We Know How to Help You After a Crash in Fort Worth
When you think of the top urban destinations in Texas, many uninformed people first think of Dallas. Well, we’re here to tell you that only about 30 minutes from Dallas is another highly recommended place to live or visit—Fort Worth, with twice the fun and nowhere near the attitude. Fort Worth is one of the top areas in Texas to live, work, and have fun. It seems like the street and highways are getting busier each day, and with that increased traffic comes increased traffic accidents.
A crash may injure you, leave you with questions about what to do next, and you may not even know where to start. Please know that we offer a FREE consultation, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so call us right now at 800-898-4877, or click HERE to send us a question or get more information. There is NO cost to get a free consultation right now. If you decide to hire us, you pay us nothing up front, and you will pay absolutely nothing at all unless and until we’ve won your case.
With more than 20 years of experience and thousands of victories under our belts, our team of Fort Worth attorneys will leave no stone unturned to get you the largest possible recovery for your injuries. Furthermore, we are one of the highest rated major personal injury law firms in the state, and we take pride in treating our clients like family, so contact us right now.
Car Accidents in Fort Worth
While you may not regularly and consciously acknowledge the risk of car accidents, they take place daily around Fort Worth. The Texas Department of Transportation reported these statistics for Fort Worth in a single year:
- Total reported crashes: 14,518
- Possible injuries: 4,873
- Reported non-incapacitating injuries: 2,181
- Reported incapacitating Injuries: 679
- Fatalities: 93
Car accidents are the scourge of our roadways—they’re frightening, dangerous, and costly. Nevertheless, because of their prevalence, it helps to understand car accident basics. Even a fender-bender can upset anyone, so it’s not much of a leap to imagine how much more devastation a more serious accident can cause. If another driver’s negligence left you injured in a car accident, you need experienced legal counsel, but it can’t hurt to better understand the legal process.
Always, always put safety—everyone’s safety—first. After an accident, pull safely off the road (if possible), check yourself for injuries, call 911, and if you’re able and qualified, attend to the safety of others and provide aid until emergency services arrive on the scene. This is a given for any serious accident, and if you only know one thing about car accidents, this is a great place to start.
Even Seemingly Minor Accidents Can Prove Serious
Even if someone else’s negligence only caused a minor fender bender, the best strategy is to exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver and call the authorities. If the claim goes south—when the other driver suddenly acts blameless and has no idea what you’re talking about, for example—you’ll have an official record of what transpired, which can prove invaluable for protecting and expediting your claim.
If you’re injured by another driver’s negligence in a car accident of any magnitude, engage a skilled car accident attorney. Car accidents can upset and overwhelm anyone, which may not leave you in any shape to guide your claim toward a just resolution. In fact, many victims simply choose the path of least resistance and let the insurance company take over, which is rarely in your claim’s best interest. A skilled car accident lawyer will work closely with you to help efficiently and effectively navigate your claim toward its best possible outcome.
Devastating Car Accidents
Any accident demands that you call the authorities—which should include 911 if any possibility exists that someone sustained injuries. It’s as simple as that. If you’re seriously injured, you may suffer mental and emotional trauma in addition to physical damages. Serious injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and burns are physically, emotionally, and financially devastating. In fact, the astronomical associated costs may include:
- Emergency transportation from the scene of the accident
- Emergency care
- Surgeries and aftercare
- Doctor, specialist, and therapist appointments, care, and treatment
- Ongoing treatments, care, and therapy
- Prescription medication
- Adaptive physical devices
- Home adaptations
- Home health care
And these are just the medical expenses. Because serious injuries so often include an emotional component, they’re closely associated with extreme pain and suffering. Furthermore, serious injuries extend to extremely costly lost wages and lost earning potential. Finally, serious injuries can lead to a diminished sense of self that can feel next to impossible to overcome. While no amount of money can return you to your former health, just compensation can allow you the opportunity to better pursue a path toward healing.
If another driver’s negligence injured you, the evidence at the scene can prove critical to your claim. If you cannot gather the evidence yourself, enlist a bystander to do it for you. Always include several kinds of evidence:
- Photos and videos that record the scene from every angle (be sure to capture all the pertinent details).
