San Antonio Car Accident Lawyer

Why You Might Need a Car Accident Lawyer

After a motor vehicle accident, many people assume they can handle the insurance claims process on their own. However, the legal and financial aspects of a car crash are often more complicated than they seem. Insurance companies may offer low settlements that don’t fully cover medical bills, lost wages, or future expenses. Without a lawyer, it’s easy to overlook the full scope of your damages.

Our San Antonio car accident lawyers will not only help you calculate the true value of your claim but also navigate the complexities of dealing with insurance adjusters and legal deadlines. We handle everything from gathering evidence to proving liability, so you don’t have to face these challenges alone. This allows you to focus on recovery while knowing that a professional is fighting to protect your rights and maximize your compensation.

How a Vehicle Accident Attorney Can Help

From investigating your accident to determining fault to helping you get a fair value for your claim, your San Antonio car accident lawyer at Thompson Law will be there at every stage of the process.

Our car wreck lawyers thoroughly investigate your accident by gathering:

• Eyewitness accounts
• Official police reports
• Your statement of events
• Witness testimony
• Medical records
• Surveillance or dashcam footage
• Video and photos
• Documents related to the incident

With this evidence, we work to establish fault and hold the responsible parties accountable. By handling the legal details, we ensure you’re not left dealing with insurance companies or legal complexities on your own.

Types of Auto Accidents We Handle

Our San Antonio car accident lawyers have extensive experience handling a wide range of motor vehicle accident cases all across Texas. From minor collisions to serious crashes, we understand the challenges victims face and are committed to securing the compensation they deserve.

We handle the following types of accidents:

• Fatal accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Intersection and red light crashes
• Head-on collisions
• Multi-vehicle pileups
• Motorcycle accidents
• Truck and 18-wheeler accidents
• Pedestrian and cyclist accidents
• Distracted driving accidents
• Drunk driving accidents
• Rollover accidents

If you’ve been involved in any type of auto wreck or traffic accident, our experienced team is here to help. We fight for your rights and ensure that you receive fair compensation for your injuries, property damage, and other losses.

What to Do After a Car Accident

1. Remain at the Scene: Do not drive away from any accident, even if it is a minor collision, or you could be cited for a hit-and-run accident (Texas Transportation Code § 550.022).
2. Maximize Safety: Put on your hazard lights, set up flares, and move to a safe location if your injuries allow you to do so.
3. Call the Police: An officer can help manage traffic, gather witness statements, assess fault, and file an accident report. They can also assist with getting a copy of the report later.
4. Provide an Honest Statement: Describe the events accurately, without speculating. Injuries may not be immediately noticeable due to adrenaline. If asked about injuries, it’s okay to say, “I don’t know.” Saying “No” could hurt your claim later.
5. Exchange Information: If police are on the scene, they will typically collect this. If not, be sure to exchange names, insurance details, and license plate numbers with the other driver(s).
6. Take Pictures: Document the damage to all vehicles, their positions at the scene, and any visible injuries. Include identifying details like license plates or VIN numbers, as well as photos of the other driver’s license and insurance information.
7. Scan for Evidence: If your injuries allow for it, search the area around the accident for any witnesses or cameras that may have caught the accident on video, including dash cameras from nearby vehicles.
8. Seek Immediate Medical Attention: Many injury accident victims ignore pain or stiffness when they have soft tissue injuries requiring medical attention. Even short delays in treatment open the window for the insurance companies to argue you were injured by something other than the accident and deny your bodily injury claim.
9. Consult with a Lawyer: Research shows that personal injury cases handled by an attorney tend to result in significantly higher compensation. Reach out to our San Antonio car accident lawyers for help with your claim today.

Common Causes of Auto Accidents

In 2023, the top 5 contributing factors to auto collisions in San Antonio were cited in over 2 out of every 3 accidents (67.0% of wrecks). The most common causes of reported car accidents in San Antonio in 2023 were:

1. Driver inattention:  More than 15,900 crashes (32.4%) occurred because drivers weren’t paying attention.
2. Speeding or unsafe speed:  Unsafe speeds were responsible for 6,144 crashes (12.5%).
3. Tailgating:  Following too closely caused 4,277 accidents (8.7%), often resulting in rear-end collisions.
4. Changed lane when unsafe:  Failing to check blind spots or signal before changing lanes led to 4,198 crashes (8.5%).
5. Faulty evasive action:  About 2,429 crashes (4.9%) happened when drivers didn’t react properly to avoid obstacles or other vehicles.

