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If you have sustained injuries in a car accident, our Edinburg car accident lawyers may be able to help. Being in any type of motor vehicle accident can be very stressful. Your car is damaged, you are physically hurting, and an overwhelming feeling of uncertainty hits you. You cannot drive or go to to work, you need to see a doctor but do not have transportation, and you still need to pay your bills.
Thompson Law’s Edinburg car accident lawyers can help alleviate that burden by taking the pressure of dealing with your injury accident claim off your shoulders. Our law firm will gather all the necessary documentation, deal with the insurance company, and obtain the justice and compensation you deserve. Let our car accident lawyers in Edinburg, TX focus on taking care of everything from lost wages to payment of medical bills, and ultimately get you full value for your settlement.
Do not try go it alone. Many times, insurance companies will try to deny a claim or simply drag their feet until you give up for various reasons. Call Thompson Law and let us walk you through the entire process from the very beginning. We can relieve you from the stress of fighting the big insurance companies on your own. You can talk to our team of Edinburg car accident lawyers without any obligation. We offer FREE CONSULTATIONS where we can answer your questions, let you know how we might be able to help, and get you signed up with legal representation the same day.
There were 2,438 auto crashes reported by the Edinburg Police Department in 2021, which means roughly 1 auto accident for every 2.5 citizens. Analyzing these accidents in terms of severity, our Edinburg car accident lawyers found:
Edinburg is located in Hidalgo County, which has no shortage of car accidents for the size of the population. In fact, Edinburg has one of the highest per capita car crash rates in the state of Texas. In 2021, there were 16,263 total crashes in all of Hidalgo County, TX that consisted of:
Sources: TxDOT – Crashes and Injuries Cities and Towns; Crashes and Injuries by County.
Crash reports are required by law to be filed by the police for every motor vehicle accident involving property damage of $1,000 or more, or injuries to one or more of the parties to the accident. Every accident is truly not an “accident”, it is a collision caused by the negligent actions of one or more of the drivers involved.
The Edinburg police will cite in their Edinburg crash report what actions (referred to as “contributing factor(s)” in a crash report) they believe led to the accident. Examples can include things like failing to yield right of way when at a stop sign, driving above the speed limit, or driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). Sometime there can also be multiple causes of an accident, such as running a red light while you were intoxicated.
In 2021, the top six causes of crashes accounted for nearly 70% of crashes in Edinburg, according to crash reports filed by the Edinburg Police. These factors contributing to motor vehicle collisions in Edinburg were:
Edinburg is a city with high levels of traffic due to our position as the gateway to the Rio Grande Valley, and all the through traffic from Texas and Mexico. By knowing where the danger spots are, drivers can be more vigilant and take steps to avoid becoming involved in a collision.
Most accidents in Edinburg occurred on the primary arteries passing through the city. Traffic on these state highways, farm-to-market roads, and interstates is heavy, and the speeds at which people are traveling is faster. In 2021, the 5 roadways with the most collisions were :
Our Edinburg car accident lawyers compiled data from TxDOT to track the most dangerous intersections in Edinburg. The ten most dangerous intersections with the highest number of accident in Edinburg in 2020 were:
If you’ve been in an accident, the steps you take right after can make all the difference to your health, your legal rights, and the compensation you receive for your damages.
If you are seriously injured, you might not be able to take some of these steps except perhaps calling the police and waiting for the ambulance to arrive and take you to the emergency room at South Texas Health System, or another trauma center. However, if your injuries are not severe or you do not think you are injured, you can follow these steps:
Texas Transportation Code Sec. 550.062 requires you to stop your car, remain at the scene or in the vicinity, and provide assistance to anyone who has been injured in the collision. If your car is undriveable and cannot be moved to a safe location outside a traffic lane, then at least try to turn your hazard lights on as a sign to other drivers a collision has occurred. If you are injured and unable to render aid, you have no legal obligation to do so.
Sec. 550.026 of the Texas Transportation Code requires you to report the accident to the nearest police department in the event of even modest property damage, injuries, or death. Even if the other driver says the accident was their fault, property damage appears minor, and you do not think you are injured, our Edinburg car accident lawyers recommend you report the accident to the police.
We also recommend you be the one to make the first call to the police. The 911 operator will generally have a call recording and produce an incident report, which our accident attorneys can later obtain using an Open Records Request. Further, guilty people typically do not call the police. Our accident attorneys in Edinburg find that in the vast majority of accidents, the at-fault party is not the one that reports the crash to police.
