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How Long After a Car Accident Can You Claim Injury?

Brownsville Catastrophic Injury Attorney

Catastrophic injuries are serious injuries that can have a long-term and sometimes permanent impact on an accident victim’s life. These injuries may occur under a variety of circumstances, including at work (especially in the building and construction industries) and in various accidents, especially motor vehicle crashes. Finally, these injuries may happen as a result of serious medical mistakes and malpractice.

If you or a person you love has suffered a catastrophic injury in an accident that resulted from another person’s negligence, you might be eligible to file a personal injury claim against the at-fault person and his or her insurance company, seeking monetary redress. The knowledgeable Brownsville catastrophic injury lawyers at Kenny Perez Law will first determine your eligibility to file a catastrophic injury claim. If you are eligible, we can assist you with filing the claim and pursuing the damages that you need to be made whole. Please speak with us today for more information about how we could assist with your Brownsville catastrophic injury legal matter.

Types of Catastrophic Injuries that Victims of Serious Accidents Suffer

Victims of serious accidents can suffer several types of catastrophic injuries. These injuries typically require a significant amount of medical treatment for the accident victim to recover. Treatment can include surgeries, hospital visits, injections, and physical therapy. Even after the treatment finishes, however, catastrophic injury sufferers might still experience pain and other symptoms for many years into the future.

Brownsville Catastrophic Injury Lawyer

Some common types of catastrophic injuries suffered by accident victims include:

  • Traumatic head and brain injuries – A traumatic head or brain injury occurs when an accident victim suffers a blow to the head or when the accident victim’s head strikes a hard surface or object. The force associated with a head injury may cause the accident victim’s brain to strike the front or back of the skull. This movement, in turn, could lead to a concussion or some other serious head injury. Victims of traumatic head injuries can be debilitated for a long time and could even suffer long-term memory losses and other complications. In the worst-case scenario, an injury victim could wind up in a coma or permanent vegetative state.
  • Spinal cord injuries – A spinal cord injury often occurs when an accident victim strikes his or her head, neck, or back in a serious accident. When a person suffers a spinal cord injury, the nerves in the spinal column could become severed, leading to some form of full or partial paralysis. Paralysis injury victims usually have limited or no feeling in the affected body part and are unable to move that body part.
  • Broken bones – A severe fracture or broken bone can happen when an accident victim’s body hits a hard surface with a strong degree of force. In many instances, when an accident victim breaks a bone, surgical repair is necessary. If doctors inserted internal hardware in the accident victim’s body, they will later need to remove that hardware in a subsequent surgery. In addition to these medical procedures, the accident victim will usually need to undergo physical therapy to get back to pre-accident levels of functioning.

If you or someone you love has suffered any of these injuries in an accident that someone else caused, the experienced Brownsville catastrophic injury lawyers at Kenny Perez Law can help. We can advocate for your interests with the insurance company and pursue the compensation that you need.

Accidents that Can Lead to Brownsville Catastrophic Injuries

Several types of accidents may lead to catastrophic injuries and damages. These injuries are especially common in motor vehicle collisions where there is significant property damage and a forceful impact. The accident victim’s body could strike something in the vehicle, resulting in a serious head injury or a broken bone.

Catastrophic injuries are also common in construction accident cases where workers are constantly around dangerous and heavy equipment and must work atop ladders and scaffolding. If a worker falls to the ground, he or she could suffer a broken bone or a serious head injury.

Catastrophic injuries are equally common among victims of bicycle, motorcycle, slips, and falls, and pedestrian accidents because these individuals have limited protection surrounding them at the point of impact. Consequently, the injuries that they suffer in an accident could be extremely serious. This is especially true if a motorcyclist or bicyclist is knocked to the ground in the accident and/or if the cyclist is not wearing a helmet at the time.

If you or a person you love has suffered a catastrophic injury in one of these types of accidents, the experienced Brownsville catastrophic injury attorneys at Kenny Perez Law will fight for your right to recover the compensation that you deserve.

A Brownsville Catastrophic Injury Lawyer Answers Your Questions

Catastrophic injuries come with physical pain and emotional stress, but they also place a massive financial burden on victims and their families. Someone who suffers a catastrophic injury cannot return to their job or seek future employment. Fortunately, victims have legal options to recover compensation for losses related to their injury if it resulted from negligence.

After a catastrophic injury, you are likely overwhelmed and uncertain about what you should do next. It can be in your best interest to contact an experienced catastrophic injury lawyer who serves the Brownsville and Harlingen area. Until you have the chance to meet with an attorney, the answers to some frequently asked questions about Brownsville catastrophic injuries offer some preliminary information about seeking compensation for injuries.

How Long Do I Have to Take Action After Suffering a Catastrophic Injury in Brownsville?

Each state places a time limit, legally referred to as a statute of limitations, for victims of negligence or intentional harm to bring a lawsuit against another party. Under Texas law, a two-year statute of limitations exists for claims involving catastrophic injuries.

However, catastrophic injuries sometimes make it difficult to take action within two years from the date of injury. This is especially true for injured victims who suffer mental incapacitation or physical injury that prevents them from contacting an attorney to take action.

