Car Accident & Personal Injury Lawyer in The Woodlands, TX

Personal injury and car accident lawyer Ryan DeHoyos explains the different types of accidents, and everything you need to know if you’ve been in an accident in The Woodlands, TX.

If you have been injured in any type of motor vehicle accident in The Woodlands area, you shouldn’t have to suffer either the material or emotional costs if you were not to blame.

If your accident was mainly the fault of another party, you can claim damages for medical bills, property damage, and lost wages, as well as pain and suffering from your injury.

The claims process can be overwhelming at a time when victims should be focusing on recovering from their injuries and family members focusing on helping loved ones put their life back together.

Personal injury lawyer, Ryan DeHoyos, will provide the support and expertise you need at this challenging time, fighting for a fair deal either in or out of the courtroom.

Named as one of Super Lawyers’ Rising Stars in 2019, Ryan has over a decade of experience in personal injury cases to help you claim what you deserve.

At DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, PLLC, we are intimately familiar with the local courts, the procedures involved in winning a case, and the strategies to maximize your claim.

Common types of auto accidents in the Woodlands

The Woodlands, Texas is one of the fastest-growing areas in the state. As such, more vehicles on the roads, unfortunately, mean more accidents.

More accidents mean more serious injuries involving all types of vehicles. Car accidents are just one type of auto accident that we regularly help victims seek compensation for in The Woodlands and the Greater Houston area.

Most commonly, we represent victims of the following types of accidents:

Car accidents

From seemingly minor fender benders to multi-car collisions, car accident injuries are extremely varied and range from minor to life-threatening.

Truck accidents

Any accident involving an 18-wheeler truck is likely to be serious and requires specialist expertise to reach a fair settlement.

Motorcycle accidents

Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable of road users and accidents can cause serious injuries requiring serious legal representation.

Wrongful death

At challenging times, we can provide legal support to help get you through and to claim for your untimely losses as the family of the victim of a preventable accident.

Why hire a personal injury lawyer in The Woodlands?

Whatever the circumstances of your car accident claim, you can be sure of one thing: the insurance company of the at-fault party is not going to let you decide how much compensation is fair.

Insurance companies are notorious for trying everything to minimize their losses. When assessing a claim, they will consider:

• Your claims history
• The proportion of fault that can be apportioned to their client
• Your past, present, and future medical treatment as a result of your injuries
• Other losses, such as property damage, emotional pain, and suffering, etc.

Many of the negative effects of your accident will likely be underestimated and downplayed by the insurance company’s loss adjusters.

This is the main reason for retaining the services of an experienced Woodlands car accident attorney. As your personal injury lawyer, Ryan DeHoyos will:

• Handle all communications with the insurance company
• Negotiate with the insurer to see if an acceptable out-of-court settlement is possible
• Be ready to sue the insurance company
• Represent you at a court trial to get what you deserve

He will try to maximize your compensation by claiming both “general” and “special” damages to the full extent of what you are entitled to. This may include:

• Medical bills
• Lost earnings
• Property damage
• Any other “out of pocket” expenses
• Emotional and physical pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Funeral expenses (in the case of wrongful death claims)

As a local car accident attorney who knows the court system in Greater Houston and is familiar with the personal injury claim procedures in The Woodlands, Ryan DeHoyos will provide the support you need as he fights for your rights.

You were just involved in a car accident in The Woodlands. 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 Woodlands 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 The Woodlands, 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.

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.

Should you deal with an insurance company without a lawyer following a vehicle accident?

Many people who are in car accidents believe that they do not need a lawyer because insurance companies want victims to think that settling a claim is easy. In reality, having an attorney who specializes  in these types of cases would help many accident victims resolve their claims more effectively.

Many insurance adjusters are trained to reduce the amount of your damage settlement. Your best chance at receiving a fair outcome is by working with a qualified car accident attorney who knows how to navigate the complicated insurance system.

A good attorney will be well prepared and have experience fighting these types of cases in court. With an excellent attorney on your side, you’re more likely to see success in getting the compensation that you deserve.

How can you avoid auto accident in The Woodlands?

You can’t eliminate traffic accidents, but there are things you may do to decrease the risk. The incentives to reduce the possibility are strong. According to OSHA records, someone dies every 12 minutes in a traffic accident, someone is injured every 10 seconds, and a collision occurs every five seconds.

