San Antonio is a bustling metropolis located in south-central Texas that has experienced significant growth thanks to its tourism and shipping industries. Due to how San Antonio has grown over the years, it is common to see roads full of vehicles no matter the time of day. Unfortunately, the uptick in traffic on roadways such as Interstate 10, Loop 1604, and Loop 410 has led to more accidents.
Following a serious accident, you may feel like your whole life is coming apart at the seams. Whether your injuries are due to a car accident, a workplace injury, or the result of negligent medical treatment, you are face with a whole new set of problems, and not a lot of places to get straight answers and guidance. You now have to worry about medical treatment, medical bills, lost wages, and providing for your family. This is where an experienced San Antonio personal injury lawyer can help.
Providing Answers, Guidance and Protection for Accident Victims
If you’ve been injured, it is more important than ever to have a legal team that you can trust to give advice, give you guidance, answer urgent questions, and help you resolve your injury claim. Contrary to what insurance companies may tell you, and no matter how positive they portray themselves to be in television commercials, make no mistake about it – insurance companies are in the business of making money, which means your interests will ALWAYS take a back seat to protecting their profits.
If you think that you are “in good hands,” or that they will be “fast, fair, and friendly,” or treat you “like a good neighbor,” you are in for an unpleasant surprise. This is why it is so important to have a trusted advocate on your side. Our personal injury attorneys in San Antonio are familiar with the tactics employed by insurance companies, and fight hard to protect your rights.
What Is a Personal Injury Claim in Texas?
Following your accident, you can take legal action against the party or parties responsible for what happened. The legal action you can take involves filing a personal injury claim.
According to the Legal Information Institute, personal injury claims can be brought on three grounds. These claims can arise due to negligence, strict liability, or the intentional acts of another party.
Pursuing a personal injury claim is important because it holds people responsible for their actions that have caused harm. As a result, moving forward, they may exercise more caution or change their attitude, knowing how damaging their recklessness can be. Also of great importance to the plaintiff is that these personal injury claims can potentially yield damages. The damages serve as compensation for the losses incurred by the plaintiffs.
Damages can compensate plaintiffs by covering their expenses. Sometimes, they may also compensate plaintiffs for their pain and suffering.
Of course, personal injury cases can be complex. You cannot only file one and expect to receive compensation immediately. Together with your San Antonio personal injury attorney, you must prove that you deserve compensation based on the facts of your case. Present the strongest case possible to the defendant and the court and show you deserve substantial compensation.
Why Insurance Companies DON’T Want You To Speak With An Attorney
Insurance companies know very well that if they can get to you first, and convince you that they’re going to “take care of you,” they might be able to convince you to settle your case quickly, and for much less than you actually deserve. Additionally, insurance companies will try to convince you that there is nothing you need to do to protect your claim, and that they will “take care of everything,” when actually, nothing could be farther from the truth.
Following an accident, an injured party MUST take certain steps to protect their claim, and insurance companies will often convince you to do nothing, knowing that doing nothing will severely impair your ability to recover. Their aim is to minimize and defeat your claim where possible.
The NUMBER ONE RULE Injured Persons MUST KNOW
If there is ONE thing that every injured person should know in order to protect their personal injury claim, it is this:
Insurance Companies Do NOT Have Your Best Interests In Mind.
Once you understand this, it is easy to understand why injured persons who retain an experienced San Antonio personal injury lawyer are likely to recover 3x more compensation than a person who does not have a trusted legal representative on their team.
How An Attorney Can Help You
Our San Antonio personal injury attorneys have a record of success resolving, settling, and litigating serious injury cases in San Antonio, Austin, and South Texas. Our team takes has made it our mission and goal to aggressively fight for the rights of accident victims, no matter what type of accident. Our passion and dedication is one of the reasons that our client reviews and testimonials speak so positively of our skill and dedication.
In addition to offering free consultations, you will find valuable resources related to common personal injury claims such as:
- Answers to frequently asked questions about your accident situation;
- Articles providing important information about issues related to your accident situation;
- Videos with explanations and suggestions you will find helpful in dealing with your injury claim;
- FREE books that we have written, which you can download.
What Types of Cases Do Barrus Injury Lawyers Handle?
