Injuries in Waco
Waco has a lot to offer. Who else gets to claim the Dr. Pepper Museum in their hometown? In addition, the great outdoors beckons in Waco, and there is even a national monument to the bones of Columbian mammoths. As with most Texas cities, however, Waco sees no shortage of traffic and traffic accidents. One example is the intersection of Chapel and Old Lorena roads, which—according to KCEN-TV—is so dangerous that thousands of petitioners have been requesting that a traffic light be erected there for years, and they are finally getting their wish. If you’ve suffered an injury in any kind of accident that someone else’s negligence caused, you shouldn’t wait to consult with the experienced Waco personal injury lawyers at Trust Guss Injury Lawyers.Categories of Personal Injury Claims
While no two personal injury claims are ever exactly alike, they often fall into these categories:- Traffic accidents include car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, pedestrian accidents, and drunk driving accidents.
- Slip and fall accidents and other kinds of premises liability claims
- Wrongful death claims and construction site accident claims are also negligence-based claims and are very similar to personal injury claims.
Understanding Your Losses
The losses (or legal damages) you experience as a result of being injured by someone else’s negligence—as addressed by the law—can be considerable. A critical element of your personal injury claim is ensuring that you articulate each category of loss you experience. Without the compensation to which you are entitled, it can be extremely challenging to reach your most complete recovery.Medical Costs
One of the most apparent financial losses you will face is your medical expenses, which can be even more extensive if your injuries require ongoing care, develop secondary health issues, or lead to complications. Settling with the insurance company for an amount that fails to take the full scope of your medical expenses—including those that reach into the future—into account can leave you with no legal recourse to cover these expenses.Lost Pay
While you are recovering from your physical injuries, there is every chance that you'll be off the job and will experience lost pay as a result. In the face of your mounting medical bills, there is no worse time to face a pay cut. These losses can be even more considerable if your career trajectory is affected—or if the injury negatively impacts your earning potential. If your career plays a primary role in your sense of self, as it does for many, you can also experience emotional loss.Physical and Emotional Pain and Suffering
The physical and emotional pain and suffering you must endure as a result of the accident in question can be challenging to master, and it can also make effectively addressing your other categories of loss that much more challenging.Negligence
Personal injury claims stem from the negligence of the at-fault party, and they can come in different varieties.Slip and Fall Accidents
Slip and fall accidents are a widespread form of premises liability accident, and they stem from the negligence of property owners and managers who fail to address slipping hazards on their premises. Common examples include failure to adequately:- Keep sidewalks clear of ice in cold weather
- Clear slippery lawn debris from sidewalks
- Safely maintain outdoor walkways and parking lots, and structures
- Provide adequate outdoor lighting
- Address uneven entrances (or entrances that otherwise pose a slipping or tripping hazard)
- Address entry spaces that are made slippery by tracked-in debris
- Address walkways that are cluttered or contain tripping hazards
- Address spills promptly
- Address walkways and stairs that are naturally slippery, such as those made from highly polished marble
- Fix torn, bunched, buckled, frayed, or otherwise dangerously worn floor coverings
- Address inadequate indoor lighting
- Address stairways that lack handrails or are otherwise dangerous
Traffic Accidents
Traffic accidents are a significant category of personal injury claims, and driver negligence can run the gamut from failure to follow the rules of the road to drunk driving and beyond.Distracted Driving
If it takes an average of about five seconds to type or read a text, it translates to driving distracted for about the length of a football field, which is a lot of distraction. Motorists owe their complete attention to driving safely, and any form of distraction can prove life-threatening. Texting, however, is in a class of its own for the very fact that it manages to meld every form of distraction into one deadly activity. Texting engages one's hands, thoughts, and sight, which amounts to one severe distraction. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) calls texting the most alarming distraction and reports that distracted driving caused 3,142 people to lose their lives in 2020 alone.Drowsy Driving
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports these sobering statistics regarding drowsy driving:- In a recent year, exhaustion behind the wheel caused 91,000 traffic accidents.
