Austin Personal Injury Lawyer

There are typically two forms of damages available after an accident in Austin. Economic damages represent financial losses. Non-economic damages represent personal, non-monetary losses.

Economic damages compensate for:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages from missed work
• Diminished earning capacity
• Physical therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Out-of-pocket expenses
• Property damage

Non-economic damages compensate for:

• Pain and suffering
• Anxiety
• PTSD
• Emotional distress
• Disfigurement
• Reduced quality of life and loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium

Rare personal injury cases may qualify for punitive damages. Rather than compensate for a victim’s losses, these damages punish the defendant for gross negligence or intentional misconduct.

The value of your case is unique. A few common factors will influence the value of your case:

• Available insurance coverages
• Your medical expenses
• The extent of your lost income and diminished earning potential
• The pain and suffering you’ve experienced after the accident
• Whether you share fault for your injuries
• The strength of your evidence

Some claims may require the evaluation of financial experts to understand their worth.

Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency. Under this arrangement, a lawyer only charges fees if they recover compensation for you. If they fail to obtain a settlement or verdict in your case, you don’t owe any money. If they are successful, you will pay them a pre-agree-upon percentage of your award (usually 33% to 40%).

Moreover, most injury attorneys offer free consultations. Therefore, it costs virtually nothing up-front to get the legal help you need after your accident.

Texas places time limits on your ability to file a claim after an accident. These time limits are called statutes of limitations. If you fail to file your claim within the statute of limitations, you will be barred from recovering compensation in court.

In most cases, you’ll have two years to file a lawsuit after your accident. This deadline applies to personal injury and wrongful death claims. Contact FVF Law for help calculating the statute of limitations in your case.

Over 90% of personal injury cases settle before trial. However, when they settle and for much they settle depends on the facts of the case.

Cases that involve minor injuries and damages tend to settle the quickest. Insurance companies will typically resolve these claims in a matter of weeks or months. Cases involving moderate to serious injuries can take longer to settle, anywhere from a couple of months to a year, depending on when you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI).

If you cannot resolve your claim during the insurance process, you might need to file a lawsuit. These cases will typically take the longest to settle, as a lawsuit requires court appearances, discovery, and, ultimately, trial. Lawsuits can take a year or more to settle in some cases.

The negligence laws that could affect your injury claim include:

• Statute of limitations.  You’ll typically have two years to file a negligence claim after your accident.
• Comparative fault. Texas has modified comparative negligence laws. If you share fault for your accident, a court or jury will reduce your compensation. If you share more than 50% of the fault, you cannot recover compensation.
• At-fault insurance laws. This is an at-fault insurance state when it comes to auto accidents. After a collision, you will file a claim against the at-fault driver or their insurer to recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.

Other negligence laws may come into play depending on the facts of your case.