accident site if there are injuries or death. When it is safe to do so, you should go to a secure location away from busy roadways. If your vehicle has just damage and you are not injured, move it off the road to a safer position.

Report the car accident to The Brownsville police

If you sustain an accident that causes injury or death, you should contact a law enforcement agency right away if:

  1. It concerns an accident in which someone was harmed or died,
  2. If you believe that the driver was under the influence of alcohol or
  3. the damaged vehicles are on the road and cannot be removed.

A motor vehicle operator in Brownsville, Texas who is injured or involved in a car accident as a result of another motorist’s negligence, must:

  • If the other driver involved in the accident looks injured, call an ambulance immediately.
  • Even if the accident isn’t serious, contact the cops immediately. An official accident report is essential if you want to submit an insurance claim later.
  • Wait for the cops to arrive at the scene. Do not depart the location of a vehicle accident before police arrive. If you leave after an automobile collision with an injury, you risk being charged with failure to stop, which is a major felony offense.

To sum up, after you report the car accident to the police, these are the steps you must take:

  • Check to see if anyone has any medical issues that police or paramedics should be aware of. In addition to surveying the damage, be sure to check for any injuries and whether the driver or other vehicle occupants require medical treatment. If any other drivers and/or passengers needs to be transported to a safe place, call an emergency medical service (EMS).
  • Report the accident to the local police department

Assist with any other needs for help until the police and emergency medical services arrive. It is vital to have a police report for your car accident claim. Make sure you are filing the report correctly by giving all pertinent details.

Note things around the scene of the accident

While you wait for the cops to arrive, document the scene of the accident using your phone’s camera. Take photographs of the cars’ positions before they are transported, as well as any damage caused to them. Try capturing images from a variety of angles.

If there were any traffic hazards or road blockages that may have influenced the impact, take photos of them. Once the accident site has been cleared, potential evidence may be destroyed.

Don’t apologize, even if you believe you caused the accident

There are many factors that may have contributed to the accident. It is too soon to know immediately after an accident. Exchange driver’s license information, vehicle registration and identification numbers, and insurance information with all drivers involved in the accident. But avoid discussing the details of the accident with other drivers.

You may be shocked or furious after a collision, naturally. It’s critical to maintain your cool. An angry outburst might exacerbate an already bad situation. Even if you feel you were at blame, don’t accuse the other driver of causing the accident or accept responsibility yourself.

Avoid apologizing or trying to downplay your injuries in front of others at the scene of an accident. It’s common to be unaware of how serious they are immediately after a crash, due to things like adrenaline masking pain. In fact, you may only start feeling soreness and greater discomfort days later. But even if these seem like well-intended comments in the moment, insurance companies could use them against you later on to deny or reduce your claim settlements.

Been injured in a motor vehicle accident in The Woodlands, TX?

If you have been injured due to another’s negligence, call us at (832) 745-4878 or schedule a free and confidential consultation about your case today.

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What is my personal injury or accident injury case worth?

The value of a personal injury case will ultimately depend on several factors, including:

Medical Expenses

An accident victim is able to receive compensation for any medical bills that are a direct result of the injuries they got from an accident. This can include costs from before, during, and after treatment.

Lost Wages

If you’re unable to work because of an injury caused by someone else, you may be able to receive lost wages compensation that covers what you would have earned if the accident never happened.

Insurance Coverage

Any good auto accident lawyer will do everything in their power to make sure you, the victim, are fairly compensated for your injuries. To get you the money you deserve, they’ll investigate every possible source of recovery — not just from the at-fault driver’s insurance company but from other places too.

For instance, if that driver only had a low liability policy or no car insurance at all (which is illegal in most states), and you have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as part of your own car insurance policy, then we can go after them instead.

Even your own car insurer may try to give you the runaround though so don’t expect an easy battle ahead.

Litigation

No insurance company wants to run the risk of a massive jury verdict, which is why car accident victims need an experienced lawyer.

Economic and Non-Economic Damages

The two sorts of damages that can be recuperated in a vehicle accident claim are non-economic and economic. Economic losses include future and past medical expenses, as well as lost income. Non-economic losses, on the other hand, are more subjective, such as emotional suffering and physical and mental suffering.

What is the comparative negligence law in Texas? 

As a “fault” state, if you are involved in a car accident in Texas, you have the right to file a claim for damages against the at-fault party or parties.

However, the comparative negligence law adds some complexity to this.

Even if you are found to be partly at fault of the accident yourself, you can still make a claim against the other party or parties (providing you were less than 50 percent at fault).

So, those involved in an accident can be held proportionally at fault.

Say your vehicle collides with another vehicle and causes damage. You are deemed to be 25 percent at-fault.  In this case, you can still sue the driver of the other vehicle but your award will reflect the 75 percent proportion of fault (not 100 percent) for the other driver.

Anyone deemed to be 50 percent or more at fault for an accident is unable to file a claim for losses, according to Texas law.

Claim for a car accident injury in Brownsville

In most cases, taking legal action as soon as possible after your car accident will help your claim for damages.

Arrange a free consultation today and we can start to examine the facts of your case.

Remember, we only get paid if you do.

$2,000,000

CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT

$1,130,000

PEDESTRIAN SETTLEMENT

$1,100,000

SPINAL CORD INJURY

$955,000

PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT

$1,300,000

CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT

$980,000

CAR ACCIDENT SETTLEMENT

$960,000

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

$850,000

SLIP & FALL SETTLEMENT

$250,000

LONG-TERM DISABILITY

A personal approach to personal injury in Houston, Texas

“As a client to this Law Firm, I found it to be rewarding base on their work ethics. With there expertise, knowledge, flexibility and being responsive to their client needs. They will see that their client receive the best outcome on there case. There are many people out there that have bad ideas about lawyers, but DeHoyos Accident Attorneys will make sure that you’re not stressed about anything pertaining to your case. I’ll recommend that you seek this Lawyer and Law Firm for any unraveling situation you might face.”

RIDLEY OSBOURNE


“I can’t say enough good things about DeHoyos Accident Attorneys! Mr. Ryan DeHoyos is extremely knowledgeable in his field of Personal Injury. I was injured in a motor vehicle accident last year and Mr. DeHoyos stopped at nothing to get me the compensation I deserved. He kept me updated on my case regularly and guided me to get the medical care I needed. Additionally, his staff is so kind and caring, especially Ashley… Thank you, DeHoyos Accident Attorneys for your professionalism in closing my case…and WINNING big!”

RAVEN DOLBERRY


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