Vehicle accidents often result in severe injuries and lead to major financial setbacks for those involved. If you or somebody you love has been injured in an accident caused by another driver, you need to reach out to an attorney immediately. At Hill Law Firm, our San Marcos car accident lawyers have the resources necessary to handle every aspect of your claim. We will stand up to the aggressive insurance carriers so you can focus on recovering from your injuries.
Choose Hill Law Firm for Your Car Accident Claim in San Marcos
- At Hill Law Firm, our team has more than 11 years of experience dedicated to handling complex vehicle accident and injury claims throughout the state of Texas.
- We focus on providing a client-centered approach to every single case, which means we take the time to listen to your goals and needs as we move forward.
- We have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for our clients through settlements and jury verdicts over the last decade.
San Marcos Car Accident Resources
- How an Attorney Can Help Your Case
- Common Injuries After a San Marcos Accident
- Common Types of Car Accidents in San Marcos
- What Should a Victim Do After an Accident?
- Reporting a Motor Vehicle Accident in Texas
- What Types of Compensation Are Available for a San Marcos Car Accident Case?
- Future Medical Care Expenses After an Accident in Texas
- Texas Car Insurance Laws
- How Much Does a San Marcos Auto Accident Attorney Charge?
- What Happens If My Accident Case Goes to Trial?
How Will an Attorney Help My San Marcos Car Accident Case?
Car accident victims should be focused on recovering from the injuries, not handling the ins and outs of a personal injury claim. A skilled car accident attorney in San Marcos can handle every aspect of the claim on behalf of their client. This will include:
- Investigating the incident and gathering the evidence needed to prove liability
- Working with medical and economic experts to calculate their client’s total losses
- Negotiating with the insurance carriers and at-fault party to recover full compensation
- Filing a personal injury claim in civil court if necessary to ensure their client is treated fairly
Car Accidents in San Marcos Can Lead to Major Injuries
At Hill Law Firm, our team of San Marcos personal injury lawyers has extensive experience helping clients who have sustained a wide range of injuries as a result of vehicle accidents. We regularly help clients who have sustained relatively minor injuries recover compensation, including those who sustained concussions, bruising and contusions, and whiplash injuries. Additionally, we regularly help clients who have sustained severe injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken or dislocated bones
- Spinal cord injuries with paralysis
- Internal organ damage or internal bleeding
- Major scarring or disfigurement
- Amputations or crush injuries
- Significant emotional and psychological damage
We stress the importance of not settling a claim until after you have reached what doctors consider maximum medical improvement. We want to make sure that you receive compensation for every medical expense caused by the vehicle accident.
Common Types of Car Accidents
A car accident can take many different forms and each crash is unique. There are specific categories of car accidents, however, along with common causes of each. A rear-end collision, for example, is most often caused by following too closely or distracted driving. Identifying the type of car accident that injured you can help determine the cause of the crash. Common types of car accidents include:
- Rear-end collisions
- Speeding accidents
- Drunk driving accidents
- Distracted driving accidents
- Head-on collisions
- T-bone accidents
- Wrong-way crashes
- Intersection accidents
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Rollovers
- Tire blowout accidents
- Road defect accidents
- Mechanical defect accidents
- Single-vehicle accidents
A car crash in San Marcos can involve a standard passenger car, commercial truck, delivery vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian or multiple types of vehicles. After any type of accident, regardless of the circumstances, our attorneys can help you pick up the pieces and pursue financial compensation. We understand how car accident cases work, including how to determine causation based on the mechanics of the crash.
What Should a Victim Do After an Accident?
Knowing what to do and what not to do after a car accident can increase your chances of obtaining fair financial compensation. If you get into a car accident in San Marcos, Texas, take the following steps:
- Pullover and exchange information with the other driver.
- Do not admit fault for the car accident.
- Call the police to report the crash without delay.
- Speak to eyewitnesses and others involved in the accident.
- Take photographs and videos of the crash scene using your cell phone.
- Go to a hospital in San Marcos for medical attention without delay.
- Obtain copies of your police report, medical records and other key documents.
- Call the other driver’s insurance company as soon as possible to file a claim.
- Do not sign anything sent to you by the insurance company.
- Discuss your car accident case with an attorney by calling (210) 960-3939.
An attorney from Hill Law Firm can help you complete all of these steps and do what is necessary to protect your legal rights after a car accident in San Marcos.
Reporting a Motor Vehicle Accident in Texas
Reporting your car accident is one of the most important steps to take after a crash. Reporting a car accident is not only a legal requirement in many situations but can also lead to important evidence for your claim in the form of a police report. If you fail to report a car accident when you are legally required to do so, you could face penalties, including a hit-and-run criminal charge. In Texas, you legally must report a motor vehicle accident if:
- There are any injuries,
- Anyone has passed away (or is unconscious), or
- Property damage appears greater than $1,000
You must report your crash to the Department of Motor Vehicles using Form CR-2 within 10 days of the accident if it is not investigated by the police. If the police are involved, they will file the crash report for you. The best way to report a car accident is by calling 911 while you are still at the scene. An officer will arrive, investigate and fill out a crash report with all of the most important information. You can request a copy of the police report later to use on your insurance claim.