If you or a loved one was injured in a car accident due to another driver’s negligence, contact our San Antonio car accident lawyers for a free case review today.

Common Car Accident Injuries in San Antonio, Texas

According to the CDC, unintentional motor vehicle traffic deaths are the second leading type of unintentional injury death in the United States. The risk of dying in a car crash in San Antonio is low in any one year, with only 0.41% of wrecks leading to a fatality in 2023. However, the risk of being injured in a crash is over 105 times higher, with 43.26% of wrecks producing injuries ranging from possible to fatal.

Our San Antonio car accident lawyers frequently see common injuries from motor vehicle accidents, such as:

• Back and Neck Injuries:  These are some of the most common and can include nerve damage, facet joint issues, and spinal disc injuries.
• Lacerations, Contusions, Abrasions, and Bruising:  If you have any of these types of injuries, take before and after pictures to document them for use later in your case, especially if you are left with any scarring.
• Broken Bones:  Fractures often occur in crash due to bracing or a collision with an object, such as the steering wheel.
• Joint Injury:  Injuries to cartilage or ligaments in the shoulders, wrists, knees, and hips are the most common joint injuries in car accidents.
• Internal Injuries:  Internal injuries common to car accidents are more difficult to diagnose and treat, simply because they are unseen.
• Spinal Cord Injury:  Automobile accidents accounted for over 38% of spinal cord injuries in the United States since 2010, and can range from mild bruising to severe (e.g., paralysis, quadriplegia) and require lifetime care.
• Amputation:  The loss of a limb is obviously a devastating injury and involves lifetime disfigurement for the victim.
• Burn Injury:  Burn injuries can vary from airbag burns to car fires.
• Wrongful Death:  Family members who have lost a loved one in such a tragedy may be entitled to compensation for their losses, including medical and funeral expenses, lost income, and emotional anguish.

If you’ve been injured in a wreck, contact our attorneys today for a free consultation.

Car Accident Statistics in San Antonio and the Surrounding Area

Each year, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) releases its “Texas Auto Accident Statistics” report using aggregated data from accident reports from all Texas cities and counties. For 2023, the San Antonio Police Department reported 40,077 auto accidents, resulting in:

• Fatal crashes:  160 fatal crashes, leading to 164 fatalities
• Serious injury crashes:  536 suspected serious crashes, leading to 612 suspected serious injuries
• Minor injury crashes:  5,379 suspected minor crashes, leading to 7,275 suspected minor injuries
• Possibly injury crashes:  5,645 possible injury crashes, leading to 9,287 possible injuries
• Non-injury crashes:  25,709 non-injury crashes, leading to 69,816 non-injured vehicle occupants
• Unknown severity crashes:  2,648 unknown severity crashes, leading to 12,601 individuals with unknown injuries

Bexar County Car Accidents Statistics

For all of Bexar County, there were 48,713 total crashes in 2023 that included:

• Fatal crashes:  202 fatal crashes, leading to 209 fatalities
• Serious injury crashes:  726 suspected serious crashes, leading to 844 suspected serious injuries
• Minor injury crashes:  6,273 suspected minor crashes, leading to 8,503 suspected minor injuries
• Possibly injury crashes:  6,579 possible injury crashes, leading to 10,727 possible injuries
• Non-injury crashes:  31,832 non-injury crashes, leading to 87,543 non-injured vehicle occupants
• Unknown severity crashes:  3,101 unknown severity crashes, leading to 14,265 individuals with unknown injuries

After a car accident, life can get instantly overwhelming. From accident reports to hospital visits to lost wages, you shouldn’t have to deal with everything on your own. Medical bills, time away from the job, and car repairs can all add up quickly, putting you in a mountain of debt before you know what happened. Our San Antonio car accident lawyers can help you navigate these issues and help you avoid paying out-of-pocket, starting with your free consultation.

Sources: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT); Crashes and Injuries by Cities and Towns; Crashes and Injuries by County.