There are numerous ways to reduce your chances of being in a vehicle accident, but the methods are usually quite comparable. According to one source, EHS Today, drivers should take basic precautions to reduce their accident risk:

• Pull into traffic with care, paying attention to other drivers’ blind spots and objects that might obstruct other drivers’ vision, including highway signs.
• Look both ways at least twice before turning right at intersections.
• At traffic signals, watch out for red light runners.
• Be careful when passing commercial trucks, which have large blind spots on their right-hand sides and to their rears.
• Always keep at least one hand on the steering wheel, and avoid distractions, such as changing radio stations, tapes, or CDs; using a cell phone; eating; or taking both hands off the wheel.
• Watch for children, pedestrians, and animals.
• Maintain your vehicle, including the engine and safety equipment, such as brakes and brake lights, and position lights and headlights. Keep your tires properly inflated.
• Remain extra attentive when backing up. Don’t rely on mirrors—turn and look to see for sure.
• Always follow at a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you.
• Drive courteously—don’t do anything that could incite road rage.

You can’t prevent every accident—you can only minimize your danger. Driving requires constant monitoring and attention; keeping that in mind will aid you considerably in avoiding traffic accidents. Vigilance is your greatest protection, whether you merge into traffic on I-45 or drive 20 miles per hour on Woodlands Mall’s Mall Ring Road.

Even though the probability of being in a car accident is low, the consequences can be life-threatening. According to federal data, you’re more likely to become injured than killed in a car crash.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, investigate if you’re entitled to any compensation. After an injury, few people’s first instinct is to explore legal remedies. Most people want immediate medical attention and focus on their recovery process as well as repairing damage done to their vehicle.

What questions should you ask a car accident attorney?

If you’re considering hiring a car accident lawyer in The Woodlands, it helps to prepare a series of questions to ask the lawyer. You need to make an informed decision as the stakes are high. The following question ideas should help:

• What similar cases to mine have you represented?
• Do you have examples of settlements you have negotiated with insurance companies?
• Do you have examples of cases you have won in court?
• Which courts in the Woodlands area have you worked?
• How likely is it that my case will go to court?
• How much is my case worth, approximately?
• How will the strategy change if we go to trial?
• How do you charge for your time?
• If I do not win my claim, will I be responsible for any costs?
• How much time do you have to devote to my case?
• Will you personally handle my case – or a junior attorney?
• What will I have to do during the case? How much will it impact my time?
• How will you communicate with me and provide progress updates?
• Typically, how long will take to resolve a case like mine?

Download Your Question Checklist

What makes our personal injury firm serving The Woodlands different?

At such a difficult time in your life with an injury to recover from and stress levels high, the last thing you need is a law firm that treats you as just another number.

We take the time to listen carefully to your story. Your injuries may not be unique but the circumstances and the outcomes nearly always are.

We will work very closely with you, supporting you, offering considered legal guidance, gradually building a compelling case, and fighting tirelessly to maximize the compensation you receive.

• We won’t waste your time – after your free case evaluation, we will provide an honest assessment of your chances. No wasting your time with false promises.
• Track record – we can demonstrate our success both in and out of the courtroom, with substantial settlements secured for clients.
• No backing down – our stance with insurance companies is always that we are prepared to defend your rights at trial: no backing down!
• Tailored legal strategy – your story is the key to case success. We will listen carefully and build our legal strategy around it, using all of our experience.
• Established, trusted and proven – with over a decade’s experience representing victims in the Houston area, Ryan DeHoyos is an established and proven personal injury attorney.
• We only get paid if you do – we believe that we should not receive a dime unless you do, so we work purely on a contingency basis that costs you nothing upfront.

Been in an auto accident in The Woodlands, TX?

Whether your life has been changed temporarily or forever as a result of a car accident in The Woodlands – or a loved one’s life has been lost –attempting to handle a compensation claim alone is a thankless task.

Dealing with insurance companies is notoriously difficult and is best handled by those experienced with the process.

An experienced The Woodlands car accident lawyer with your best interests at heart can make all the difference not only to the amount of compensation you receive but also to the healing process. It is the support and helps we provide that sets Ryan DeHoyos and his team apart.