It is best to take action and contact a lawyer as soon as possible to avoid missing out on the opportunity to recover damages for economic and non-economic losses related to your injuries. Yet, you should still contact a lawyer if the two-year time limit has passed. The law does allow for some rare exceptions, and a catastrophic injury could be grounds for a Texas court to pause the time clock.

How Much Money Can I Get for My Catastrophic Injury?

Every claim is different, making it difficult to predict a financial outcome. Most catastrophic injury claims are high-value claims because damages account for a lifetime of lost income. However, several other factors affect the financial outcome of your claim.

Examples include:

  • Whether fault and liability is clear
  • Whether intentional harm or total disregard for the law caused the injuries
  • Insurance policy limits
  • The total amount of economic loss you have incurred because of your injuries
  • Whether you settle or go to trial

Your Brownsville catastrophic injury attorney can review the facts of your claim and provide a potential range of compensation you could receive. However, nothing is guaranteed. You still will not know exactly how much money you will receive until your case is resolved.

Should I Accept a Settlement Offer from the Insurance Company?

Most claims settle before going to trial, but the high-stakes nature of catastrophic injury claims typically leads parties to trial more often. Receiving a quick settlement offer from the insurance company for your catastrophic injury claim could signal that the carrier is trying to pay you a lower amount to avoid a large jury award at trial.

It is best to let a lawyer review a settlement offer, but ultimately it is your decision. The biggest issue with accepting a settlement offer from an insurance company for your catastrophic injury claim without an attorney is that you might accept an offer too early. Once you sign the agreement, you also waive your right to seek more compensation for the same injuries. You need to know the full extent of your injuries or your loved one’s injuries before you can properly evaluate an offer. You must also know if you will need funds for continued care or treatment. Settling too soon or without complete information puts you at risk of not having the money you need for future care, especially when you or your loved one cannot work.

How Long Will It Take to Resolve My Catastrophic Injury Claim?

Catastrophic injury claims take the longest to resolve. The insurance company will likely fight the categorization of your injuries as catastrophic, so they can avoid paying a lifetime of lost wages. Doctors, your attorney, the insurance company, and the defense legal team need to wait for your maximum medical improvement (MMI). Often associated with workers’ compensation claims, MMI refers to the best condition a person will reach after an injury. The other side wants to give you ample time to heal so that you can return to work. Sometimes it takes a year or longer to know the full scope of someone’s injuries and have definitive proof and medical documentation that a person has a catastrophic injury.

Once enough time has passed, your attorney may engage in settlement negotiations. If you can’t reach an agreement, your case will go to trial. Lawyers need to prepare for court, which includes various administrative tasks and gathering documentation, eyewitness statements, and expert witness testimony to support a case. Litigation easily adds another year or more to the timeline of a claim. It is doubtful you will resolve your catastrophic injury claim in less than three years. Your Brownsville personal injury lawyer can evaluate your case and provide you with a rough estimate of what to expect for your circumstances.

Can I Afford to Hire a Brownsville Catastrophic Injury Lawyer?

Do not let concerns about the cost of legal representation prevent you from hiring a Brownsville catastrophic injury lawyer. Catastrophic injury claims are notoriously complex, and having an advocate to fight for you and stand up to the insurance company gives you the best chance to receive maximum compensation for your injuries. Experienced lawyers have the knowledge and resources to thoroughly investigate your claim and gather relevant evidence to fight for you.

We also are trained negotiators who know how to communicate with insurance companies and legal defense teams. Our catastrophic injury attorneys do not charge upfront retainers. We accept new clients on contingency, deducting attorney fees and other costs of representation from any settlement money or court-awarded damages you receive on behalf of their efforts.

Contact our Brownsville catastrophic injury attorneys today to get started.

Monetary Compensation for Catastrophic Injuries in Brownsville

Kenny Perez Personal Texas Injury Lawyer
Brownsville Catastrophic Injury Lawyer, Kenny Perez

If you have suffered a catastrophic injury in an accident that occurred because of someone else’s negligence, you might be eligible to file a claim or lawsuit for monetary compensation. Catastrophic injuries typically lead to a significant amount of medical treatment. In addition, accident victims might have to spend time away from their work to fully recover from their injuries.

Potential damages in a catastrophic injury accident case often include compensation for all related medical treatment and lost earnings. If the accident victim is injured so severely that he or she cannot return to the same occupation, that the accident victim could pursue a claim for loss of earning capacity. In addition, the accident victim could pursue noneconomic damages for all of the inconvenience, pain, and suffering that he or she endured as a result of someone else’s negligence. Finally, the accident victim could claim the loss of quality of life and/or loss of the ability to use a body part.

The knowledgeable Brownsville catastrophic injury lawyers at Kenny Perez Law could help you pursue these and other forms of monetary compensation for your catastrophic injuries.

Let the knowledgeable attorneys at Kenny Perez Law pursue the damages that you need in your catastrophic injury case. To schedule a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Brownsville catastrophic injury attorney, please call us at (956) 544-9292 or contact us online today for more information.

 

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