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When you’ve been injured as a result of someone else’s actions, it’s natural to want to hold them accountable. As the injured person, you may be able to pursue compensation by filing a lawsuit against the other party. In order to do so, you’ll need to back up all your claims about what happened and what you suffered with extensive proof.
Considering the weight of the task ahead and the fact that you’re recovering physically from an injury, it may make the most sense to hire a legal expert to help.
As you might know, not every attorney here in Texas is going to offer you the same quality of service. That’s why it makes sense to do your due diligence to ensure you hire the best personal injury lawyer Dallas has. Learn more about how to find the best possible legal representative to assist with your personal injury claim here in Dallas.
Key Takeaways
- Finding the best personal injury attorney in Dallas takes time and effort.
- The best Dallas personal injury lawyer can help investigate the accident, communicate with multiple third parties, connect to essential resources, and help you recover compensation.
- Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis.
What Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Do For You?
Accident victims have to cope with a lot. They’ve just been injured and might need a period of time to recover. During that time, their financial losses often stack up quickly. The person may miss work, need to repair property damage from the accident, face substantial medical bills, and more.
If that sounds a lot like your situation, you might already be considering hiring an attorney to help you recover from those losses.
Before investing time and energy into hiring a Dallas personal injury lawyer, you’ll want to know more about exactly how an attorney fights for you as your lawsuit progresses.
Here are a few services that a quality legal representative can provide.
Investigate the Accident
When you file an injury claim, you need to expect some level of resistance. The other party will likely not want to pay for your losses, so you’ll have to take the time to prove that they are legally obligated to do so. The way you’ll need to do this is to investigate the accident and prove that the other party:
- Had a legal duty to provide for your care
- Failed to uphold that duty
- This failure led to your accident, injuries, and resulting losses
This process can be lengthy. It typically involves collecting police reports, talking to witnesses, finding photographic or video evidence of the accident, and leveraging the law where needed. The right Dallas injury lawyer will make sure your accident investigation begins quickly and is completely thorough to give you the best shot at the best possible legal outcome.
Communicate With Insurance Companies
When you file a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent party, it is their insurance provider who will likely cover your losses if your lawsuit is successful. However, the insurance company is just as motivated as the at-fault party to present obstacles that may thwart your ability to achieve a reasonable settlement.
Lawyers can help field all communications between you and any relevant insurance providers. That way, you won’t have to deal with the headache of the back and forth, and you can rest assured knowing that your lawyer has your best interests in mind.
Connect You With Essential Resources
Immediately after your accident, you may not know exactly where to turn for medical help. You may be uninsured, or your doctor may be wary of handling accident injuries due to potential conflicts with the bill.
The top local lawyers in Dallas know what medical providers, chiropractors, or other specialists you can visit without the fear of being turned away.
Help You Recover Financial Compensation
Most importantly, a lawyer works hard to ensure you get financially restored to the state you were in prior to your accident. This includes getting compensated for economic damages, like your medical bills and lost wages, and non-economic damages, like pain and suffering.
If your lawyer can’t get the other party to agree to a settlement, your case may go to trial. Most cases get resolved before that point, but it’s always a possibility.
Types of Cases a Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help With
Personal injury law is vast, and it covers a wide variety of accidents that lead to injuries. In general, you’re able to pursue a legal claim for compensation when the other party has a legal duty to provide for your care and they failed to do so.
A legal duty of care exists in many common situations, like when driving on a public road or inviting someone to your house. Before you go searching for a personal injury lawyer, consider the circumstances of the accident. If no legal duty of care exists, you might not have a legal claim (although it wouldn’t hurt to check with a legal expert). Below, we’ll go over some of the most common types of accidents that give rise to personal injury claims.
Car Accident Cases
An auto accident is almost always the result of human error. When you get behind the wheel of a vehicle or jump on a motorcycle, you assume an automatic legal duty to provide for the care and safety of everyone else on the road. That said, a negligent driver can be held at fault when they make a mistake and cause a car accident.
This type of personal injury claim is by far the most common. After all, an accident happens in Texas about every 57 seconds, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. After getting to safety and seeking medical care, you’ll want a Dallas car accident lawyer in your corner.
Motorcycle Accident Cases
When a motorcycle accident happens, the same legal duty of care is applied as in a typical car accident. In most cases, the negligent driver or bike rider pays for the losses associated with the accident.
What makes these cases more challenging is that the losses tend to be more significant. Bikers can sustain very serious injuries when they are thrown from their bikes, many of which may be permanent.
Trucking Accident Cases
Trucking accidents are another common type of personal injury claim. Similar to motorcycle crashes, these accidents usually lead to substantial injuries and losses. The main reason for this is that trucks are bigger and heavier than typical cars.