After calling the police, we suggest you first look for any potential witnesses to the accident, such as pedestrians or other cars nearby. If you find one, ask if they saw the accident and what they saw happen. If they did, ask if they would be willing to wait and provide a statement to the police, or share their contact information to serve as a witness later. Cameras at nearby businesses, such as gas stations, may also provide video evidence of the accident. After you have spoken to the police, you can always go ask business owners to review and share those videos with you.
If the other driver wants to discuss the accident with you, we recommend stating you would prefer to wait and talk to the police. You should simply exchange information, such as drivers licenses and insurance cards. We recommend you also take photos of these documents, as well as the license plate of the other vehicle(s) and the VIN number on their car.
When the police arrive, it is important to be definitive and honest in your statement. Often a police officer’s opinion on what caused the accident relies on who he deems to be honest if no other evidence exists. So it is critical to get your statement right, as an attorney will not be able to later go back and ask a police officer to alter his or her report. Finally, take pictures of all vehicles involved in the accident, including their property damage up close and at a distance. Taking pictures of the position of each car is also advisable, as it can often provide valuable evidence to our Edinburg car accident lawyers later.
Many car accident injuries take time to become apparent. When the collision occurs, adrenaline typically masks the pain of most injuries that are not severe. In a day or two, many accidents victims who did not think they were hurt begin to experience pain and soreness as inflammation sets in. It is critical to tell your physician that you were in an accident, as they can document your complaints in your medical record and establish a causal relationship between the accident and your injuries.
Be sure to follow the advice of your doctor after you leave the office and do not cut your treatment short. Nagging injuries can become persistent or permanent if you do not follow your doctor’s instructions.
Call our Edinburg auto accident lawyers for a free consult, as we have a track record of proven results for our clients. Whether you live here, were just visiting Edinburg, or were just passing through on your way to McAllen or Laredo when you had your car wreck, Thompson Law’s injury lawyers in Edinburg can help you.
When you call our office, our Edinburg car accident lawyers will discuss your case with you, answer any questions you may have, and tell you if we can help. If you hire us, we will take care of most of the things required to file an injury claim, while you handle taking care of yourself physically by following your doctor’s prescribed treatment plan.
We will obtain the crash report, which by law must be filed electronically no later than 10 days after the date of the accident. Our law firm will open a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company, which protects you from making common mistakes with insurance adjusters. We can help you find medical care, if needed, especially if you do not have health insurance. Our Edinburg accident lawyers will also obtain any evidence that exists, such as taking statements from eye witnesses before their memories fade, and obtaining video evidence before it is erased or overwritten. Further, we will run background checks on the at-fault party.
Once liability has been established and you have completed your medical treatment, we will obtain all medical bills and records from your providers to document the extent of your injuries and damages. We will then draft and send a legal demand letter to the insurance company based on a value we think is reasonable for your damages, based off similar cases we have handled. Then, we will negotiate with the insurance company to try and obtain a top settlement offer without having to file a lawsuit.
If the insurance company is not reasonable with their offers, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf. That lawsuit will compel the insurance company to provide us with more information through a process known as discovery. Eventually, we will either settle your claim in mediation with the insurance company, or take your case to trial and convince a jury of the merits of your claim.
The Edinburg car accident lawyers at Thompson Law will make sure you get a just settlement for your medical bills, lost wages, and any other financial losses. We will also seek other damages as appropriate for your accident, potentially even punitive damages if the at-fault party was highly reckless in his or her actions.
If you were in an accident that was not your fault, call us today for free legal advice.
We provide car crash victims with dedicated and tenacious legal representation, ensuring that you get fair value for your claim. Our Edinburg car accident lawyers will build a strong case with supporting evidence so that you recover the money that you deserve.
Compensation in car accident cases are referred to by the legal term “damages”. There are two types of damages injury accident can claim: compensatory damages and punitive damages. Compensatory damages can further be broken down into two parts: general compensatory damages and special compensatory damages (often referred to as “specials”). We will review the forms of personal injury damages below, in order from most to least commonly claimed.
Special compensatory damages are ‘economic’ in nature, meaning compensation is paid to the victims of an accident for monetary damages they have incurred. The most common types are:
General compensatory damages (often referred to as “non-economic” damages) do not relate to any monetary loss. Instead, general damages refer to losses for things like:
All of the above have a past value component in most cases, but in some severe cases may also have a future value. For example, if you require surgery for injuries related to your accident, we may be able to claim future medical bills, future lost wages, and future pain and suffering.
Punitive damages are intended to punish at-fault parties to injury accidents for egregious or highly negligent behavior, especially when severe injuries were incurred by the accident victim. An example of when punitive damages might apply is if the driver was on illegal drugs when the accident occurred, or if a commercial truck driver was violating Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) trucking regulations.
