Car accidents can leave you with a lot to deal with. There are car repairs, medical bills, lost wages from injuries, and so much more. it can be overwhelming, especially if you are trying to deal with an insurance company that wants to lowball you on your settlement and limit your medical care.
It just makes sense to get an attorney for your car crash. The problem is that not all personal injury attorneys are the same – and not all have car accident experience. If there are serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries or even disability or death, the entire process becomes even more complex.
Hiring the best car accident lawyer in Fort Worth can be the difference between the insurance company taking advantage of your desperation and getting a settlement that will compensate you for your losses.
Fort Worth car crash statistics
Fort Worth is considered to be one of the safer cities to drive in, with relatively safe roads. The number of car crashes and fatal accidents is fewer than its population indicates it should be. However, it does still have its fair share of car accidents with more than 13,400 auto accidents occurring in 2022. Of those accidents, more than 7,000 motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians were fatally injured.
From 2013 through 2023, these roads made up nearly 35% of Fort Worth’s fatal crashes:
- 1-35W – 50+ fatal crashes
- 1-820 – 30+ fatal crashes
- 1-20 – 23+ fatal crashes
- 1-30 – 17+ fatal crashes
Most Common Causes of Fort Worth Car Accidents
There are many reasons that car accidents occur. Typically, it’s a combination of reasons like traffic congestion combined with distracted driving. Dangerous driver behaviors make up about 94% of traffic accidents on Fort Worth roads. These behaviors include:
- Speeding
- Driving while intoxicated
- Distracted driving
- Jaywalking
- Reckless driving
- Tailgating
- Failing to yield
- Merging without looking
- Weaving in and out of traffic
- Disobeying traffic signs and signals
- Passing without looking
Environmental reasons account for about 2% of car accidents in Fort Worth. These include:
- Traffic congestion
- Weather-related issues
- Poor road design
- Low visibility due to poor lighting
- Road hazards like debris, downed trees, or tires
Intersections are a common location for car crashes and are almost always caused by at least one of the drivers failing to yield the right of way.
Types of car accident injuries
Many car accident victims experience some type of injury, ranging from minor injuries like a few bumps and bruises to serious injuries or even fatalities. These injuries are classified in one of two ways:
- Impact injuries – The driver or passenger strikes any portion of the car’s interior, such as a window, steering wheel, or the dash, or the person is thrown from the car and strikes an object like another car, a tree, or the ground.
- Penetrating injuries – The driver or passenger is struck by a loose item in the car that is set in motion as a direct result of the impact of the collision, such as a window breaking and the glass cutting the victim.
The most common car accident injuries include:
- Whiplash
- Concussion
- Sprains
- Dislocated joints
- Facial injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Strains
- Neck injuries
- Bruises
- Broken bones
- Loss of limbs
- Heart attack brought on by the stress of the accident
- Bruised or broken ribs
- Organ damage
- PTSD
Any injury from a car accident, even minor ones, should be checked out by a medical professional. Many auto accident injuries actually warrant some degree of medical treatment, but the victim doesn’t realize it right away because they are in shock. Auto accident lawyers will tell you that after an accident, you should always get checked out by medical personnel just to be on the safe side.
What does a car accident attorney do?
Car accident lawyers do a lot of various things to help victims in car accident cases. There are many things that must be done, and the law has strict guidelines for how they are to be done, as well as the timeframe in which they are to be completed.
An experienced auto accident attorney is invaluable because they understand these laws and know how to negotiate with insurance companies to get the best possible settlement for their client.
These are the most common tasks that car accident lawyers handle.
Investigate the accident
Often, a car accident lawyer will investigate the crash. This includes obtaining the police report, talking to witnesses, and visiting the accident scene where the accident happened. They will review reports from physicians and emergency medical professionals regarding medical treatment administered at the scene, at the hospital, and in the doctor’s office.
This will help them determine the at-fault party and allow them to prove negligence so they can provide the best legal assistance possible
Provide legal advice regarding the accident
As part of their legal assistance, the car accident attorney will give their client legal advice regarding the accident. They may tell them where to go for medical treatment or how to recover compensation for their losses.
When going into court, the attorney will explain to the victim what is going to happen and what they need to do to get the best possible outcome for their case.
Help the accident victim build a personal injury case
Personal injury attorneys are the lawyers who handle car accident cases. The victim of a car wreck files a personal injury claim to cover their losses. The attorney helps the victim build their case by reviewing the evidence, conducting their own investigation, analyzing medical reports, and talking to the victim.