What Types of Compensation Are Available for a San Marcos Car Accident Case?
Most people do not realize that there could be a variety of types of compensation available to them after a car accident occurs. In general, our team will work diligently to recover both “special” and “general” damages after a vehicle accident occurs.
When we say special damages, this is also referred to as economic damages. These types of losses revolve around the relatively calculable expenses that occur after a vehicle accident happens. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- All medical expenses caused by the incident
- Property damage expenses
- Lost wages if a crash victim cannot work
- Any household out-of-pocket expenses caused by the crash
When we turn to general damages, which are also referred to as non-economic damages, we can see these revolve around more immeasurable types of losses a person sustains after a vehicle accident occurs. This includes, but is not limited to, the following:
- Emotional and psychological pain and suffering
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages
- Loss of consortium for a spouse or other family members
The total amount of compensation available in these situations will vary depending on the severity of the injuries, the level of property damage, whether or not the person is able to work while recovering, and more.
Future Medical Care Expenses After an Accident in Texas
Many car accidents in San Marcos inflict severe and catastrophic injuries. A catastrophic injury is one that will impact the victim for the foreseeable future, such as a brain or spinal cord injury. In these scenarios, it is critical to consider the cost of future medical care expenses during your car accident claim. Otherwise, you may settle for less financial compensation than you and your family need to pay for latent or continuing medical care.
While your own health insurance or car insurance company may pay for your immediate medical bills, you will need to file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit for financial compensation for future medical care expenses, such as physical therapy, rehabilitation, medications and live-in care. You or your attorney will need to prove that the defendant caused your car accident to obtain compensation for future care. You will also need to establish your need for ongoing care using medical records or a letter from your doctor.
Texas Car Insurance Laws
There are two main facets of car insurance law: fault and no-fault. Most states use a fault law. Only 12 states currently have no-fault laws. Texas is in the majority with a fault-based or tort-based rule. This means that the party most at fault for causing a car accident is who pays for the damage inflicted. All motor vehicle drivers in Texas must carry at least the following minimum amounts of liability insurance to pay for others’ losses after a crash:
- Bodily injury insurance per person: $30,000
- Bodily injury insurance per accident: $60,000
- Property damage liability insurance: $25,000
A driver may purchase more than the required types and amounts of insurance. After a car accident, if a driver is found liable, his or her car insurance will cover the other driver’s expenses up to the limits of the policy. If the at-fault driver was illegally driving without insurance, the victim may file a first-party insurance claim for compensation instead (using uninsured or underinsured motorist insurance) or file a lawsuit to hold the driver directly responsible.
Will Insurance Cover My Accident Expenses?
The vast majority of car accident claims in San Marcos, Texas are resolved through settlements with insurance carriers. Every driver in Texas is required to carry insurance in order to remain legal on the roadways, and even drivers from other states are required to carry insurance. Car accident insurance typically covers medical bills, lost wages, and property damage expenses.
However, in the event the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier refuses to offer a fair settlement or denies the claim altogether, it may be necessary for a car accident victim to file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver. In these situations, it will likely take longer to settle the claim. Even though most personal injury lawsuits do not go all the way to trial, they could still take months or even more than a year to finalize.
We strongly suggest that you work with a car accident lawyer who can explain this entire process to you and give you an understanding of how long you can expect this entire process to take.
How Much Does a San Marcos Auto Accident Attorney Charge?
At Hill Law Firm, we take San Marcos car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that our clients will not have to worry about paying any upfront or out-of-pocket costs related to their case. Our team will only collect legal fees after we recover the compensation that our clients are entitled to. If we do not win the case, then our clients will not pay a dime in legal fees.
What Happens If My Case Goes to Trial?
The vast majority of car accident cases in Texas reach insurance settlements, meaning that they do not go to trial. Settlements are more desirable, as they are faster and cheaper than going to court. It may be in your best interest to file a lawsuit, however, if a car insurance company is refusing to offer fair financial compensation for your losses. In this scenario, a trial may be necessary to force an insurance company or defendant to pay the amount that you deserve for your injuries and losses.
If your car accident case goes to trial in Hays County, you may have to wait several months to a year or longer for your court date. While you wait, you will go through the discovery phase, where both sides of the case request information and investigate the crash. Your case may settle at any time before the start of the trial. At the trial itself, your attorney and the defense will both give opening statements, present evidence and closing arguments before a judge and jury. The jury will then decide if you met your burden of proof, and if so, determine how much you deserve in financial compensation.
Speak With a San Marcos, Texas Car Accident Attorney Today
If you or somebody you love has been injured or sustained property damage in a car accident caused by the negligence of another driver in the San Marcos, Texas area, the team at Hill Law Firm is ready to help. Our attorneys have extensive experience handling these claims, and we have a track record of success recovering substantial settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of our clients. When you need a San Marcos car accident lawyer, you can contact us by clicking here for a free consultation or calling us at (210) 960-3939.