Houston Personal Injury Lawyers Protecting the Rights of Accident Injury Victims

Getting injured in an accident due to someone else’s negligence can unjustly lead to you suffering serious consequences. From health issues to financial issues, you may struggle to recover from your injuries. Fortunately, if you have been injured in an accident due to the negligence of another person, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries by filing a personal injury claim. The experienced Houston injury lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, LLP are here to help victims of auto accidents, wrongful death claims, and other personal injury cases seek justice for their losses. We are dedicated to protecting the rights of our clients throughout their entire legal process.

A personal injury lawsuit is intended to compensate an individual for physical or emotional harm inflicted upon them by another party. It does not cover personal property that may have been damaged as a result of the incident in question. These suits may be brought against another individual, a business, or the government.

We provide proven strategies that will get results for our clients fighting against large insurance companies. Our attorneys will fight to ensure that you receive full payment for all your financial damages resulting from any type of personal injury claim.

Our experienced personal injury lawyers will fight for your rights. We are committed to protecting the rights of our valued clients. Our firm has secured lots of financial compensation on behalf of victims injured by another party’s negligence or misconduct. If you or a loved one needs an experienced personal injury lawyer, contact us today.

What Types of Personal Injury Cases Can Trial Lawyers Help Me With?

In a personal injury case, the plaintiff is expected to prove that the defendant acted in an inappropriate manner, or failed to take appropriate action. The defendant can be found to be at fault if their behavior falls into one of the following categories:

• Negligence – To prove negligence, it needs to be shown that the defendant behaved in a manner that substantially contributed to the cause of the incident leading to the plaintiff’s injury. Negligence does not mean that the defendant acted (or failed to act) with the intent of causing harm to another party. It means only that they failed to behave in a responsible manner. A person who drives their automobile at excessive speed can be held to have been negligent if they cause a car accident, even though they did not mean to cause such an accident.
• Intentional harm – Personal injury suits can also be brought against an individual who assaults another person. In these cases, the defendant is frequently subject to criminal charges as well.
• Strict liability – This is a common element of personal injury cases dealing with defective products. Here, the plaintiff has to show that the defendant—the company that manufactured the product—failed to create a safe product. “Strict liability” means that the manufacturer need not be shown to have acted irresponsibly—the only relevant question is the design and functionality of the product involved in causing harm.

Here is a list of personal injury cases that come before Texas courts that our team of personal injury attorneys can assist you with:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Slip and falls
• Medical malpractice
• Maritime injury
• Dog bites
• Premises liability
• Workplace accidents
• Freeway car accidents
• Multi-vehicle accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• Bicycle accidents
• Refinery accidents
• ATV accidents
• Bus accidents
• Non-subscriber injuries

We have a track record of getting beneficial verdicts and settlements for injured accident victims. Recovering from a serious injury suffered in an 18-wheeler trucking accident or a car crash can be tough. As trial lawyers, we seek to get the most compensation possible for the injuries you have suffered. An experienced injury lawyer from our law firm can hold the insurance company accountable for their treatment of you and negotiate the best possible settlement for you and your family in order to make your life easier. We protect victims suffering from traumatic brain injuries and other types of dangerous injuries.

What is the Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases? 

In the state of Texas, you have two years from the date you experienced the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. More information can be found in the relevant section (Title 2, Section 16.003) of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. If you fail to file within this time period, you may forever lose the right to pursue a legal claim against the party responsible for your personal injury. It is important to reach out to our legal team as soon as possible so we can investigate and assess your claim. We provide free consultations to anyone who contacts us with a potential personal injury lawsuit.

How Much Compensation Can I Recover With a Personal Injury Claim?

In the state of Texas, there are generally no caps on the number of damages that can be awarded to a plaintiff in a personal injury case. This means your compensation will generally be determined by the extent of the injuries you have sustained and the losses you have suffered. We can help you get compensation for a variety of damages, including:

• Mental distress: A plaintiff who has experienced severe emotional trauma as a result of their injury may seek damages to account for the mental distress they have suffered.
• Loss of consortium: If your spouse was injured in an incident caused by someone else’s negligence or misconduct they may have grounds to file a claim for loss of consortium. Loss of consortium is the loss of your companionship, help, and services.
• Loss of income or earning capacity: If your injuries have prevented you from performing the necessary duties of your job, you may be entitled to damages equal to any losses resulting from this interruption in your ability to work.
• Medical expenses: This is the cost of medical treatment related directly to your injury—the emergency room bill after an accident, or hospital bills stemming from a surgery that was required due to an injury sustained through another person’s carelessness or negligence.
• Punitive damages: Punitive damages are not awarded in every Texas personal injury case. However, they are available against defendants who have acted with the intent to harm the plaintiff or have been found to be grossly negligent.
• Loss of future earnings: This is the loss of your ability to earn income in the future due to injuries sustained through another person’s wrongdoing or negligence.
• Physical impairment: This is the loss of physical capacity due to injury, which can include scarring, impaired hearing or vision, or damage to internal organs.

Our experienced legal team will be able to advise you about which types of damages may apply in your case, and what dollar amounts may be recoverable.

However, medical malpractice cases are an exception to this rule. In most of these cases, the state places a cap of $250,000 on “non-economic” damages awarded to an individual who has been victimized by medical malpractice.

In the state of Texas, the amount you may be awarded in damages can be reduced if you are shown to have partly contributed to the incident in question. This is known as modified comparative negligence.

Comparative negligence means that the court assigns a degree of blame, usually expressed as a percentage (e.g., “25% fault”), to each party involved in the injury-causing incident. The amount awarded to the defendant is calculated according to this percentage. For example, if a plaintiff who suffered harm in an auto accident is determined to have sustained $100,000 worth of personal injury, but was 25% at fault for the incident, then they will be awarded only $75,000.

However, if the plaintiff is found to be over 50% at fault for the incident, then they will be awarded nothing. This is what makes modified comparative negligence different from pure comparative negligence. Consulting with a personal injury attorney can help ensure you get the best representation possible for your personal injury case.

Do I Need to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Every year, millions of people suffer from some type of personal injury. Whether it’s a slip and fall on the ice or a workplace accident, there are many ways that people can get injured each day.

When you’re hurt in such a way that you believe you will need compensation for your injuries, then hiring a personal injury lawyer is your best course of action. You wouldn’t want to hire just any lawyer to handle your case; after all, it is likely going to be very important to you and could result in some major life changes.

Not getting the right legal help for your case can be a huge mistake. If your injuries were caused by somebody else’s negligence or wrongdoing, you should contact a personal injury lawyer in Houston to get started on an injury claim. Personal injuries can have a major effect on your financial situation and future well-being. You don’t want to have to deal with this enormous hassle alone especially when there are so many ways that you could be compensated for medical bills and other related damages.

When you need a Houston personal injury lawyer who has years of experience with the regional court system, call Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. As an experienced personal injury law firm in Texas, we have helped many people win settlements and judgments for their injuries. Get in touch with our legal team today to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.