- These accidents lead to 50,000 injuries.
- Eight hundred people lost their lives in the course of these accidents.
Impaired Driving
NHTSA shares a range of sobering statistics related to impaired driving, including:- Every 45 minutes, someone in the United States loses their life in an accident caused by drunk driving, which averages out to 32 fatalities each day.
- In 2020 alone, the number of fatal traffic accidents that involved drunk driving increased a full 14 percent over 2019.
Speeding
The dangerous driving practice that is most likely to play a role in car accident statistics is excess speed. Whether the motorist is exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the condition of the road, extra speed ensures that motorists have less time to react safely to whatever they encounter on the road and increases the risk of deadly accidents.Waco Personal Injury FAQs
If you have a personal injury claim, you have questions about that claim, and the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions might help.Do I need a personal injury lawyer?
Having a personal injury lawyer in your corner is the surest way to help protect your legal rights—in pursuit of your rightful compensation. You can't count on the insurance company handling your claim to treat you fairly, and in your vulnerable state (after suffering an injury in an accident that someone else caused), you cannot easily fight back without professional legal guidance.Can I afford a personal injury lawyer?
It is only natural to be concerned about taking on legal costs when you face rising medical bills and lost earnings. This is why most reputable personal injury lawyers work on contingency, which means the outcome of their client's claims (or cases— if they go to trial) determines their pay. In other words, you take on none of the financial risks, and you won't owe anything unless your claim does settle (or you receive a court award). Then, your lawyer will receive a prearranged percentage of your compensation.How do I know if I have a solid case?
Personal injury law is very complicated, and many claimants are unsure about the strength of their claims—and even about whether or not they have valid claims. If your trusted personal injury lawyer believes in the strength of your claim, you should too. Ultimately, it is not the insurance company that makes the final decision—it is the law that does so. Suppose the insurance company denies your claim outright, or they offer you a lowball settlement. In that case, you’ll turn to the court to determine the value of your claim (instead of simply taking the insurance company’s word on the matter).How can I help protect my personal injury claim?
There are specific steps everyone with a personal injury claim can do to help protect their claims:- Consult with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer as soon after the accident as possible
- Take your doctor and therapists’ advice and instructions seriously and attend all your medical appointments
- Don’t post on social media
- If the insurance company wants a statement from you, refer them to your personal injury lawyer.
- Don’t accept a settlement offer from the insurance company until you’ve reviewed the matter with your lawyer.
What if the insurance company blames me?
One common insurance tactic to lower a settlement amount is blaming the claimant for some or all of the accident. You need a lawyer who can provide evidence that the policyholder was to blame to protect your financial recovery. Our legal team proves liability for accidents and injuries day in and day out, and we know what evidence will best support your claim and how to collect it. We work with difficult insurance companies trying to unfairly minimize your settlement offers.What is my claim worth?
You naturally want to know the value of your claim, but this is a matter that we can only determine upon evaluation of your claim’s strengths, challenges, and circumstances. Ultimately, your claim will be worth the total amount of the covered losses you experience because of the other party's negligence—as demonstrated by the available evidence.- If the accident in question is a traffic accident, you will include the property damage to your vehicle in the value of your claim.
- The medical bills that you incur—and that you are likely to incur in the future—are another loss that your lawyer will carefully assess.
- Your lost income and any lost earning potential is another critical element of your claim’s value.
- Your physical and emotional pain and suffering are not as simple to assign a value to, but it is just as real in terms of the damages you suffer and should receive the attention it deserves in your personal injury claim.
Seek the Professional Legal Guidance of an Experienced Waco Personal Injury Lawyer
See what past clients have to say:
Review: 5/5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"We received QUALITY service, reliable guidance and we are VERY satisfied with the outcome. Our treatment was both fair & honest; we highly recommend. If one word sums it up, the word would be Exceptional. “Thank you” for all you did!”
-Jeri B.