Austin Car Accident Lawyers
Car crash injuries can happen in a matter of seconds. They can change your life or end it. Even the most conscientious drivers can be involved in an accident due to the carelessness of others. Anybody who has suffered car accident injuries should immediately contact the Law Office of Joel A. Levine, a prominent Travis County personal injury lawyer.
Solid defensive driving on your part is the best way to avoid car crash injuries, but other drivers may not be as vigilant. An experienced accident injury attorney knows how to investigate the scene of an accident correctly to document the conditions that caused the crash. This includes taking photos, measuring skid marks, and interviewing witnesses. Once the facts have been established, your accident injury attorney can proceed with your case. Joel Levine will aggressively defend your rights to compensation for the following expenses and damages.
- Medical and rehabilitation costs
- Loss of current and future income
- Pain
- Suffering
- Loss of intimacy
- Loss of a loved one
- Lifestyle limitations
- Ongoing medical costs, such as long-term nursing
The injuries suffered in an auto accident can be quite severe and include the following.
- Whiplash
- Back injuries
- Head injuries
- Brain damage
- Spinal trauma
- Knee, hip, or leg injuries
- Muscle strain
There are a few types of car accidents that an accident injury lawyer can prosecute.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on collisions are rare but brutal. Only 2 percent of car crashes in the United States are head-ons, but they result in 10 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. In 2018, some 3,900 people died in head-on collisions. The law office of Joel A. Levine knows that head-on crashes occur for four reasons, which usually involve a driver who is inattentive.
- Falling asleep
- Crossing the centerline
- Drunken driving or driving while under the influence of narcotics
- Driving in the wrong direction on an interstate highway
If you lost a loved one in a head-on collision, you need a car wreck attorney who understands your situation and sympathizes with you. We have the compassion and experience to represent you if you’ve been deprived of a relative due to car accident injuries. We’ve been standing up for the rights of auto accident victims in Austin, Texas, Travis County, and the greater central Texas area for several years. We have great success in recovering compensation for our clients.
Intersection Auto Accidents
A good car accident lawyer knows that drivers and their passengers are frequently injured in accidents at intersections. About 40 percent of the nearly 6 million crashes that occurred in the U.S. during 2018 happened at intersections. These wrecks can happen if there are traffic signals installed or if there are no traffic signals. Since both cars are usually in motion the vehicles bounce off each other and can hit parked cars, moving vehicles, signage, or telephone poles.
A report by The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) listed these causes of intersection accidents.
- Incorrect anticipation of another driver’s intentions
- Obstructed views
- Illegal maneuvers
- Driver distraction
- Misjudging the distance or speed of another driver
A traffic accident lawyer knows how to prove who was at fault in an intersection accident. We carefully examine the intersection and look for the root cause of the crash.
Multi-Car Accidents
Multi-car accidents cause the most damage because they involve three or more vehicles. Usually, two vehicles collide and then careen into other vehicles. The snarled wreckage can cause other drivers to collide with the already wrecked vehicles in a chain reaction.
The three most common causes for a chain-reaction, multi-car accident include distracted drivers who do not realize that traffic has slowed or stopped completely, drivers who are following too closely, and speeders. It takes a seasoned car accident lawyer to determine the cause of a multi-car accident.
Motorcycle vs. Car Accidents
A motorcycle lacks the crashworthiness and occupant protection characteristics of an automobile. An automobile has more weight and bulk than a motorcycle. It has door beams, a roof, airbags, and seat belts. It is also more stable because it is on four wheels. Because of its size, an automobile is easier to see. What a motorcycle sacrifices in weight, bulk, and other crashworthiness characteristics is somewhat offset by its agility, maneuverability, ability to stop quickly, and ability to swerve quickly when necessary. More about motorcycle injury claims.
Defective Parts
If your accident was caused by a defective part, your auto accident attorney can investigate whether any parts on your vehicle were recalled. If so, you can file a product liability claim. In that case, you would be able to collect from the manufacturer of your vehicle.
