If you’ve recently been involved in a car collision due to someone else’s negligence, you aren’t alone. According to The Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) there were 14, 905 serious injury crashes recorded in Texas in 2024. That’s 1 person injured every 2.05 minutes.
The good news is that you don’t have to handle this situation on your own. A solid team of personal injury attorneys with car crash experience can help you navigate the challenge of litigation while injured. With an experienced personal injury attorney team behind you, you can expect the best outcome for your recovery.
We at The Practically Legal Law Firm have a combined 100+ years of experience in handling car crash litigation in Southeast Texas. We’d be happy to discuss the particulars of your case with you, 100% free of charge.
Types of Crashes We Handle
Car crashes happen due to a variety of reasons, both avoidable and not. Regardless of severity, though, let us guide you through the process of maximizing your recovery through the legal claims process. Some of the most common crash types we handle are:
Failure to Yield or Intersection Accidents
Failure to yield “right of way” or ROW happens when one party has a clear signal to move forward or clear right of way in a lane and another party ignores their signal to stop or moves into an occupied lane of travel. This can be due to lack of awareness; the offending party simply isn’t paying attention or is distracted. It can be caused by confusion; this area is experiencing a lot of traffic changes due to construction – at times, the signage isn’t clear on who has right of way. Or it can have other causes found during the investigation.
These types of accidents often occur at intersections or transition spaces – think of leaving a driveway or merging onto a freeway. While we all know the slower car should wait until there’s a clear opening, many times they try to “squirt” out in front. And because they didn’t read the oncoming traffic correctly, they become an obstacle and cause a collision.
Whatever the cause, Failure to Yield ROW means that one party had clear legal access to the lane of travel and the other party didn’t. But even with straightforward facts, insurance companies will fight to pay the least amount of recovery they can. We don’t let them.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions occur when two cars meet head-to-head. Injuries from head-on collisions involve mild- to severe-head injuries, spinal column trauma, and deep soft tissue injuries. These can be serious and life threatening and take a long time to recover from.
Rear-End Collisions
The easiest to prevent type of accident. Rear-end collisions are often caused by the offending party being too close to the car they are tailing. They also happen frequently in parking lots as one car zooms around looking for a space and ignoring someone trying to back out.
These types of collision cause whiplash and neck pain, primarily. Many of the injuries caused in these types of collisions are complicated due to the “see-saw” motion your body goes through during the crash.
Drunk Driving Accidents
According to TXDOT, approximately 25.37% of the total number of people killed in car crashes in 2024 were due to drunk driving and/or driving under the influence. That is about 1,053 people totaled that died last year due to drunk driving.
Deaths that occur due to a drunk driver are devastating. So many times, the driver seems to walk away unscathed while leaving grief and pain in their wake. With proper representation, you can pursue compensation for not only any physical pain and financial losses you suffered, but also for mental and emotional pain and anguish due to loss of your loved one(s).
Hit-and-Run Accidents
Hit-and-run accidents can be the worst. Not only is your car totaled, but there’s no offending party to share the burden. Having representation with access to resources such as a private investigator can be invaluable.
Even if an offending party can’t be found, a responsible personal injury attorney that is familiar with car wrecks can help you recover from your own insurance if you have uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. And if you aren’t sure if you have either of these – now is the time to review your insurance policy with your vehicle insurance carrier.
You’ve Been Hit – What to do After a Car Wreck
Your first steps after a car accident are the most important. Sure, most everyone knows to call their vehicle insurance carrier and notify them that there was a collision. But they don’t have your best interest at heart; their first priority will be mitigating loss to themselves.
If you want real recovery options, you need to reach out to a responsible local car wreck attorney like The Practical Magic Law Firm. We can ensure that you are taken care of, help you understand the processes of making a claim and filing a lawsuit, and help you find medical treatment.
First Step, Medical Care
Your first priority after any car wreck, no matter how “mild”, is to document any injuries. Let the responding officers know if you are injured or even if you don’t know. “I don’t know yet” is a valid response to the question “Are you injured?” It can take up to a week for some injuries to become known, thanks to adrenaline and shock.
So just because you aren’t bleeding and there’s nothing broken – don’t tell the officer that you “aren’t hurt”. Tell them you aren’t sure yet but that you will seek medical attention if and when necessary.
Document the Scene
You should always make sure to take your own photos of the offending vehicle and the damage to your own vehicle. Make sure to get as much evidence of the scene of the collision as possible. This way you don’t have to rely on photographs produced by the offending driver during the investigation. And you can ensure the evidence matches your recollection of the event best.
If there are witnesses, make sure to get their name and phone number. Don’t ask for a statement yet; just ask if they wouldn’t mind providing one at a later date if necessary. And if the accident occurred in front of a business ask if they have security cameras. Video of the accident occurring can be key in nailing liability during depositions and trial.
Don’t Talk to Anyone Without an Attorney
Remember that no matter how friendly the insurance adjuster, their first job is to minimize payouts. Even if it’s your own vehicle insurance carrier – don’t give them a recorded statement without first speaking with your lawyer or having your lawyer present. Anything you say can (and will) be used against you in a court of law.