From there, they will work with the victim to build a personal injury case that has the best possible chance of fairly compensating the victim for their injuries and losses due to the accident.
Identify expert witnesses to testify in the case
In a personal injury lawsuit, it is often beneficial to include expert witnesses to testify in the case. These witnesses will speak to specific aspects of the case where they hold knowledge that the public may not have. This can include confirming the value of the damages the victim incurred, establishing the defendant’s liability in the crash, and proving that the defendant was a negligent party in the crash.
There are several types of expert witnesses that may be helpful:
- Accident reconstruction specialist
- Medical expert
- Mental health expert
- Economist
- Vocational Expert
Help the accident victim assess their injuries, losses, and damages after a car accident
Car accident attorneys will sit with the victim and go over their losses, including injuries and property damage. They will review medical records and medical bills as well as look at current and future medical expenses that the victim may incur in long-term treatment. They will also look at estimates for the repair of the vehicle and property. If the victim is unable to work, the attorney will help them determine compensation for lost wages. They will work with the victim to create a complete picture of the injuries and losses, arrive at an approximate dollar value, and use that as a starting point for negotiating a settlement with the insurance company.
Help the accident victim seek compensation for their injuries, losses, and damages
After a car accident, the victim is often left with medical expenses and repair bills that can be very costly. The personal injury lawyer will work with the victim to build a case that seeks compensation for those losses and pays those expenses. This can include negotiating with the insurance company for the other driver, negotiating with the victim’s own insurance company, or taking the car accident claim to court.
Negotiate with insurance companies for maximum compensation
Most car accident lawsuits are not straightforward. They tend to be complex with a lot of gray areas. Insurance companies are a central figure in these cases but unfortunately, they don’t always act in an ethical manner. At the end of the day, the insurance company will protect itself first and operate in its own best interests, even when it is the victim’s own insurance agency. All too often, the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation to the victim for their losses. At times they may even outright deny the claim. Car accident attorneys will negotiate with the insurance companies and represent the best interests of the victims so their compensation is fair.
Help the accident victim understand their rights
Most car accident victims don’t fully understand their rights. The insurance company will typically call them directly because they believe that the victim is not aware of what they are and are not entitled to – and they’re right. Most victims of an auto accident have no idea what their rights are. They don’t know that no matter how nice that insurance adjuster seems, he or she is not their friend and does not have their best interest in mind. An experienced attorney will help the victim understand their rights and will step in to handle the communication with the insurance companies as well as manage the case for them.
Represent the car accident victim in court
Car accident claims are very complex. Even just negotiating with the insurance companies is difficult, but if the case goes to court, it can be very difficult to navigate. There are many components that go into a car wreck court case which means a lot of prep work. An auto accident lawyer has the training, knowledge, and experience to handle auto accident court cases and make sure that the victim is not only professionally represented, but that they are fairly compensated.
Why you should hire a car accident lawyer in Fort Worth
If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident in Fort Worth, you shouldn’t try to handle it on your own. The insurance company will almost certainly try to lowball you, and if you don’t know what your case is worth, you could lose out on all the compensation that you are rightfully due.
Personal injury law is very complex, and there are certain things that you need to do to stay within Texas law and ensure the best possible outcome for your case. Finding a good personal injury law firm should be at the top of your to-do list when you are in a car accident. You should be looking for solid, experienced legal representation like you get when you choose AMS Law Firm.
You can schedule a free consultation with a member of our professional, skilled, and knowledgeable legal team and get a fair and honest assessment of your case. Then we will work with you to create a plan for how we will pursue your case and what you can expect.
What to do after a motor vehicle accident in Fort Worth
Knowing what to do after you’ve been involved in an auto accident can help your case tremendously. There are certain things that you need to do at the scene that will help your attorney represent you more effectively.
At the scene of the accident you should:
- Get the other driver’s license information
- Get the other driver’s insurance information
- Get proof to show what happened, such as taking photos and videos of the scene
- Get the names and contact details of any witnesses
- Get the names of the officers who responded to the accident (always call the police when you are in an accident)
- Get the accident report number
- Seek medical attention and get a copy of your medical records for injuries related to the accident, including any doctor’s orders, recommendations, and restrictions
What to expect from the legal process after an accident in Fort Worth, Texas
After an automobile accident, the insurance company will likely try to contact you because they believe that they can lowball you on a settlement. Once you have a car accident lawyer, they will advise you to avoid talking to the insurance companies and instead, refer them to your attorney.