Some of the types of cases our Texas law firm offers specializes in includes:
Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents
You may already know that large truck accidents are fairly common in Texas. However, you may not realize how damaging they truly are. In 2021, there were 806 deaths from large truck crashes recorded in Texas. Those fatalities were the most registered in any state that year. California had the second-highest death toll from large truck accidents in 2021, with 437 deaths.
The prevalence of the shipping industry in San Antonio helps explain why truck accidents are so common on the city’s roadways. Given San Antonio’s importance as a connecting city between Mexico and the United States, you can understand why it experiences so much truck traffic.
Interstate 10, Interstate 35, and Loop 1604 are among the roads trucks frequent during their deliveries. If you are wary of being involved in large truck accidents, you should steer clear of those Texas roads during the busy delivery times of the day.
Car Crashes
Personal injury claims commonly arise from car accidents. Those cases are complex because figuring out who caused what can be challenging. After two cars crash into one another, the officers from the San Antonio police department must determine if one driver is solely responsible for the accident or if both parties deserve blame. There is also the possibility that a factory issue affecting one of the cars played a considerable role in causing the accident.
The authorities must thoroughly investigate car accident cases to determine which party or parties should be held accountable. Hiring a San Antonio personal injury lawyer after your accident is critical because they can help with those investigations. They can help gather evidence proving that you broke no laws in the moments before the crash. Your lawyer can also disprove any false accusations made by the other side in an attempt to offload blame for the accident.
Motorcycle Crashes
Motorcycle riders are among the most vulnerable people on the road. Even if motorcycle riders wear the appropriate safety gear, their vehicles are no match for cars and the trucks that roam Texas roads.
Among the common causes of San Antonio motorcycle accidents are drivers who fail to check their surroundings properly. For example, a driver may only glance around before moving. Because of that, they may miss the motorcycle positioned close to their vehicle. Some drivers may also harm motorcycle riders by failing to yield the right-of-way. The motorcycle rider has already assumed they have the right-of-way, so they may be caught off-guard by the nearby driver moving towards them.
Act immediately if a negligent driver causes your motorcycle accident. Partner with a personal injury lawyer in San Antonio and file a claim for the compensation you deserve.
Bus Accidents
It is reasonable to expect bus drivers to exercise more caution than your average motorist. That is practically a must for anyone involved in public transportation. Unfortunately, buses still end up in more than a few accidents. According to statistics provided by the Texas Department of Transportation, 2,550 bus crashes were recorded in the state in 2021. Furthermore, 16 of those accidents proved to be fatal injury crashes as well.
Due to their size, buses pose issues similar to large trucks on the road. Other motorists have a tough time moving around them due to how much space they occupy. Drive carefully whenever you are moving around buses and protect yourself from a potential accident.
Accidental and Wrongful Death
A wrongful death occurs when a person dies due to another individual’s negligence, recklessness, or misconduct. Motor vehicle accidents may lead to wrongful deaths. For example, if one of the drivers involved in the accident dies from their injuries, the negligent party may be accountable via a wrongful death lawsuit.
A wrongful death may also result from someone using a defective product or taking a toxic drug. In addition, professionals in the healthcare industry failing to do their jobs properly may also find themselves liable in wrongful death cases.
In Texas, the deceased individual’s spouse, child, or parents are allowed to file wrongful death lawsuits. In addition, the executor of the deceased person’s estate may also be allowed to file a wrongful death lawsuit under certain circumstances.
Proving negligence in a wrongful death claim will not be easy. First, you must clear some high bars if you wish to recoup compensation using this legal avenue. Enlisting the aid of a San Antonio personal injury attorney will make that undertaking more manageable.
Medical Negligence and Malpractice
If you, or someone you love, has been injured by the negligence of a doctor, medical care facility, or hospital staff, we can help. However, because of the limitations on medical malpractice claims imposed by the Texas legislature, it is very important that you act quickly to protect your claim. There are strict guidelines and deadlines for handling medical malpractice claims in Texas. Under the Texas Medical Claims Act, there are certain steps that an injured person must take in order to pursue a claim, and failure to take appropriate steps could prevent you from being compensated for your injuries.
There is a great amount of information about medical malpractice claims from our San Antonio personal injury lawyers available to you on this website. We also offer a FREE 3-Point Case Analysis, that will help you access and understand your case.
