Were you in a car accident? Our San Antonio car accident attorneys at George Salinas Accident Lawyers will fight to get you compensation that helps you and your loved ones recover from injuries without financial worries
- My car is insured, so why do I need a lawyer if I get into an accident?
- Doesn’t my insurance company take care of that?
- What good is a car accident lawyer if I have to pay more?
You may be wondering about these common questions, which we’ll address on this page. To start, you should know that:
- Car accident lawyers represent the interests of victims in the face of abusive insurance company practices.
- Insurance companies represent their business interests, not their victims. Insurance typically works for simple issues, such as changing a flat tire. But when it comes to accidents involving injuries to passengers or property damage, insurance companies will seek to pay as little as possible and leave victims unprotected through abusive strategies, such as forcing them to sign statements or indemnities for little compensation when they’re still in shock from the accident.
- When you hire a San Antonio car accident lawyer, you won’t have to pay anything out of pocket due to a payment method called contingency fees.
- With an experienced car accident attorney, you can get compensation for lost wages due to the accident, as well as for the pain, suffering, anguish and depression that the injuries caused to you and your loved ones.
- If you were in a car accident, you have the right to be represented by an attorney regardless of your immigration status.
How can our San Antonio car accident lawyers help you?
After a car accident, the most important thing is for you and your loved ones to recover from any injuries. For this reason, your first step should always be to seek medical assistance. If necessary, go to a hospital to get properly diagnosed and begin your recovery.
The second step is to determine the circumstances of the accident, establish fault and seek compensation that will allow victims to cover all medical expenses, lost wages and non-economic damages (such as pain, suffering, stress, anguish and depression).
This is where the support of a specialized legal team is essential.
Many clients ask us: “Can’t I file for compensation on my own?”
The answer is that this is nearly impossible to do alone
Why?
- After a car accident, victims may be injured or in shock. Their energies should be directed toward recovery, not toward a legal confrontation (which may be difficult to navigate) against an insurance company.
- Winning a car accident case against an insurance company can be a tedious and lengthy process, full of specific legal details. Not only do you need extensive legal knowledge, but also a team of specialists from different areas who can do field work to gather evidence and document the circumstances of the accident.
That’s why a claim or lawsuit related to a traffic accident should be made through expert car accident lawyers, such as our team at George Salinas Accident Lawyers.
With our support, your case will be in the best hands. While you and your loved ones focus on recovering from your injuries, our legal team will work to complete all necessary actions to win your case.
Here are some of the actions that we perform on your behalf:
- We gather all the information and evidence in order to present the necessary proof to build a solid case.
- We seek out and talk to eyewitnesses of the accident and report their testimonies.
- We identify any video recordings (whether cameras located on city streets, outside private establishments or from a pedestrian or passenger of another vehicle).
- We investigate the circumstances of the accident (as many times as necessary) and present the evidence to establish fault.
- We work with a variety of specialists (such as doctors, engineers or traffic experts) to assess the damages suffered and prove negligence.
- We make important decisions about your case with your best interests at heart, which we achieve through ongoing and transparent dialogue with you and your loved ones.
- We seek fair compensation for the accident you suffered, either through a settlement agreed directly with an insurance company or by filing a civil lawsuit to be heard by the courts.
If you or a loved one suffered a car accident due to someone else’s negligence, contact us. At George Salinas Accident Lawyers, we’re ready to help you, no matter your immigration status. We speak Spanish and English, so call us at 210-225-0909 or by filling out this form. The consultation is free.
Common types of accidents handled by San Antonio car accident attorneys
The term “car crash” encompasses a variety of different types of accidents, which are often categorized according to their cause.
Knowing why traffic accidents tend to occur can help prevent them. That’s why the Texas Department of Transportation carefully analyzes the causes of traffic accidents reported each year across the state.
Here are the 10 most common types of accidents that San Antonio car crash lawyers handle:
Speeding
Unfortunately, speeding is a common behavior among motorists, causing a high percentage of accidents. A serious risk is that high-speed impacts can lead to a greater likelihood of catastrophic injuries to passengers.
Driving under the influence of alcohol
Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant, which means it slows down reactions and reflexes. In addition, it distorts vision and causes reckless attitudes in some people. Drunk driving is one of the most common causes of traffic accidents, many of which are fatal. Similar impairment can occur with drugs and certain prescription drugs.
Extreme weather
Heavy rains, strong winds and snowfall can fill the streets and highways with ice, sand, mud and water, as well as roadside objects. These extreme weather conditions require drivers to take extreme precautions (slow down, brake gently, proceed with flashers on, and increase the safety distance).