Be prepared for your case to take some time to resolve. While some car accident cases are settled in a few months, others can take years. The length of time a car accident in Fort Worth takes to settle depends on a variety of factors, such as the extent of damages, injuries from the accident, if liability is contested, and if the extent of the damages or injuries is in question.
Either driver’s insurance coverage may also be questioned as the insurance companies may haggle over who is responsible for what. Having a car accident lawyer will save you from a lot of the headaches that the legal process can bring, especially if the case goes to trial and the outcome is determined in court.
Fort Worth car accident FAQs
These are some of the questions that we get asked most often regarding car accidents. It is best to talk to your car accident lawyer to ask any questions because they can provide answers that are relative to your case. However, these FAQs provide general information that can help you navigate your case easier and help you know what questions to ask your lawyer.
How does sharing fault for my car accident affect my case?
Texas law provides a Modified Comparative Fault Rule, which is used to determine the amount of compensation that an auto accident victim is eligible to receive based on the degree of fault that is attributed to them.
For instance, if a person in an accident admits that they are at fault and are found to be partially responsible, the compensation they receive will be lower than if they were not at fault to any degree. For instance, an accident victim’s total damages are $500,000, but the court has determined that they are 30 percent at fault. They would only be eligible to receive 70% of that total due to their shared responsibility in the accident.
Under this rule, if any party is determined to be more than 50% responsible for the accident, their eligibility for compensation is revoked.
This is why it is very important that you do not admit fault in any way when you are involved in a car accident. It is best to remain quiet, gather your information, and talk to your attorney as soon as possible. Even an admission of fault that is partly or completely inaccurate will most certainly be used against you by the other driver, their attorney, and their insurance company in an attempt to reduce or deny compensation for your losses.
I’m getting blamed for a car accident in Fort Worth – Can I still recover compensation?
You may be eligible for compensation if your responsibility for the accident is found to be 50% or less. Texas law’s modified comparative negligence rule allows a person in a car accident to be up to 50% at fault and still be eligible for compensation. If they are more than 50% responsible, then they are not eligible to be compensated for their losses. This includes medical bills for their car accident injuries and repair bills for damages to their vehicle.
Why does proving negligence matter?
Proving negligence matters because it shows who was at fault in the car accident. Once that is established, it directly affects the settlement that the victim is entitled to receive. the insurance company will typically try to show the other driver to be at fault, even if they were clearly not. Even if they can assign partial blame to the victim, the insurance company will benefit because that’s less money that they will have to pay out in a settlement.
You should never willingly contribute to proving your negligence in an accident. When law enforcement asks for your statement regarding how the accident occurred, be honest, but don’t give more details than is necessary. If witnesses, passengers in either vehicle or the other driver try to engage you in conversation, try to avoid it if possible. You don’t want to inadvertently admit guilt, especially if you are not responsible for the car accident. Stick to the facts, gather your information, and call your attorney right away.
Will I have to appear in court for my car accident?
You may be required to appear in court for your car accident case. You should check with your law firm to see if that is the case for you.
How do I handle the insurance company after a car wreck?
The insurance company may put on a friendly face but understand that their priority is to protect their own interests, not the insured and not the accident victim. It is not in the insurance company’s best interest to award financial compensation to anyone in a car accident, and it is important that you remember that.
Do not talk to the insurance company. If they call, refer them to your attorney but say nothing and definitely do not admit to anything. Insurance companies are notorious for lowballing victims of car accidents and even their own policyholders. This was a big problem in the 1980s, but the government cracked down on them with increased regulations. This decreased the unethical practices but did not stop them completely.
You may find yourself dealing with your own insurance company if the other driver does not have insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage is not included in liability insurance or full coverage, it is an add on coverage that you can buy. It can cover medical expenses and damages in an accident, but you will deal with your insurance company instead of the one for the other driver. There is still the potential for you to run into trouble, so getting a Fort Worth car accident attorney is definitely worth it.
When should I see a doctor after an accident?
The time to seek medical care after an accident is immediately after the accident occurs. Very often, a victim in an accident will be in shock and may not realize the injuries that they sustained. Sometimes, a person may be injured, but they may not feel it for days or even weeks after.
In personal injury claims, timing is critical. The best thing to do is get checked out at the emergency room to make sure that everything is OK. This is also a good practice for your health, because it is not uncommon for a person to sustain an injury, especially a head injury or injury to an organ, and not realize it right away then have serious complications hours later. Internal bleeding may not always be apparent at the scene of the accident, but it can be fatal if not addressed.
Always go to the emergency room or urgent care to get checked out, especially if you were struck or if you struck something like the steering wheel or if your head hit the window. This will also establish a medical trail should you require medical care later.
