If you were recently in a serious motor vehicle collision, you may have concerns about how to resolve your damages and get compensation for your losses. If the negligence of another driver is responsible for your accident-related injuries, you may be entitled to monetary recovery. A Clear Lake City car accident lawyer could explain your best legal options. Our personal injury attorneys could investigate liability in the crash to identify which party or parties may be legally accountable for the harm you sustained.
Common Causes of Auto Accidents in Clear Lake City
When evaluating someone’s car accident claim to determine whether they may be eligible for compensation, a Clear Lake City lawyer would first need to establish how the accident occurred. Motor vehicle collisions can arise from a variety of careless driving behaviors, including distracted driving, drunk driving, running a red light, speeding, aggressive driving, and failing to yield.
Recovering Monetary Damages
Numerous monetary damages may be recovered in a successful car crash settlement or verdict. Compensation may include someone’s tangible losses, intangible losses, and sometimes, punitive damages. Tangible or economic losses have a specific dollar value, like medical bills, lost wages, prescription costs, and physical therapy expenses.
Alternatively, intangible costs or non-economic damages are more abstract and do not have an exact monetary value. Intangible losses refer to losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of life enjoyment, scarring, disfigurement, and mental anguish.
Punitive damages are a separate class of damages altogether. Usually, the court will only award these damages in extraordinary circumstances where the judge determines that the at-fault party’s behavior was malicious or wanton and should result in punishment. A court may award punitive damages in situations involving drunk drivers.
Deadline to File a Car Wreck Claim in Clear Lake City
Under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003, the deadline to file a car crash claim is two years from the day of the accident. While two years may seem like enough time, it is wise to get in touch with a Clear Lake City lawyer as soon as possible after a car wreck. The reason for this being, that if someone misses the statutory deadline, they cannot recover compensation.
When someone dies in an auto collision, and their family wishes to file a lawsuit for wrongful death, the statutory deadline works differently. The two-year filing period does not go into effect until the actual date of the person’s death, rather than the date the wreck happened.
Contact a Clear Lake City Car Accident Attorney Today
If you have experienced serious injuries in an auto accident, you may be unsure where to turn or what your legal rights are. A Clear Lake City car accident lawyer could review the circumstances around your crash and fully advise you of your legal options.
If you think you may have a viable case for compensatory damages, do not hesitate to reach out to one of our knowledgeable attorneys today. Call our office to set up your introductory case consultation.