Mechanical failures
Often road accidents are due to the fact that one of the vehicles involved has suffered some type of failure, such as a flat tire, a detached part, or failed brakes or engines. Some of these failures may be due to manufacturing defects or the driver’s carelessness in not keeping the vehicle well-maintained.
Animals crossing the road
Animals are constantly crossing streets (such as squirrels, dogs and cats) and highways (such as cows, goats and deer). The instinctive reaction is to swerve so as not to run over them. However, this reaction often causes the car to run off the road or hit the vehicle in the next lane
Distracted driving
This category is defined by any behavior that takes your eyes off the road, such as looking at your phone screen to follow GPS instructions or turning to the back seat to scold a child. Three to five seconds of distracted driving is enough to miss the car in front of you braking or the traffic light turning yellow.
Reckless driving
Reckless driving means adopting careless driving attitudes, whether caused by distraction or impatience. For example, a driver who is running late for work is likely to drive too close to other vehicles and resort to speeding to pass them. Another common reckless behavior is turning without signaling
Streets and roads in poor condition
The most frequent type of road damage is potholes. To avoid them, drivers tend to brake abruptly or swerve, causing an accident. However, there are also risks associated with the design of streets and highways that can cause accidents, such as visual obstacles or slopes/curves that are too steep or poorly marked.
Lack of experience
Sometimes a driver follows the speed limit and is paying attention to the road. However, something unexpected happens, such as a sudden yellow light at an intersection or a pedestrian crossing at the wrong time, and the driver isn’t experienced enough behind the wheel to make the right decision. This is especially true for young people who are just learning to drive or who have been driving for a short time
Road repairs
When repairing streets and highways, heavy machinery is used to remove debris, which often leaves roads with obstacles and uneven surfaces that create dangerous conditions for vehicles. This also happens when construction is being done on properties or buildings close to the street.
In addition, we can give advice about the most frequent situations that usually lead to a car accident:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Using a smartphone or engaging in other driving distractions.
- Driving fatigue, or even falling asleep.
- Learn more about the primary causes of car accidents.
Common injuries suffered by San Antonio car accident victims
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Brain injuries, ranging from mild (such as a concussion) to severe (such as hemorrhage or trauma)
- Amputations (i.e. loss of limbs)
- Spinal cord injuries (which can result in partial or general paralysis)
- Burns of various degrees
- Injuries to knees, shoulders, ankles, ligaments, neck, back, thorax, pelvis and abdomen
- Injuries to internal organs (these symptoms aren’t evident at first and may take hours or days to show themselves)
- Scrapes and bruises
- Post-traumatic stress
How much money can I get if a San Antonio car accident attorney wins my case?
The final amount from a successful San Antonio car accident compensation case depends on numerous circumstances and variables. Every case is different and requires unique strategies and demands.
Although there are common elements among all cases, the most important is the severity of the injuries, as well as the time it will take for the victim to return to work. This includes all present and future economic expenses that the victim has during recovery.
However, personal injury claims aren’t limited to coverage for economic damages, but also non-economic damages.
Here are the three most common damages in each category below.
Economic damages
- Reimbursement of all medical expenses incurred and coverage of all future medical expenses that will be necessary.
- Compensation for wages lost due to the inability to work as a result of the accident.
- Reimbursement of funeral expenses (if any) and compensation to loved ones who were financially dependent on the person who lost their life during an accident.
Non-economic damages
- Pain and suffering
- Anguish and depression
- Loss of companionship and/or consortium
What do San Antonio car accidents attorneys recommend that I do after an accident?
After a car accident, especially those involving the negligence of another driver, you must face powerful insurance companies that will seek to pay victims as little as possible.
In fact, insurers are often trained to approach victims right after the accident (when they’re in a state of shock) to ask them to issue official statements and sign letters of non-liability or indemnities for much lower amounts than those established by law.
What about your own insurance company? Even your own insurance company’s agents will seek to quickly establish a settlement that is satisfactory to the insurer, but not to you.
That’s why it’s so important to get legal help after a car accident. To get compensation to cover all of your medical expenses, recover lost wages, and heal from your injuries without financial worries, lean on experienced San Antonio personal injury attorneys like our team at George Salinas Accident Lawyers.
Here’s a useful infographic that summarizes the steps to follow after getting into a car accident.
How long do my San Antonio car crash lawyers have to file for compensation?
State laws establish the time period available to car accident victims to file for compensation.
In Texas, the approximate time frame is between one and six years. Some accidents, particularly those involving buses operated by government agencies or public institutions, are governed by different rules that require claims to be filed in much shorter periods.
