Were you or a loved one seriously injured in an Uber or Lyft in Texas? Read these 5 things to learn about your rideshare claim, then call us!
1) Common Mistakes To Avoid
We were speaking to a gentleman not too long ago, who lives out in San Antonio, who was involved in a rideshare crash. After the crash happened, he was getting calls from insurance companies right away. He hadn’t talked to the police, and the Uber driver had some questions for him. This is the first time he had been involved in this type of crash and he really wasn’t sure what to do. Some of his friends and family said he should probably call a lawyer because they would know what to do.
He didn’t want to make any mistakes that would ruin his case. One of the things we told him was that the most common mistake we see is people not going to the doctor. They think they’re okay, they’re not hurt that bad, and they don’t go to the doctor right away.
The other mistake we see is when the clients don’t finish all of the medical treatment that is prescribed by the doctor. The doctor is going to come up with a treatment plan designed to get you to maximum medical improvement. If you decide to quit going to treatment before you reach maximum medical improvement, the insurance company is going to want to use that against you. They will say you weren’t really hurt and that you don’t need all this compensation.
The other big mistake that we see is that people don’t choose the right attorney. There are a lot of attorneys out there, and we all focus on different areas of the law. That’s why it’s important that you hire a personal injury trial attorney. A personal injury trial attorney is going to understand what evidence is important, how to argue that evidence, and how to present that evidence in a way that is most favorable for your case. That personal injury trial attorney is also not going to be afraid of taking the insurance company to court, holding them responsible, and making sure that you get fairly and reasonably compensated for what’s happened to you.
2) Going to Trial
We were talking to a young gentleman the other day here in Houston who was involved in a rideshare crash. One of the questions he had was, “Is my case going to go to trial?” He wasn’t too keen on going to trial, and he was concerned that he might have to wait and go all the way through trial.
We told him it would really depend on whether or not the insurance company for the driver that caused the crash would choose to fairly and reasonably compensate him for his injuries and damages. Or is the insurance company going to do what they typically do and try to delay, deny, or find a reason not to fairly and reasonably compensate you for your injuries and damages?
The second part is you have to pick the right attorney. That’s why from the very beginning you’ve got to hire a personal injury trial lawyer. The trial lawyer is going to work up your case a lot differently than a different type of attorney. There are a lot of attorneys out there, and that’s why you have to make sure you pick a personal injury trial attorney. That trial attorney is going to look for the necessary evidence that’s going to help win your case and dissuade the insurance company from going to trial. A trial lawyer is going to go into the courtroom, in front of the judge and jury, and hold the insurance company responsible for all of your damages. That’s why it’s really important to hire a personal injury trial lawyer from day one, so that lawyer can take care of all the details of your case while you focus on getting better.
3) Insurance Investigation
We spoke with a young lady just a couple weeks ago from Tyler, Texas, who had been involved in a rideshare crash. She wanted to know what she should do because the insurance company was calling her night and day. They kept telling her that she must give them a recorded statement and she must talk to them. She was a little confused because she had talked with some of her friends and family and had heard different things. She ended up calling us and we chatted with her.
It’s a question that we hear a lot, “Is it a good idea to talk to the insurance company after a crash?” Our answer is always no; it’s never a good idea. The reason being that the insurance company, at the end of the day, is in the business of making money. They’re not in the business of handing out money all the time to anybody and everybody. The insurance company is always looking for ways to deny your claim. They’re looking for ways to delay paying you on your claim, and they’re looking for ways to pay you less for whatever reason.
A lot of times what the insurance companies will do is they’ll tell you that you have to talk to them. They’ll take a recorded statement, and then later on down the road, when you try to settle your case, they’ll use that recorded statement against you and try to blame you for whatever happened. They have skilled professionals on their side that are trained to ruin your case. That’s why it’s so important to get with a personal injury trial attorney from the beginning who understands this and protects you. A personal injury attorney can make the insurance company stop calling you night and day.
A personal injury trial lawyer is going to make sure that your case gets taken care of from day one. They’ll make sure the insurance company fairly and reasonably compensates you.
4) Attorney Fees
We spoke with a young college student recently. She was involved in a rideshare accident in Lubbock, Texas. As a young college kid, she didn’t have a lot of money. One of the things she was worried about was how she would pay for a lawyer.
How do you afford an attorney? We here at the firm are contingency fee lawyers. A contingency fee means that you don’t have to pay anything upfront. You don’t have to pay a down payment, deposit, or retainer. We will cover all of the expenses needed to prove up your case and make it a success.
We get compensated on a percentage of the settlement amount from the insurance company. Rather than you having to pay out of your pocket upfront, we go ahead and do everything necessary to get your case to a point to where there’s a fair and reasonable settlement offer on the table from the insurance company. Once we have that fair and reasonable settlement offer on the table to compensate you for your damages, then that’s how we’re paid. We’re paid on a percentage of that settlement.
5. Available Damages
A client from Beaumont, Texas, who had been in a rideshare crash reached out to us recently. She ended up having to go to the hospital in an ambulance and was out of work for a couple weeks. She also experienced some flashbacks and nightmares from the crash; as such, she wanted to know what damages she was entitled to here in Texas. That is a question we hear a lot. A lot of people want to know, “Am I entitled to damages for emotional pain or mental anguish, or pain and suffering, or physical impairment? What about disfigurement?” There was some glass that broke and cut her, and that’s considered disfigurement here in Texas.
The first thing we want to look at is your medical bills. What kind of injuries did you sustain? What kind of medical bills are out there? The other thing we want to look at is lost wages. How much time have you missed from work? That’s also a part of your damages. Then there’s the non-economic side of your damages— the mental, emotional pain and suffering. That’s unique and special to each person.
Some of the other damages that she’d be entitled to are for the disfigurement and scar. Something else she would be entitled to is physical impairment. Physical impairment is essentially the loss of what brings joy to your life. This includes daily things like playing with the kids, going to exercise, and work out. Whatever it is that brings joy to your life, if that’s been taken from you through someone else’s negligence, you’re entitled to compensation here in Texas.
It’s really important that you get with a personal injury trial attorney who understands these damages and can recover for these damages.
Were you or a loved one seriously injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in Texas and have questions about these 5 things to learn about your rideshare claim? Contact our experienced Texas Rideshare Accident Lawyers today for a free legal consultation and case evaluation.
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