Being in an accident that leaves you with injuries can take a significant toll on you. You can experience harm that prevents you from earning a living and leaves you with medical expenses you\u2019re not sure how to pay. To recover the losses you sustained, one of the options you have is to file a personal injury claim. You can find a lot of information about what it\u2019s like to file a claim, but not all of it is correct. When it comes to addressing misconceptions, Houston personal injury attorneys can help.<\/p>
At Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law, our team of personal injury lawyers offer the assistance you need as you begin a civil claim.<\/p>\n
Speak with one of our Houston lawyers by calling our team now at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000 for a free and confidential consultation.<\/b><\/p>\nPersonal Injury Myths<\/h2>\n
Uncovering the Truth Behind the Misconceptions<\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re beginning a claim and have questions about personal injury myths, Texas attorneys offer the truth. Learn more about the most common misconceptions out there.<\/p>\n
Hiring a personal injury lawyer<\/a> should never carry any upfront costs. These attorneys work on a contingency fee<\/a> basis, so they will get paid only if they\u2019re able to get a settlement or verdict for you. From those winnings, they receive a percentage to cover their services as well as any other expenses, including the costs of expert witnesses.<\/p>\n It\u2019s always a good idea to clarify what the percentage will be before hiring an attorney. Reputable attorneys won\u2019t hesitate to offer this information.<\/p>\n As with other types of legal cases, you don\u2019t have an unlimited amount of time to file with the court. That\u2019s because there are statutes of limitations you need to worry about. These are deadlines set in place to ensure that cases are brought forward in a timely manner and while there\u2019s still evidence available. If you\u2019re in a car accident<\/a>, for example, and are relying on witness testimonies to prove that the other party was negligent, waiting too long can mean not having access to those witnesses.<\/p>\n In Texas, you typically have two years<\/a> to file a personal injury claim from the moment that you suffered the injury. However, you should be aware of some exceptions. (*Always speak directly to an attorney for the exact deadlines that apply to your potential claims.) If you didn\u2019t realize you sustained an injury until much later, you may be able to rely on the discovery rule. The statute of limitations may not begin running only when you discover that you were harmed. This is important in cases involving exposure to toxic substances, like in workplace accidents, or in cases when a doctor committed medical malpractice<\/a> by failing to correctly diagnose a condition.<\/p>\n Other exceptions might shorten the amount of time you have to file the claim. If you are filing against a government agency, you have a significantly shorter timeline because you must send a notice to the government letting it know that you\u2019re beginning a legal action.<\/p>\n Whatever the type of case you\u2019re pursuing, it\u2019s never a good idea to wait to begin. Speak to an experienced attorney as soon as possible! If you miss certain deadlines, you\u2019ll be barred from recovering any losses, so don\u2019t take that risk.<\/p>\n Often, people assume that because they didn\u2019t sustain catastrophic injuries like head trauma or spinal cord injuries, they can\u2019t recover losses. That\u2019s not true. As long as you sustain losses, you can begin a personal injury claim. Even psychological injuries, like the development of PTSD or depression, are allowed because you\u2019ll have the expenses of getting therapy and taking medications as well as the potential loss of income if you\u2019re unable to work as you did before the incident.<\/p>\n Our team has been helping injury victims throughout Texas since 1985. With these decades of experience, we\u2019ve been able to help clients recover more than $1 Billion dollars.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n It\u2019s tempting to just begin a claim on your own, especially if it\u2019s a straightforward one. Imagine that a vehicle ran a red light and struck you, resulting in a concussion and broken bones. You may think that because the other person was obviously negligent, you can file on your own. Doing so can harm your claim, however, because you will be dealing with insurance companies, which want to pay you as little as possible.<\/p>\n Texas is a fault-based state that follows modified comparative negligence laws. You can still recover losses as long as you\u2019re not the party who bears the majority of the blame, but your winnings will be reduced by your percentage of fault. You can expect insurers to do everything they can to place more fault on you than you deserve. They may even try to pin all of the blame on you and keep you from recovering anything.<\/p>\n With a lawyer by your side, this can be much more difficult for insurers to accomplish. Your lawyer will know how to address the tactics that these companies rely on so that you have a chance to recover fair compensation. If all else fails, having a lawyer also means that you can pursue a lawsuit.<\/p>\n Some cases can take time, but many of them are resolved relatively quickly. A factor that plays a role in the time frame is the quality and quantity of evidence you have that shows the other party was negligent. Personal injury claims are much faster than lawsuits, too, so it\u2019s always a better idea to try to settle the issue to avoid going to court.<\/p>\n No matter how simple the case might seem and how much evidence you may have, it\u2019s never possible to guarantee a positive outcome. If any lawyer law firm promises any kind of results during the interview process, exercise caution.<\/p>\n Your lawyer will do everything in their power to gather evidence and prepare a robust claim. They\u2019ll also aggressively negotiate and counter every single obstacle that insurers place in your path. What they can\u2019t do is guarantee an outcome. After all, every case is unique and past results can never guarantee a future outcome.<\/p>\n One of the first things that insurance companies will look at when you file a claim is whether you\u2019re following all of your doctor\u2019s advice in treating your injuries. If not, they can use that to claim that you\u2019re exaggerating the injuries. It\u2019s essential that you continue all of your treatments and follow instructions to the letter. Not only will this allow you to heal from the injuries faster, but it will prevent frustrating accusations from insurers.<\/p>\n Suffering losses after an accident that another party\u2019s negligence caused can leave you devastated and unsure of what to do to protect your rights. An important step is to speak with a lawyer about your claim and what your path to compensation may look like.<\/p>\n At Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law, our Houston personal injury lawyers offer the reliable and compassionate representation you deserve.<\/p>\n Call us now at (713) 973-8888 or toll-free 1 (800) 444-5000 for a free and confidential personal injury case review.<\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Being in an accident that leaves you with injuries can take a significant toll on you. You can experience harm that prevents you from earning a living and leaves you with medical expenses you\u2019re not sure how to pay. To recover the losses you sustained, one of the options you have is to file a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":186193,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-186175","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accident-attorney","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMyth: You Can Wait to File a Claim<\/h3>\n
Myth: You Must Be Seriously Injured to File a Claim<\/h3>\n
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Myth: You Don\u2019t Need a Lawyer<\/h3>\n
Myth: Personal Injury Lawsuits Are Very Lengthy Processes<\/h3>\n
Myth: Winning Is Guaranteed<\/h3>\n
Myth: Once You File You Can Stop Medical Treatments<\/h3>\n
Contact Experienced and Compassionate Personal Injury Lawyers<\/h2>\n
Trust the Team at Terry Bryant Accident & Injury Law<\/h3>\n