However, people who suffer a car accident need medical attention and financial compensation from the moment the incident happens. That’s why it’s always advisable to call a San Antonio personal injury accident lawyer immediately and not let a day go by.
Remember that the longer it takes to claim compensation, the more difficult it will be to reconstruct the circumstances under which the accident occurred and prove both the seriousness of the injuries you suffered and the liability of the negligent party.
How long can it take for San Antonio car crash lawyers to resolve my case?
After the official compensation claim is filed, negotiations begin. In almost all cases, this involves reaching an agreement with insurance companies.
In an ideal scenario, the insurance company accepts the negligence of the party it represents, offers a fair settlement and within a few weeks the case is resolved to the satisfaction of all involved, especially the victims.
However, this rarely happens. Insurers tend to delay as long as possible and often try by various means to pay out as little as possible. In these scenarios, car accident cases can take several years.
Are victims left unprotected while their case is being resolved? Luckily, there are compensation schemes where victims can receive partial economic benefits that allow them to cover their medical expenses and lost wages while a final verdict in their case is being decided.
In order to enjoy these benefits, it’s important that victims have the help of a legal team specialized in car accident cases like George Salinas Accident Lawyers.
Other accident cases that our San Antonio car crash attorneys handle
Our San Antonio car crash lawyers at George Salinas don’t limit their practice to car accidents. They also specialize in accidents involving other types of vehicles, such as:
Contact our San Antonio car accident lawyers
If you or a loved one suffered a car accident injury due to someone else’s fault or negligent action, contact us. At George Salinas Accident Lawyers, we’re ready to help you. We speak Spanish and English, so go ahead and contact us at 210-225-0909.
You’re not alone. Our team of San Antonio personal injury lawyers will fight to get you financial compensation that helps you recover from your accident.
FAQs
To hire a personal injury lawyer in San Antonio, you won’t pay a thing! At George Salinas Accident Lawyers, our teams work on a contingency fee basis. This means that we don’t charge you anything upfront for handling your case.
To be clear, you don’t have to pay us at any time during the legal process, no matter how long it takes. Once you win the lawsuit, you’ll get financial compensation and we’ll receive a minor percentage of the total amount to pay for our services.
Given their legally subjective nature, non-economic damages are complex to establish. To do so, experienced car accident lawyers use two methods. One is known as the multiplier method and it consists of multiplying economic damages (such as medical expenses) by a figure set between 1.5 and 5 (depending on the severity of the injuries). The other involves a per diem monetary allowance for the victim during the period of their physical recovery.
In order to win a car accident compensation case involving negligence, it can be helpful if there are eyewitnesses who are willing to testify. However, if you haven’t found anyone who witnessed the circumstances under which you were injured, you shouldn’t worry.
In cases like this, personal injury lawyers have specialists from different areas who look for possible witnesses and locate video cameras that may have recorded what happened, as well as study the scene to reconstruct the exact circumstances. In this way, they can clearly establish negligence in a court of law.
These specialists are experts in different fields (such as mechanics, architecture, medicine or road law) and their work allows us to present legally sound cases regardless of the type of car accident.
Absolutely! If you were injured in a car accident in Texas, you’re entitled to compensation that will allow you to recover without financial worries – regardless of your immigration status.
Your employers (if you were injured on the job) or insurance company agents (if you were injured in a car accident) will probably tell you that it’s a bad idea to sue if your immigration status is unclear. However, you shouldn’t be afraid. You’re entitled to compensation and you’re not alone. At George Salinas Accident Lawyers, we guarantee the privacy of your personal information.
If the car accident injuries you suffered keep you bedridden, don’t worry. We just need you or a loved one to call us and we’ll visit you at the hospital, your home or wherever you’re recovering. If your condition prevents you from moving, we’ll come to see you as many times as necessary to gather information about the car accident and consult you about the different legal avenues that the case may present.
We’ve won millions of dollars in compensation for our clients and specialize in car accident cases caused by negligent parties. George Salinas’ career as a San Antonio personal injury lawyer is impressive. He was selected in the top 100 best lawyers in the U.S. by The National Trial Lawyers (2019) and in 2020 he was named a “Texas Super Lawyer.” Our firm’s staff is fully bilingual (we speak both Spanish and English) and we offer free consultations to evaluate each case.
Negligence in a car accident case is directly related to the violation of traffic regulations by any of the drivers involved. In other words, if the cause of the accident involves behaviors such as speeding, distracted driving, driving under the influence or reckless driving, we’re talking about negligence.
Yet negligence can also be attributed to governments in charge of road maintenance (in case the accident was caused by poor road conditions) or the companies in charge of manufacturing the car (in case the accident was caused by a mechanical or design defect).