A car accident can turn your world upside down in a matter of seconds. You and your family or friends could suffer serious injuries with potential long-term or even life-long consequences. In the immediate aftermath of an accident, you may not even notice certain injuries, but later the effects could become debilitating—not to mention expensive to treat.
It is critical to obtain a medical evaluation as soon as possible after a wreck and to follow your doctor’s orders. It may also be helpful to consult a Murphy car accident lawyer soon after the accident.
A knowledgeable personal injury attorney from our firm could advise you about whether you may be entitled to compensation. Critical evidence usually fades away as time passes, so it is often wise to begin the process of collecting evidence as soon as possible after the accident. A lawyer could assist in this process as well. En Español.
In most car accident cases where compensation is awarded, the party bearing the majority of the responsibility is held liable on the basis of negligence rather than for an act of intentional harm. Negligence may be found to exist when one party owes a duty of care, fails to exercise that duty, and directly causes physical harm to another as a result.
In car accident situations, drivers are generally found to owe a duty of care to others on the road—for instance, by obeying the rules of the road. When they fail to do so and harm or injury results, a Murphy car accident attorney could work with a plaintiff to hold the responsible party civilly liable.
Comparative fault referred to in Texas statutes as proportionate responsibility, can reduce or even prevent recovery in car accident cases. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §33.001 states that when the majority—in other words, 51 percent or more—of fault for an accident lies with a particular person, that person may not recover damages from other persons also sharing in the responsibility. A person who is 50 percent or less to blame may recover damages, but those damages would be reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to them.
So, if the court found that an injured driver was 45 percent at fault for talking on the phone while driving and the other driver was 55 percent at fault for speeding, the injured driver’s recovery would be limited to 55 percent of their total damages. This is referred to as a modified comparative fault rule in many jurisdictions and is one of many topics about which a seasoned car accident lawyer in Murphy should be very knowledgeable.
If you suffered injuries in a car accident, you may be entitled to damages for consequences such as lost income, medical expenses, and property damage. You may also be awarded monetary damages to compensate for pain and suffering and other intangible losses.
An experienced Murphy car accident lawyer could evaluate the circumstances of a case to determine whether compensation may be available to you. To learn more about your options, call now.
McCraw Law Group