Waco, Texas

Waco has many beautiful parklands, a 52-acre zoo, a mammoth site, the Dr. Pepper Museum, and more. In short, there is something for everyone. Waco, however, does not escape the heavy traffic and severe traffic accidents that are common in Texas. In fact, media reports indicate that the intersection of Chapel and Old Lorena was the site of so many accidents it inspired thousands to petition for a traffic light, which is currently in the works. If you or someone you love has suffered an injury by another driver’s negligence, consult an experienced Waco car accident lawyer at Trust Guss Injury Lawyers.

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The Elements of a Car Accident Claim

If you suffered an injury in Waco, Texas due to another driver’s negligence, you’ll file your car accident claim with that driver’s car insurance provider. To file a successful claim:

  • The other driver must have owed you a duty of care. This is generally an easy one because every motorist has a significant responsibility to the safety of everyone else on the road.
  • The other driver must have breached the duty of care owed to you, and this is where the matter of negligence comes in.
  • This breach must have been the direct cause of the accident that left you injured. In other words, it isn't enough that the other driver was speeding (for example)—their excess speed must have played a direct role in the injury-causing accident in question.
  • You must have suffered physical, financial, and emotional losses.

Let’s take a closer look at each element.

The Duty of Care of Drivers

As mentioned, every driver owes everyone else on the road a considerable duty of care, so it will be difficult for the motorist in question to deny this element of your claim. Driving is an immense responsibility, and everyone who gets behind the wheel accepts this fact—and shoulders the duty of care owed.

The Breached Duty of Care

The driver in question must have engaged in negligent actions that breached their duty of care or failed to live up to their responsibility to the safety of others. Unfortunately, such negligence can come in a wide range of forms.

Failure to Follow the Rules of the Road

The most basic form of negligence involves simply failing to follow the rules of the road, which can include:

  • Failing to come to a complete stop at a stop sign.
  • Jumping a green light or pushing a red light
  • Driving over the speed limit
  • Failing to yield the right-of-way

Any number of other driving infractions will also do the trick.

Excessive Speed

Driving at excessive speeds is one of the most dangerous forms of driver negligence. The National Safety Council reports that excess speed played a pivotal role in a full 29 percent of all fatal traffic accidents recently. When a motorist chooses to drive far too fast:

  • The driver reduces their ability to stop in time to avoid danger.
  • They increase the distance needed for them to come to a safe stop.
  • They increase the severity of any accident they might cause (as well as the chance that the accident will prove fatal).
  • The driver's speed decreases the effectiveness of their car's safety features and the effectiveness of safety features on the roadway (such as guardrails).

Excess speed is about more than just the speed limit. Drivers must adjust their speed to safely accommodate the road’s condition (whatever it may be).

Distraction

When a driver's thoughts are anywhere other than on navigating the road ahead safely, it's known as distracted driving, and it's a dangerous but common practice. While distractions come in every shape and size, the most dangerous form of distraction is texting, which melds every category of distraction—including one's thoughts, hands, and sight—into one. Last year, 3,142 people lost their lives to fatal distracted driving accidents (according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration—NHTSA).

Exhaustion

Drowsy driving doesn’t get the attention it deserves in terms of how dangerous it is. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that drowsy driving causes about 91,000 traffic accidents yearly—leaving 50,000 people injured and another 800 dead—the numbers are considered underestimations. Falling asleep behind the wheel is exceptionally dangerous, but the issue doesn’t have to become this dramatic for drowsy driving to cause accidents.

  • Exhaustion can impair a driver’s ability to concentrate on driving safely.
  • Fatigue can slow a driver’s reaction times.
  • Exhaustion can cloud a driver’s reasonable judgment.

Exhaustion is another form of impairment behind the wheel.

Impairment

Drinking and driving are a deadly combination, but while there isn't a driver out there who doesn't know this, far too many continue to get behind the wheel after having too many drinks. According to NHTSA:

  • Over two recent years, drunk driving fatalities increased by 14 percent.
  • In the United States, drunk driving kills someone every 45 minutes.

And the CDC reports two critical Texas-based drunk driving statistics:

  • 13,592 lost their lives in accidents caused by drunk drivers in one decade in Texas.
  • The national average for self-reporting driving under the influence is 1.7 percent, but the average in Texas is 2.2 percent.

Drunk driving is both a statewide and nationwide concern.

Aggression

Taking out one’s aggression behind the wheel is a terrible idea that can lead to life-threatening accidents. Too many motorists allow the perceived anonymity of driving to bolster their aggressions, and it tends to come out in surprisingly dangerous ways. While excessive speeding is considered a hallmark of aggressive driving, these speed demons tend to group their unsafe driving practices with others, including:

  • Tailgating (and refusing to let up)
  • Zipping in and out of lanes without concern for others
  • Lashing out at other drivers
  • Passing by whatever means possible
  • Refusing to yield the right-of-way
  • Ignoring traffic lights, signs, and signals

Never engage with an aggressive driver—the risk is far too significant.

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The Accident and Your Associated Losses

The next element of your car accident claim is that the driver's negligence must have caused the car accident that injured you. The last element of your claim is that you must have experienced associated losses, including:

  • Property damage to your car and the contents of your car
  • Medical expenses that may lead to long-term costs
  • Lost wages can lead to lost earning potential
  • Physical and emotional pain and suffering

An essential aspect of your car accident claim that will play a primary role in your ability to reach your most complete recovery is ensuring that the losses you experience—in their entirety—are well represented.

Steps You Can Take to Help Protect Your Claim

Your car accident claim will be specific to the circumstances involved, but there are certain steps that everyone in your situation can take to help protect their claim.