Especially with your own vehicle insurance carrier, this can be difficult. The idea is to mitigate any potential raising of fees or them dropping coverage. Even if they do decide to drop your coverage after an accident, though – you can still make a claim. Ensure your rights are protected before you make a statement; have a lawyer on standby you can trust.
Get Representation – Fast
By reaching out as soon as possible, once the above steps have been handled, you can ensure fastest recovery. Your attorney will work swiftly to protect vital evidence; inform all necessary parties that you have representation to help you; and can even help you contact and schedule medical providers if you don’t know where to turn.
Our teams are standing by to start your case off on the right foot from day one. If you aren’t sure whether you need representation or just need to talk options, give us a call. Initial consultations are free and if we can’t help you, no hard feelings.
Call us now at (409)867-5309 and let us worry about the details, while you focus on healing.
How Much Can I Get? Or, Compensation Possibilities After a Car Wreck
Compensation, recovery, settlement; different words but same meaning. How much money could you receive after a car wreck?
There are several factors that affect compensation after a car wreck. Level of injury, complexity of injury and facts, and amount of liability (blame) are all factors. A responsible personal injury attorney will weigh all the options and talk to you about each, before deciding which claims to make. Some of those claims include:
Economic Losses
While we don’t actively pursue property damage for you, we can claim financial loss due to your car being totaled in the wreck. You can also make a claim for lost wages, lost tips, medical expenses (treatment, hospital stays, surgery, etc.), and ongoing care.
Non-Economic Losses
These types of losses are what most people think of when they think “recovery”, the “pain and suffering” losses. Non-economic losses include physical pain and suffering, loss of physical ability due to injuries, and intangible injuries such as emotional and mental suffering and anguish.
Punitive Damages
Occasionally we can also claim punitive damages. Punitive or “punishment” damages can be added when the circumstances are above and beyond base negligence. These are called “gross negligence” and occur due to extremely reckless, intentional, or malicious behavior. Your attorney might talk to you about adding punitive damages in addition to run of the mill negligence charges.
Claim It Now, Before the Statute Runs Out
An important thing to remember is that you only have a certain amount of time after any injury to make a claim. In the State of Texas that is two (2) years after a vehicle collision to file a lawsuit. Any suits filed after this time will be filed in bad faith and dismissed, and you might suffer a fine. (Texas Law Help)
The sooner you reach out to an attorney about your potential case the better. Vital evidence such as photographs, physical pieces of the vehicles or crash site, and even medical records can become harder to obtain the further from the date of the crash you get. If you need help now, reach out to us at (409)867-5309 for your completely free initial consultation.
We want to help you claim your maximum recovery!
Beaumont, Texas Car Wreck FAQ
If you have questions about the claims process, compensation, or your legal rights after you’ve been involved in an accident in or around Beaumont, Texas, below are some of the top questions we answer regarding claims:
- What if the offending driver is uninsured or underinsured?
Good news, you can still make a claim! Assuming you have your own vehicle insurance, now is the time to review your policy. Look for a line that says “uninsured (UM)” or “underinsured (UIM)” motorist. This is the policy language that indicates whether you are paying for this type of coverage.
UM and UIM coverage are your protection against an uninsured or underinsured driver hitting you (or in the case of a hit-and-run). If the offending driver’s policy isn’t enough to cover the costs of your care or claim, then you can file a similar claim against your own policy. This is especially important for serious injury claims as many people choose the lowest coverage option (typically $30,000/60,000) in Texas; but your medical needs could exceed that by a lot. Make sure you are properly covered against UM or UIM drivers.
- How much will this cost me?
Nothing. We don’t recover fees and expenses until you have a settlement. Our firm works on a 100% contingency fee basis. Which means if, for some reason, we don’t come to a satisfactory settlement of your claim you don’t owe us a dime.
An important note: this does not cover any medical providers we may work with to ensure you receive treatment. Your agreement with them is separate from any agreement with us to handle your claims. In the event of no settlement or recovery, they are allowed under the law to either make a claim on your health insurance (if available) or bill you directly for any treatment rendered.
- Can I recover damages if I was also at fault, or partially at fault?
Yes, under the condition that you are 50% or less at fault for the collision. If a jury determines that you, the injured party, are 51% or more at fault then you will receive no compensation. Your recovery amount will also be impacted by the percentage of fault you are assigned by a jury.
For example: you are awarded $100,000 by the jury for your injuries; however, they also determined you were 10% at fault for the collision. Your recovery is then reduced as follows: $100,000 X .10 = $10,000; $100,000 – $10,000 = $90,000.
In the above example, if you are awarded $100,000 but are found to be at 10% fault, your recovery will be reduced by $10,000 to equal $90,000.
Contact Your Trusted Beaumont, Texas Personal Injury Attorney for Help Today
If you’ve been injured in Beaumont, Texas or the surrounding area, you need help. You need a caring, knowledgeable team of attorneys and staff to help you navigate this new reality of injuries and litigation. We’re standing by here at The Practical Magic Law Firm to help you handle this stressful time. Call or fill out the contact form below today for your 100% free consultation and know that your needs during this litigation will be handled.
Fast.
Strategically.
With care.
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