Our Edinburg car wreck lawyers will help you understand what types of compensation may be available in your case. Call today for a FREE CONSULT.
There is a two-year statute of limitations on the time you can file a claim after the date the accident occurred. While there are sometimes exceptions to this, they are rarely given.
While these exceptions are sometimes considered, it is highly recommended that you file your claim in a timely manner as soon as possible after the accident occurs because making a claim outside the statute of limitations is seldom granted. Call our Edinburg car accident lawyers today.
Our Edinburg car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means that we get paid out of a portion of your settlement, and if we cannot recover money for you then you will not owe us anything. Our Edinburg car accident lawyers are available around the clock to help you with legal advice after an accident. We can even get you signed up with one of our attorneys over the phone before the insurance companies try to reach out to you and fight your right to compensation.
If you do not need a car accident lawyer in Edinburg TX today, it is still a good idea to have our contact information saved in your phone so you are not searching for “car accident lawyers near me edinburg tx” after an accident.
If you are injured in any type of accident, your first priority should be to seek immediate medical attention, even if you are not certain that you are injured. Seeking immediate medical treatment does two things: 1) it ensures injuries you sustained are diagnosed and treated; and, 2) it helps eliminate any doubt by the insurance company that your injuries were caused by the accident.
Often, the shock and adrenaline of an accident can mask symptoms of injuries, so making the mistake of skipping a medical examination can have profound consequences. By seeking prompt medical treatment, you protect both your health and your ability to seek compensation for your injuries with the help of your attorney.
If you were in a motor vehicle accident we have also detailed here what to do after a car accident.
A skilled personal injury lawyer is necessary to get full and fair compensation for injuries you sustained in an accident. Most defendants, whether individual drivers or commercial vehicle operators, are covered by liability insurance. Those insurance companies are not obligated to protect or take care of you. Insurance companies exist to protect the defendant (their customer) who caused the wreck.
A personal injury attorney can help you obtain compensation for every category of damages to which you are legally entitled. These damages can include things like: medical bills, lost wages, property damage, pain & suffering, punitive damages, loss of limb, diminished mental function, physical impairment, scarring or disfigurement, emotional or mental trauma, and loss of consortium (in wrongful death claims). Further, you may be entitled to future medical bills, future lost income, future pain and suffering, and other damages in severe injury cases.
The largest factor affecting your claim’s value is the severity or magnitude of your injuries. More severe injuries typically require more medical treatment. So it is essential to have all your injuries documented properly by seeking immediate treatment with doctors or hospitals, and continuing under the care and direction of your doctors as long as necessary to heal. Without prompt and consistent medical treatment and documentation, an injury claim becomes very difficult to pursue, let alone win.
Of course, other factors an also have an impact, and each and every case is different. Were you injured in a commercial vehicle wreck or truck wreck that totaled your car, or was it a fender bender that did very little damage? Was the other driver intoxicated or drunk, or speeding? A multitude of factors may play into your claim’s overall likely value. An experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to visit with you and talk to you more specifically about factors which may affect your particular claim.
In Texas, you usually have two (2) years from the date of incident to file a personal injury claim before it is barred by the statute of limitations. There are exceptions to this 2-year time limit in Texas, for minors and others. Further, other states have different time limits, and the limit that applies is typically for the state in which the accident occurred.
The safest course of action for someone injured in a car wreck, truck wreck, slip and fall, or any other type of accident is to consult with a personal injury attorney. This will help ensure that you do not miss the applicable limitations period. Moreover, it will ensure the right investigations are conducted, and the proper steps are taken to preserve the evidence, photos, witness statements, and records needed to successfully pursue your claim.
If you are injured in a hit-and-run wreck (and are unable to locate the driver) or are hurt in a collision where the other driver does not have insurance, you are not necessarily out of options in terms of financial recovery. You may still be able to recover for your personal injuries if your own policy has Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage or Personal Injury Protection (PIP). It’s a good idea to contact your insurance company to confirm what types of coverage you have on your policy before an accident, but if you have been hit be sure to ask these questions before finalizing your claim request. Even if you do not have UM or PIP, the attorneys and investigators at Thompson Law can work to track down the other driver in a hit-and-run accident. To do this, we rely on witnesses who may have captured a photo of the car or license plate and/or available surveillance camera footage that might have captured the wreck.
Typical damages you can recover in a personal injury claim include: medical bills, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and in some cases even punitive damages. In severe injury cases, other damages may be recoverable, such as: future medical bills, future lost income, future pain and suffering, loss of body member or mental function, physical impairment, disfigurement, emotional or mental trauma, and loss of consortium (in wrongful death claims).
Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage can help save the day if you are hit by an uninsured driver or if you are the victim in a hit-and-run collision. In short, UM coverage is an add-on coverage that drivers can add to their auto insurance policies that will protect them in the event that they are in an auto accident with a driver who either does not have insurance or cannot be located. You can contact your insurance provider to confirm whether your policy includes UM. If you do not have this coverage, the personal injury attorneys at Thompson Law recommend that you consider adding UM to your auto insurance policy today.
Knowing how comparative negligence works is vital if you live in a state that uses it. In simple terms, comparative negligence implies both drivers can share fault for an accident, but one driver can be more at fault than the other. For example, you are texting while driving when another driver runs a stop sign and hits your car.
A jury finds that the driver who ran the stop sign is 80 percent at fault, but they believe you would have had a better chance of avoiding the accident if you were not texting at the time. They find you 20 percent at fault. You can only collect enough compensation to cover the other driver’s fault. In this case, you would get $8,000 if the jury thinks your case is worth $10,000.
Having the police respond to the accident scene is of paramount importance. Make sure that YOU call them and insist that they come and investigate the accident. When the police arrive, they will separate the drivers and witnesses from one another and take statements from everyone involved. Be cooperative, detailed, and firm in describing the accident. The investigating officer will usually determine fault based upon these statements, and it is essential that your version of the events is heard and believed. If you think that you may be injured, make that clear to the officer. If an ambulance or other medical professionals arrive on scene, get checked out. If not, make plans to visit an emergency room or doctor soon after you leave the scene. Before you do leave for this care, the officer will provide you with a report number and their contact information. Make sure this information is safely saved, as it will be very important in any auto accident injury claim you may have.
Call an attorney. Your first instinct might be to call your insurance company, but it’s best to seek legal council first so you don’t accidentally admit guilt or take responsibility for the accident. In many cases your attorney will call the insurance company for you to prevent that from happening.
Absolutely not. It’s important to leave the investigation to the professionals. They know exactly how to work a case to determine all of the facts and details.
In insurance terms, “totaled” or a “total loss” means that the cost to repair your vehicle to its pre-accident condition is more than the vehicle is worth. Each insurance company has a different threshold for determining if a vehicle is totaled, but generally, if it’s close, you want the insurance company to “total” your car. Following the determination that your car is a total loss, the insurance company will provide you with their assessment of the value of your car. An experienced auto accident attorney should review this estimate to make sure that you are truly receiving fair market value for your loss. You absolutely have the right to challenge their assessment, and a skilled attorney knows the best way to do so to maximize your recovery.
Typically, yes. If a family member is seriously injured or killed in an accident, or if the injured party is a minor child, then it may be appropriate under the law for a parent, spouse, relative, or legal guardian to file a claim or lawsuit on behalf of the injured or deceased party. These types of claims are complex, and usually depend on the type of relationship involved, as well as the individual facts and circumstances of the injury. Calling the experienced personal injury attorneys at Thompson Law is step one to explore filing a legal claim on behalf of your loved one.
Even if you are partially to blame for a car accident, you may be able to recover some of your damages from the other party. Under Texas’s proportionate responsibility system (also known as comparative negligence), unless you as the claimant/plaintiff are determined more than 51% at fault, you may recover legal damages that are reduced by the percentage you are determined at fault. For example, if you are determined to be 30% at fault, you can recover 70% of your damages from the other responsible party (you can’t recover the other 30% because that was the amount of liability that was determined to lie with you). The personal injury attorneys at Thompson Law can help you navigate this proportionate responsibility system – so reach out online or call anytime for a free consultation.
If you or a family member are injured in an automobile accident, you cannot afford NOT to hire the very best attorney available. Thompson Law works on a contingency fee basis. What this means is that you only pay legal fees IF we win for you and AFTER your case is settled. We understand that legal fees upfront are simply too much to deal with after a serious accident where you are dealing with property damage repairs, medical bills, missed work and lost wages. The fact that you owe $0 upfront is an added bonus when you hire great legal representation at Thompson Law.
If you were injured as the result of someone else’s negligence, there is a good chance we can help you out. We will look at the facts of your accident, whether a car wreck, truck wreck, motorcycle accident, or on-the-job-injury and examine whatever reports or records are available. If we believe that you were injured and it was someone else’s fault, it is likely to be a case we can take. The more information and documentation you can give us about your accident and your injuries, the quicker we can evaluate your case and let you know. Give us a call or reach out online anytime!
The best personal injury attorney has three major characteristics: Excellent customer service, cutting edge technology, and a willingness to take cases and win at trial. Ask your potential attorney about the client experience they offer, what kind of technology they use to make your life easier, and when was the last time they took a case to jury trial. Asking these types of questions will give you guidance on what kind of experience you can expect as a client and what kind of results you can expect at the end of your case.
