Brain damage or traumatic brain injury is difficult to recognize sometimes.
Memory loss, loss of consciousness, headache, or dizziness can all be signs of a mild brain injury or a concussion. Please tell your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms after an accident.
Maybe. The law will allow for a relative or guardian to hire an attorney to represent an injured individual if they cannot make such an agreement themselves. A parent or guardian can file a lawsuit for a child under eighteen on behalf of an incapacitated adult.
How do I start a lawsuit? First, Please contact the Cobos Law Firm as soon as possible. You can submit an online form here or call 713-234-5860. We will send you a case evaluation form. You will complete a handful of documents and an attorney will speak with you to help determine how to proceed with your case. Once a power of attorney agreement is signed, we will file your lawsuit.
– Timing: Timing in a personal injury lawsuit is critical. We recommend
contacting a Houston personal injury attorney as soon as possible to
make the process smoother and easier for both the client and the attorney.
– Medical care: We recommend seeking medical care soon after the
incident and obtaining a competent doctor’s diagnosis. We also recommend following the doctor’s course of treatment and seeing specialists as recommended. This means that you should abide by your doctor’s instructions to ensure your injuries are recovered and properly healed.
– Honesty: All information shared with your attorney is completely confidential under the attorney-client privilege. We encourage you to
be honest and transparent when advising us of the circumstances of
the incident.
– Please Do Not Talk to Insurance Adjusters: We recommend that
you do not speak with an insurance adjuster until after hiring an attorney.
Insurance adjusters sometimes use manipulative tactics to get the victim to admit that damages were not severe or that the victim is partially to blame. The insurance companies will then use these coerced statements to just a reduction of the cash value. It is a good practice to avoid speaking to an insurance adjuster until after the case has been filed.
– Protect Yourself: Read all documents thoroughly and have a full understanding before you sign anything. Consult an attorney with any questions.
It is imperative to hire an attorney early on after an accident, especially if the damages/injuries are serious. In serious injury cases or even wrongful death cases, starting an investigation early is crucial. Many mistakes can be avoided when an attorney is processing your claim for you.
Attorneys have experience conducting investigations and speaking with insurance adjustors, which most clients do not have on their own. Therefore, hiring an attorney early is crucial to your case.
The Cobos Law Firm handles cases on a contingency basis, which means no upfront fees or retainers are required. After a case evaluation, the firm will ask the client to sign a Power of Attorney contract, which will give the attorney full authorization to represent the client in that claim against the other party. The client will agree to pay a percentage of the recovered amount to the attorney and any other expenses in the contract.
Some examples of the attorney’s expenses are record retrieval fees, court fees, hired experts, etc. The client will not be required to pay any of these fees upfront. If there is no recovery made in the case, no fees or expenses will be required of the client.
An exact timeframe cannot be guaranteed due to each case involving different circumstances. Some cases will be resolved in a shorter time frame than others depending on the individuals involved, the case’s details, and the attorneys in charge.
Upon initial contact with your Houston personal injury attorney, they should walk you through the process of filing a claim and give you a timeframe specific to your case.
Self-representation in a personal injury case is not impossible. However, doing so will likely result in you receiving less compensation than you would otherwise receive if you hired an attorney. Insurance companies typically attempt to provide a low-ball settlement value for a complete dismissal of claims.
This tactic ensures that they will not risk a high settlement verdict by a jury and allows them to save money that they would otherwise pay their attorneys. It is imperative to understand, however, that insurance companies only care about one thing: profits. The less money they can pay you, the more they keep for themselves.
When you file a lawsuit, you become a liability to the insurance company. They would prefer to avoid the risk of a large jury-verdict, so they will pay more after a lawsuit is filed to alleviate this risk.
In severe cases, you will most likely need to be represented by an experienced personal injury attorney. This is needed to assist you in receiving the highest valued settlement possible in your case.
Your insurance company may advise you not to hire a personal injury attorney because they do not want to pay for liability or serious injuries in your case. Remember, the insurance company does not care about you; they only care about money. Do not trust them.
If an insurance agent tells you that you should not hire an attorney or that someone accepts full responsibility for the accident, then you should certainly consider doing the opposite and hiring a Houston, personal injury attorney.
This common question is difficult to answer without having access to all the needed information in a case. Each case involves different components that affect the case value. Three major components are the following.
Who caused or contributed to the incident
What are the damages?
Does the defendant have insurance or another means of paying compensation for your injuries?
There is no calculator or reliable means of determining case value until the information has been gathered and processed. Assessing the actual value of a case is a skill learned through practice and experience over time as a personal injury attorney.
There is a multitude of factors that impact case value, including the below:
– the diagnoses of your injuries as accessed by your doctor
– which doctors have provided medical treatment
– the length of time between the incident and when you first received medical treatment
– who is responsible for the accident
– whether the conduct by the responsible party was negligent or intentional
– whether long-term disabilities may occur or an inability to work because of injuries
– which insurance carrier is providing coverage
– where the incident occurred
Ultimately, there are hundreds and perhaps even thousands of factors to consider when determining case value. However, an excellent attorney can counsel you through the process and explain how each factor can increase or decrease the ultimate payout provided by a Defendant.
You should contact an attorney as soon as possible following an accident in which you were injured. Your attorney will help preserve any evidence demonstrating who caused your injuries, ensure that you receive proper medical attention, and address any other damages caused by the accident.
Texas law requires that an individual initiate a lawsuit within two years of the incident (this deadline is often referred to as the “Statute of Limitations.” Although there are some exceptions to this rule, it is generally preferable to inform the Defendants soon after the incident that you intend to hold them liable.
If you miss the Statute of Limitations deadline, then it is likely that you will not receive compensation for your injuries.