Follow Your Doctor’s Instructions

The most important step you can take in terms of both your recovery and your car accident claim is carefully following your doctor's instructions and advice. The insurance company is waiting for an opportunity to deny that your losses are as severe as you say. They may use your failure to follow your doctor's orders as evidence to signify as much. Not all severe injuries present noticeable physical symptoms immediately. Even if you don’t think you suffered a severe injury in a car accident, seek medical attention. That way, you can confirm that you are not severely injured, or, in the unfortunate circumstance that you were, you now have documentation to prove that.

Consult Our Dedicated Car Accident Lawyers

The sooner you reach out to an accomplished car accident lawyer, the better prepared you’ll be to handle your claim effectively moving forward. Car accident claims are legally complex, and the insurance company is all too skilled at taking advantage of vulnerable claimants like you. Once you have professional legal counsel on your side, you’ll have put yourself in a far better position to focus on your recovery while your lawyer engages in skilled negotiations with the insurance company on behalf of your claim’s most favorable resolution.

Leave the Insurance Company to Your Car Accident Lawyer

The insurance company will gladly take a statement about the car accident from you and then twist it to diminish your claim. You do not need to make such a statement, and we strongly encourage you not to do so. Your lawyer will not only communicate with the insurance company on your behalf but will also provide them with all the information they need. Leave the insurance company to your lawyer while you focus on your recovery.

Stay off Social Media

It may strike you as odd to think about social media at a time like this, but the fact is that social media has played a negative role in far too many car accident claims to ignore the issue. We can’t emphasize enough that the insurance company is looking for a way to discredit your claim (so it can get away with settling for less), and it will be scouring your posts on social media for this very purpose. While your comments and photos may seem innocent, the insurance company will view them through its own lens and use the information found therein against you. The best policy is to take a break from social media until your claim is resolved.

Discuss Any Settlement Offers with Your Lawyer

If the insurance company gets back to you with a settlement offer, it may feel like a great day. After all, the goal is to settle the matter. You’re in the challenging position of keeping up with an avalanche of medical bills while potentially experiencing decreased earnings and the emotional pull of the pain and suffering you’ve endured. This can make an early settlement offer very inviting—until you recognize that it is very likely the insurance company’s attempt to finalize your claim before the full extent of your losses is known to you. Accepting a settlement offer before you discuss the matter with your knowledgeable Waco car accident lawyer is a mistake.

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Car Accident Lawyer, Stewart J. Guss

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Seek the Help You Need from an Experienced Waco Car Accident Lawyer

Your best chance for total recovery is with help. The focused Waco car accident lawyers at Trust Guss Injury Lawyers have the experience, legal insight, and drive to skillfully advocate for your claim’s optimal outcome. The legal team of Trust Guss Injury Lawyers, is nationally recognized for protecting the rights of injured victims for more than 20 years. If a Waco car accident injured you, call our office right now for a free consultation! Because we take all of our car accident cases on a contingency fee basis, you will not owe us a dime unless we win your case. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so call us today or contact us now by clicking here. Your case is important, so please don’t delay.

Seek the Help You Need from an Experienced Waco Car Accident Lawyer

Your best chance for total recovery is with help. The focused Waco car accident lawyers at Trust Guss Injury Lawyers have the experience, legal insight, and drive to skillfully advocate for your claim’s optimal outcome. The legal team of Trust Guss Injury Lawyers, is nationally recognized for protecting the rights of injured victims for more than 20 years. If a Waco car accident injured you, call our office right now for a free consultation! Because we take all of our car accident cases on a contingency fee basis, you will not owe us a dime unless we win your case. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so call us today or contact us now by clicking here. Your case is important, so please don’t delay.

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Testimonials

They are not too pushy but provide you with the information to make an informed decision.

Heka

Guss, has a phenomenal Team and has hired great staff that is very caring! They are not too pushy but provide you with the information to make an informed decision. They are also really resourceful! Some of the staff have had real experiences that happened to them and were also taken great care of which prompted them to begin working for such a great law firm. Thank you Guss and Associates.

Stewart J. Guss and his team did an outstanding job handling my case.

James

From start to finish, they were professional, attentive, and incredibly effective. I was thrilled with the results – they secured a settlement that was twice what I expected! Their expertise and dedication truly set them apart. I highly recommend Stewart J. Guss for anyone in need of top-notch legal representation.

Mr. Stewart Guss is such a kind and caring attorney.

Ben

Mr. Stewart Guss is such a kind and caring attorney. In a world of attorneys that is very difficult to maneuver these days he stands out from the crowd not only for his expertise but for his integrity. Should you need a personal injury attorney to help you with a case do not hesitate; Run and get his help. You won’t regret it!!

I had the best experience with this firm. I have never gotten in an accident, so I didn’t know the process or what to expect at all.

Sabrina

I worked with Whitney and Kristen and they explained everything thoroughly from start to finish. They were always prompt in responding to any questions or concerns I had, and always kept me updated. My sister had also used them and I didn’t even know, but they said they liked working with them so that put me at ease. They honestly made a really great impression on me. And I would definite...

I recommend Mr. Guss to anyone who seeks hard-working staff.

Amanda

The law office of Stewart J Guss has very friendly staff, and is always accurate and reliable.  They got me what I deserved and was fast and on point with the whole case. They keep you up-to-date with your case and return any calls you place to them in a timely manner.  They answer your questions and concerns appropriately for all parties involved.  I recommend Mr. Guss to anyone...

I made the right decision to choose Stewart J Guss law firm.

Khanh

I made the right decision to choose Stewart J Guss law firm. Especially thanks to Ms Andrea Yoss and Whitzney. They were professional and communicative. Though it took time longer than expected but it was finally settled well. I highly recommended the law firm to anyone whom need help with auto accident cases!

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