When should I contact a Fort Worth car accident attorney?
You should contact a car accident lawyer immediately after you are involved in an accident. It is best to get the case started as soon as possible.
How long do I have to file a Texas car accident lawsuit?
Under Texas law, a person can file a car accident lawsuit within two years of the date of the crash. However, it is usually not wise to wait that long. The longer you wait, the easier it is for the insurance company to claim that your injuries or damage were not the result of the accident.
They may also try to claim that your injuries weren’t all that bad. This can impact payment of your medical bills and other expenses.
Your car accident lawyer can advise you, on the best timeframe for filing an accident claim. That is a very good question to ask at your first meeting.
What types of damages can Fort Worth car accident victims get?
Some of the damages that a car accident victim can seek include:
- Bodily injuries
- Medical expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress
- Disability
- Wrongful death
- Rehabilitation
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of income
- Lost earning capacity
- Loss of companionship
- Lowered quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Property damage
- Economic damages
Your Fort Worth car accident injury claim could be worth thousands of dollars. It depends on the extent of your injuries and the property damage you sustained.
How much do I have to pay an attorney in my car accident case?
An attorney who handles a car or motorcycle accident is a personal injury lawyer. This type of lawyer typically does not require any upfront payment. Instead, they get a percentage of the settlement that you receive.
You begin with a free consultation, and once you hire your attorney, you sign a contract that allows them to collect a percentage of your settlement when they win the case for you.
How can AMS Law help you?
Not all car accident lawyers are created equal. Not all have the experience, training, and knowledge required to get you the most compensation possible for your case. You need to choose wisely. Getting the compensation you deserve for your Fort Worth car accident is as easy as giving AMS Law a call. We serve Fort Worth, TX, and the surrounding area.
You will get exceptional service, compassionate handling of your case, and strong support to help you through this difficult time. Add to that the experience, knowledge, and skill, and you have a law firm that most accident lawyers simply can’t match. You deserve the best legal representation for your car accident case. AMS Law is the clear choice.
What to expect at your free consultation
If you have never been involved in a car accident or you have never met with an attorney before, it can be a little intimidating at first. It doesn’t have to be. Just remember that the attorney is on your side and is looking after your best interests. It’s their job to protect your rights and make sure that you have the best possible outcome for your case once you hire them.
When you arrive for your appointment, you will check in with the receptionist and wait to be called. Once you are in the office with the attorney, they will begin to discuss your case. They will likely begin by asking you to tell them about the accident in your own words. Just be honest. Don’t leave out any details, even if they seem insignificant.
The lawyer may interrupt you occasionally to ask you questions that will clarify your story for them. They may record the interview or take notes while you talk. Once you are finished, they will review the information that you have brought with you regarding your accident.
After the attorney has reviewed your information, they will discuss the case with you and let you know how viable they feel it is and how they expect it to play out. They may also begin sketching a plan of action with you. At the end of the appointment, you will be given the opportunity to hire them to represent you. That is where you sign on the dotted line.
What to bring with you at your first appointment
When you are preparing for your free consultation with your Fort Worth car accident lawyer, it would be helpful to bring any information that you have on your case. This can include:
- A detailed statement of what happened in your own words
- The police report
- Information for the other driver, including contact info
- Insurance information for the other driver
- Names and contact info for all passengers
- A copy of your insurance policy
- Any pictures or video that you have of the accident and/or the accident scene
- The names and contact info for any witnesses
- Medical reports
- Medical bills
- Repair quotes for your vehicle
- Medical bills for your passengers
- Property loss statements for your passengers
There may be other things that your attorney wants you to bring to that first appointment. If so, they will tell you when you schedule it.
Call a Fort Worth car accident lawyer, and do not talk to the insurance company
The golden rule that all car accident lawyers will tell you is to contact an attorney as soon as possible after an accident, never admit guilt, and do not talk to the insurance company. This is excellent advice.
If you have been in an accident, call one of our Fort Worth car accident lawyers today. Once you have hired an attorney to represent you, you can direct the insurance company and others to them instead of having to handle it yourself.
Don’t try to do this alone. get the legal help you need for your Fort Worth car accident and get the peace of mind that money can’t buy.
Schedule a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer
Call AMS Law today and schedule your free consultation. We’ll discuss your case with you in an honest, straightforward manner, informing you of your rights and what you may be entitled to. When you sign with us, we’ll be with you every step of the way and best of all; we don’t get paid unless you do. That means no out-of-pocket fees for you.
Get the representation for your car accident case that you deserve. Call AMS Law now.