Thompson Law has high ratings from clients for its emphasis on customer service, and its attorneys have achieved significant results on small, large, and complex cases alike. No matter if you have been involved in a minor car wreck or are dealing with catastrophic injuries from a rarer and more devastating event like a terrible workplace accident, dog bite, or an 18 wheeler wreck, Thompson Law can assist you.
Yes! Thompson Law is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide free consultations. If you have been injured in a truck wreck or car accident, hurt in a slip and fall incident, or otherwise injured from the negligence of another person or party, give us a call any time at 1-800-LION-LAW. We can speak to you over the phone, chat online through our website or social media outlets, or arrange an in-person meeting at your convenience. Our team is ready to help!
Thompson Law is available 24/7 to provide free consultations and to sign up new clients. We can sign you up over the phone or we can send one of our experienced licensed investigators to meet you at the hospital or at your home if you prefer. Whether you live in Arlington, Ft. Worth, El Paso, McAllen, or even outside of the state of Texas, we are always here to assist you and provide the resources you need at a difficult time. We do the hard work for you so that you can focus on healing from your injuries.
Being in a wreck, especially on the highway, can be a terrifying experience. Remember these 6 steps to make sure you are safe and to help preserve your legal case right from the start:
Yes! Passengers in auto accidents are entitled to make claims for their damages and injuries too. As a negligence-free passenger, who you make a claim against (one or both drivers and their insurance companies), and what coverages are available (third-party liability, first-party coverages, and/or personal injury protection), depends on the specific facts and circumstances of the car wreck. Injured passengers should call the personal injury attorneys at Thompson Law to assist in navigating these complex issues so that they may receive the fair compensation they deserve.
Under Texas law, “bicycles are entitled to all rights of the road that apply to a motor vehicle, including access.” Unfortunately, drivers often don’t respect the rights of cyclists, and bike accidents are increasingly common, causing severe injuries to the cyclist.
First, stay at the scene. As soon as it is safe, assess the situation and call 9-1-1 to report the incident.
Second, when help arrives, receive emergency medical attention. Get “checked out” even if you think you are okay—the trauma and shock of the collision can cause your body to block out pain and injury, and internal injuries often produce non-specific symptoms. Follow the medical advice of the emergency response team.
Third, with assistance from the police, exchange and obtain information, such as insurance information as well as the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all witnesses, passengers, and drivers. DO NOT discuss the facts and circumstances of the bike accident with anyone other than the investigating officer.
Fourth, document the scene. Make notes on paper or using your cell phone about the time of day; weather conditions; road or traffic conditions; lighting; location of the vehicles and involved parties; and any relevant road signs, traffic control devices (lights, stop signs, yield signs) etc. Also, make sure to get photographs of your bike, the driver’s car, and the scene.
Last, a lawyer to discuss your rights. The experienced personal injury attorneys at Thompson Law will help you investigate all applicable insurance coverages and fight to get the compensation to which you are entitled.
An insurance company will not pay medical expenses or other damages as they come due; rather, after they have accepted liability, the insurance company will make a one-time, lump-sum final payment only at the end of your case. Dealing with medical expenses, and obtaining the proper medical care, after an accident can be tricky. But it does not have to be! Call the personal injury attorneys at Thompson Law, who can explain how to deal with the “day-of” hospital bills, how to continue to receive the care you need, and ultimately how to recover an appropriate settlement that takes care of your bills from the incident as well as fair and just compensation for you.
Let’s be honest: this isn’t a legal show on TV and your case will not settle in the next hour – or even tomorrow. The true answer is: it depends. We find that most cases settle within 6-12 months from date of incident; but the timeline in your case could be shorter or longer depending on: the facts and circumstances of the accident; the length of time it takes you to complete medical treatment; and the character of the insurance company, or companies, involved in your case. In the event that your case cannot settle pre-litigation and it becomes necessary to file a lawsuit, the litigation process alone can take 1 to 2 years due to the court system and legal process necessary to prepare for trial. But because so much of the timeline depends on the facts and circumstances of your unique case, call Thompson Law today to discuss the personal injury claims process.
Thompson Law receives an attorney fee and you pay no legal fees as our client unless we pay you. Thompson Law has 350 years of combined experience in legal representation and has won over $1.8 billion dollars in cash settlements for our clients. We master the art of managing client cases with empathy, compassion, respect and, of course, prodigious skill. Contact us today for a free, risk-free consultation to discuss your accident and your options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an auto accident. If you have been injured in an accident, call now to get the help you need.