These claims are also often much more complicated because multiple parties may be involved. Potentially liable parties might be the truck driver, other drivers, the trucking company, the loading company, or even the company that performed maintenance on the tractor trailer.
Premises Liability Cases
Premises liability claims arise when a person suffers an injury on someone else’s property. Under the law, property owners have a legal duty to take reasonable steps to secure their property and keep it safe for visitors.
This duty includes business owners, parking lot owners, and private property owners who invite guests to their homes. Slip and fall cases are the most common type of premises liability claims.
6 Steps To Find a Dallas Injury Attorney
If you’ve experienced one of these types of accidents, qualified Dallas injury attorneys can help determine if pursuing a legal claim is in your best interests. You’ll only want to rely on the legal advice of a well-respected, proven expert in the field.
Here are the steps you should take to help you find the best possible legal representative for your case:
1. Consult Personal Injury Lawyer Dallas Reviews
You never want to hire a lawyer without first checking out previous clients’ testimonials and reviews. To find out what past customers are saying about attorneys in your area, do a quick Google search for “personal injury attorney near me reviews.”
This search should turn up a number of results that give you a better picture of what people are saying about the lawyers in your area.
2. Look at the Personal Injury Law Firm’s Results
A lawyer’s past reviews can paint a better picture of what clients think about the lawyer and the services they provide. However, to really understand how effective a lawyer is, look over their past case results.
Clients can receive hefty settlements from personal injury claims. For instance, one Dallas product liability case resulted in a $73.5 million verdict. A recent Dallas trucking accident case resulted in a $1 million settlement. Hire a lawyer or firm that has the expertise to fight for those kind of numbers.
3. Look at the Personal Injury Lawyer’s Awards
Another important detail to investigate is the lawyer’s or firm’s credibility. Reputable personal injury law firms are often respected in their industry, and many can show this through the awards and recognition they’ve received from other industry experts.
For instance, Thomson Reuters routinely recognizes Super Lawyers, the National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys names the Nation’s Premier Top Ten Attorneys, and D Magazine routinely lists the best lawyer in Dallas.
4. Check to See if the Firm is Local
When searching for the best personal injury attorney Dallas has to offer, look locally first. Dallas injury attorneys have an advantage in your local courtroom over an attorney who is sourced from another part of Texas.
That’s because a lawyer familiar with the Dallas Fort Worth area will likely understand the local laws and locations specific to your case, as well as may have experience trying cases before local court judges.
5. Schedule a Meeting
Injury attorneys are all unique; it’s wisest to hire representation once you’ve had the opportunity to speak with them. A personal injury consultation should be 100% free: You shouldn’t have to invest anything other than your time into a meeting. A meeting can help you find a lawyer who meets any specific needs, like being bilingual in English and Spanish.
6. Let Your Texas Personal Injury Attorney Handle the Rest
The whole point of the services that Dallas injury lawyers provide is to give you the opportunity to focus on healing while also working towards filing a personal injury claim for compensation. Let your lawyer handle the legal aspects of your case while you recover.
Hiring Dallas Personal Injury Lawyers: Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have more questions? Get answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Dallas, Texas personal injury lawyers now.
When Should I Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer?
First, ensure your immediate safety after an accident. Depending on the circumstances of this accident, you may need to call emergency responders or inform a nearby employee about what happened. As soon as major medical needs are taken care of, reach out to a Dallas injury lawyer. In general, the sooner you contact a lawyer, the better your legal chances are at a favorable legal outcome.
How Much Should a Personal Injury Lawyer Charge?
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means you won’t have to pay anything if your legal team doesn’t win the case. At that point, your lawyer charges an agreed-upon percentage of your overall settlement award.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Dallas, Texas?
Laws in Texas limit the amount of time people can pursue a personal injury claim. In general, you have two years from the date of your injury to seek out compensation, but there are some exceptions to this. For example, minors have until two years after they turn 18. If the injury could not have reasonably been discovered until later like in the case of a birth injury, the time limit doesn’t begin until the injury is discovered.
With these laws in mind, contact an accident attorney ASAP to ensure your case is filed in a timely manner. If you wait too long, you’ll likely be ineligible to file a claim.
The legal muscle you need to win
The Best Personal Injury Lawyer in Dallas, Texas: A Free Case Review
Finding the best personal injury lawyer Dallas has to offer takes time and effort. Don’t simply hire the first Dallas personal injury attorney that comes your way. Instead, take the time to schedule a consultation, speak with an attorney, and really get a feel for whether or not that individual seems like a good person to work with moving forward.
By investing some time and energy into finding a five-star lawyer, you set yourself up for legal success.
This article was first published in finduslawyers.org. Read the original post here.