According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 40 million people visit their doctor each year as a result of unintentional injuries, and almost 30 million make emergency room trips for their accidental injuries. Additionally, about 170,000 suffer fatal injuries due to falls, motor vehicle collisions, and accidental poisoning. While the victim’s own error sometimes causes these injuries, many cases are often the result of others’ negligent acts.
Austin Public Health reports that from 2006 to 2015, about 6,000 injury-related deaths occurred in Travis County alone. If you or a loved one is suffering from serious or fatal injuries because of another person’s negligent or malicious behavior, an Austin personal injury lawyer can help you seek justice and compensation for your damages. Call Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today at (800) 794-0444 to speak with our legal team about your case.
Cases a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Handle
A person can cause personal injury to someone else by intentionally committing a harmful act or by failing to exercise reasonable caution to protect their safety. Therefore, personal injury lawyers handle any case in which a person suffers harm as the result of another person’s wrongdoing.
Personal injury cases do not involve criminal charges. Instead, they take place in a civil court, giving victims the opportunity to recover funds for the losses they suffer as a result of their injury. Common types of personal injury cases include:
- Slip and fall
- Workplace injuries
- Medical malpractice
- Dog bites
- Car accidents
- Product defects
An Austin personal injury lawyer can help you by examining the details of your personal injury case, determining if you qualify for compensation, and helping you move forward with the legal process.
Financial Awards for Personal Injury Cases
If another person is causing you to suffer an injury that leads to financial or emotional losses, you may qualify for financial awards in a lawsuit against the at-fault party. The types and amount of compensation you may receive depend on several factors, including the nature of the incident, the extent of your injuries, and Texas laws regarding your specific case. The types of financial recovery available to you may include recovery for:
- Emergency medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and other health care expenses
- Lost wages for the time you miss at work or loss of future wages if you have a disability that prevents you from returning to work
- Property damage for your vehicle or other personal effects damaged in the incident
- Pain and suffering, such as mental anguish for the trauma you suffer as a result of the accident
- Household expenses, such as professional help cleaning, cooking, and managing other aspects of your home that your injury prevents you from managing on your own
In some cases, the court may also order the person responsible for your injuries to pay punitive damages in addition to others you may seek. These fines serve as punishment for especially egregious acts and intend to deter others from committing similar acts in the future.
For a free legal consultation with a Austin Personal Injury Lawyer serving Austin, call (800) 794-0444
Who You Can Hold Accountable for Your Personal Injury
In order to pursue your case, you must first prove the liability of the at-fault party. While this task may feel intimidating to a victim and their family during their difficult time, an Austin personal injury lawyer can relieve some of the burden. An attorney can help determine the person or organization responsible for the victim’s injuries and manage the evidence that proves the at-fault party’s liability on the victim’s behalf.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today, and a representative from our legal team will respond as soon as possible to discuss your case with you.
An Individual
In many cases, victims can prove the liability of a single person in a personal injury claim. Examples of a liable individual include:
- The driver in an accident
- The perpetrator of an assault
- The owner of the dog that bit the victim
A Company or Business
Certain cases extend beyond the responsibility of a single individual and instead involve the negligence of a company. Businesses that may hold responsibility for a personal injury may include:
- The employer of a person who suffers a workplace injury
- A company owner who fails to maintain his property, which leads to injury
- A business that does not hire adequate security for its guests
A Government Agency
Due to sovereign immunity, filing a personal injury claim against the government may prove particularly challenging. However, the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) does allow citizens to sue the government under certain circumstances, as explained here on the United States House of Representatives site. An Austin personal injury lawyer can help you determine if your case qualifies under the FTCA.
Austin Austin Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me (800) 794-0444
Texas Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury Lawsuits
Texas requires that individuals who wish to file a personal injury lawsuit do so within two years of the date of the incident, as outlined in Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003. The court will likely reject any suit filed after the two-year period expires, making it impossible to seek compensation from the person responsible for your injuries.
However, some exceptions do apply. If you had not yet reached age 18 when the accident occurred, you might have more time. In most cases, the statute of limitations does not begin until a victim who is a minor turns 18, giving them up to the day they turn age 20 to file their personal injury lawsuit.
If you determine that you may have a case against a government agency, on the other hand, you might have less time. Personal injury cases against the government sometimes have a statute of limitations as short as 30 days.
Because of the complexity of many personal injury cases, we encourage victims to take legal action as soon as possible. The sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner you can begin building your case.
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Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Today to Get Started
Accidents happen, but when they occur as the result of another person’s negligence, reckless behavior, or malicious intent, they can leave you and your family with lasting physical, emotional, and financial struggles.
At Pintas & Mullins Law Firm, our attorneys can help you by investigating your case, collecting the evidence you need to prove liability, and pursuing just legal compensation on your behalf. Call us today at (800) 794-0444 to speak with a member of our legal team about your free case evaluation.
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