Texting While Driving
Texting is very popular, but it has no place on the roadway. It takes nearly five seconds to send a text message, which is like driving with your eyes closed at 55 miles per hour for the length of a football field. A lot can happen in that time. Many car crashes are caused by texting drivers. We can obtain cell phone records to prove if the other driver was texting when an accident occurred.
It’s a proven fact that people who hire an experienced car accident lawyer receive much larger settlements than people who hire the first auto accident lawyer they find in the Austin, Texas area. A great auto accident lawyer will be working diligently in the background on your case, which will give you time to recuperate.
Joel Levine has built his reputation on honesty, transparency, and success. Contact us immediately if you were in a car accident. Don’t sign any insurance forms or accept a settlement offer until you talk to an auto accident attorney. We’ll take the case to trial, if necessary, to fully protect your rights. Contact us today for a no-cost consultation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should you get a lawyer for a car accident?
Yes, you should get a lawyer if you were in any way involved in a car accident, no matter how minor it may seem. Even if no extensive damage was done to the vehicles and even if no one appeared to be injured, after leaving the scene of an accident the people involved may start to have different thoughts or develop pain they weren’t aware of before.
If a claim was filed with either party’s insurance company, having a car accident attorney on your side is important. Insurance companies will attempt to pay out as little as possible toward damages and injuries. A lawyer can help you get better compensation and also help if you are sued by the other party.
How do I choose the best car accident lawyer near me?
Look for a lawyer with experience working on car accident cases. A lawyer who has handled many car accident cases in your area will have insight into local agencies as well as the local court system if it comes to that.
Choose a lawyer for whom car accident cases are the main focus. You don’t want a divorce and family lawyer to represent you in a car accident case, because that’s not their specialty. In cases where an injury was involved, hire a personal injury lawyer to fight for your right to compensation.
How much does an attorney cost for a car accident case?
Most car accident attorneys charge a contingency fee, meaning they only receive their fee if you are awarded compensation. If you receive money as a result of the outcome of the case, a percentage of that total sum will go to your attorney. That percentage ranges from one firm to another, but will usually fall somewhere between 25-45%.
How are medical bills paid after a car accident?
According to Texas law, if you were injured in a car accident, even if the other driver was at fault, you are still required to pay your own medical bills as you receive them. However, you can sue the other driver or their insurance company for damages if you were less than 50% at fault. If you are awarded compensation for damages, you can put those funds toward your medical bills.
If you are awarded compensation, you will receive funds according to the percentage at which you were at fault in the accident. If the other driver was 100% at fault, you will receive 100% of the compensation if you win your case. If you were 25% responsible, you would receive only 75% of the compensation.
What kind of settlement should I expect from a car accident?
In a settlement following a car accident, a lump sum amount will be awarded to the claimant. This amount is made up of economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include the total amount you have paid out of pocket for anything pertaining to the accident from repairs to medical costs. Non-economic damages are things that aren’t monetary but can be assigned a monetary value, such as pain and suffering.
It’s impossible to provide an accurate estimate of the amount you may receive without knowing the details of your case. Factors that may affect your settlement include:
- The severity of your injuries
- The damages to your vehicle
- Your lost wages
- Your level of pain and suffering
- Any other factor that results from the accident
Once you speak to your lawyer about the accident and answer the necessary questions, they can give you an idea of the amount of compensation they think you can get.
How much does my lawyer get from my settlement?
Your lawyer will receive a predetermined percentage of your settlement. You and your lawyer will discuss this before filing your case and agree to a certain percentage that the lawyer will receive if you are awarded compensation. This is considered a contingency fee because the lawyer will only receive funds if you do.
Lawyers typically charge a contingency fee of anywhere from 25-45%. The fee may also be determined by the complexity of your case and whether or not it goes to court or is settled out of court.