Company Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle Accidents
One of the challenges of securing compensation following a commercial vehicle accident is identifying the party to blame. The driver could be at fault for the accident, but that is not always the case. Someone else at their company could be responsible if they failed to maintain the vehicle. The company owner could also be liable if they subject their drivers to harsh working conditions.
Your San Antonio personal injury lawyer can help identify the party or parties responsible for the commercial vehicle accident. They can also put together a strong case against them to give you the best odds of recovering damages.
Defective Products
Defective products can cause all kinds of problems. For example, while using them, you may suffer cuts, bruises, and burns. In addition, if the defective product uses electricity, it could spark a fire in your home, putting your family in grave danger.
Products can be defective due to how they were designed, made, or labeled. Do not hesitate to pursue a personal injury claim together with your lawyer if a defective product caused your injuries.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Accidents
Crowded San Antonio streets can be dangerous for any motorist. Cyclists and pedestrians are even more vulnerable.
Right-of-way laws give cyclists and pedestrians fair access to paths and roadways. Motorists who cause accidents after violating right-of-way laws should be liable for their negligent actions. We will help you hold that motorist accountable if they caused your accident.
Oilfield Accidents
Oil production is a major industry in Texas. Many residents feed their families using the money they make while working on oil rigs. The people who work on oil rigs are paid well because they must deal with difficult and sometimes dangerous working conditions. Of course, paying high salaries does not save oil companies from paying out damages if their workers are involved in accidents. If you were injured while performing your duties on an oil rig, you should get in touch with a personal lawyer immediately and see if you can recoup compensation.
Personal Injury Lawsuits: Understanding the Basics
Certain elements must be present for a personal injury lawsuit to succeed.
The first element is the duty of care. Duty of care references the obligation we must keep each other safe. If you owe someone a duty of care, you should behave in a way that does not endanger them.
The next element is related to that duty of care. More specifically, you must prove that the other party breached their duty of care. For example, the breach could come in the form of another motorist driving recklessly or someone at a manufacturing facility failing to properly check a product before releasing it to the market.
Once you establish the two elements, you and your lawyer must now work on highlighting the connection between the breach and your losses. First, demonstrate how the other party’s negligent actions caused your injuries. You can also highlight the property damage you sustained due to their negligence.
Finally, you need to show the extent of your losses. Personal injury claims containing all four elements detailed above are likely to win. Work closely with your San Antonio personal injury lawyer to highlight their presence in your claim.
Is It Expensive to Hire an Attorney?
Cost is often a significant concern for people looking to hire an attorney. As a result, even if you believe you have a legitimate case, you may shy away from pursuing it because of the expenses involved.
Do not let those expenses prevent you from taking legal action. Personal injury attorneys usually recoup payment through contingency fee agreements. Because they work on contingency, they will only receive a payment if your claim succeeds. You can even negotiate what percentage of your compensation goes to your lawyer if you win.
Plaintiffs only have to take on minimal risk to hire personal injury attorneys. Therefore, there is no reason why worries about attorney’s fees should stop you from seeking legal assistance.
San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, TX, boasts a rich and well-preserved history, and that much is evident when you take a tour around the city. The Alamo has been the site of many important battles in Texas history. Visit this quintessential San Antonio landmark and learn more about the 300 years of history that unfolded on those grounds.
Beyond The Alamo, you can visit other missions in the city to better understand how it has evolved through the centuries. For example, mission Concepcion, Mission Espada, Mission San Jose, and Mission San Juan have unique tales to tell. Meanwhile, the Spanish Governor’s Palace is home to many remarkable artifacts left over from the Spanish Colonial period, and they are worth seeing in person.
Drop by the San Antonio River Walk during holiday celebrations and join the locals having fun. During the NBA season, you can also visit the AT&T Center and catch the San Antonio Spurs in action.
Experienced Texas Lawyers
Attorney Stacey Barrus understands the plight of accident victims in personal injury cases. Having lost close family members to unfortunate accidents, Stacey can empathize with victims more deeply. Contact us today if you need legal assistance following an accident. Allow us to help you through this especially difficult time. We will put you in the best position to claim the compensation you deserve.