- Eyewitness testimonies and contact information.
- All relevant documentation (including police reports, medical bills and reports, and damage estimates).
- A sketch of the accident scene that depicts all the important details, including visual placements.
- A written narrative in your own words that incorporates as many details as possible. (The stress of an accident can make your memory play tricks on you, so write this as soon as you can.)
Evidence is critical to your claim’s resolution and your attorney can engage in a thorough investigation to gather sufficient evidence to support your claims.
Car Accidents and Their Causes
Car accidents happen—a lot. And driver negligence, which can take any number of forms, often causes them. Some forms of negligence are so prevalent that it’s worth taking a closer look:
Aggressive drivers are dangerous drivers. While a succinct definition of an aggressive driver can prove elusive, we all know them when we see them. Because aggressive drivers are prone to bouts of aggression, they’re more likely to morph into drivers who engage in road rage. Aggressive drivers usually, don’t stick to one mode of dangerous driving, but instead tend to perform them in aggregate, and they have quite a list of terrifying, dangerous driving techniques to choose from:
- Tailgating
- Driving erratically
- Passing on the shoulder
- Failing to yield safely or as directed
- Randomly stopping or slowing a vehicle
- Calling out other drivers by honking incessantly, flashing headlights, screaming, or gesturing obscenely
- Speeding
Any of these activities—in and of themselves—can prove dangerous, but the behavior a driver who starts engaging in more than one at a time becomes egregious. Allow such drivers plenty of room on the road. Never engage an aggressive driver—they’re prone to escalation. Finally, report dangerous driving to the authorities (when it’s safe to do so). You could help save a life.
Drivers who speed engage in one of the deadliest driving habits. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety reports that speeding is among the most dangerous forms of aggressive driving. While many drivers consider the speed at which they drive a personal choice that they’re entitled to make, they fail to recognize that, in fact, speeding endangers everyone with whom they share the road. AAA finds that speed plays a critical role in one-third of U.S. traffic fatalities. It’s established—speed kills. Allow speeding drivers all the room you can, and if you think the situation warrants, alert the authorities. You could help prevent a deadly accident.
Impaired drivers are dangerous drivers—it’s as simple as that. Everyone understands the danger of driving under the influence, yet many drivers continue to do so. Impaired drivers often cause serious accidents.
Distracted drivers are increasing in number. The influx of smartphones in every pocket has turned the problem of distracted driving into an epidemic. When a driver chooses to connect with a smartphone instead of focusing solely on the primary task of driving safely, that driver becomes dangerous. While any number of things can distract motorists, smartphone use sends distraction over the top. In fact, smartphones distract drivers in every way possible—visually, manually, and cognitively.
The complicated task of driving demands a driver’s complete attention. Aggressive drivers and drivers who speed, are distracted or are impaired cause dangerous car accidents through their negligence.
Car Accident Claims
Nobody enjoys or likes to think about car insurance and all of its expenses. If you’re injured in a car accident that another driver’s negligence caused, however, you’re going to deal with insurance companies. It’s a fact. It helps if you know a how this works ahead of time.
Insurance companies have one primary motivation, and that’s to turn a profit—by whatever means they can. By necessity, this includes dropping claims and minimizing payouts, which could well include your own claim. That’s right, the insurance company that spends millions of advertising dollars to convince you that it’s on your side…may well not be.
When it comes to car accidents, you’re well-advised to hold your tongue. Don’t apologize, and don’t spill your guts to the negligent driver’s car insurance company. You are not obliged to speak on the record with that insurance company—nor should you. Allow your car accident attorney to share any necessary information with the insurance company. The less you say, the better. Giving an impassioned rendition of what transpired during the accident can haunt your claim later on when the insurance company gets done manipulating it. In fact, car insurance reps are in the business of tripping people on their own words. Protect your claim by not engaging.
Call for a Free Consultation With a Fort Worth Car Accident Attorney Today
If someone else’s negligence injured you in a car accident, you’re undoubtedly feeling a lot of stress. An experienced Fort Worth car accident lawyer can help. Your car accident lawyer will deal with the insurance companies, compile evidence, file a lawsuit when needed, and help guide your claim toward its best possible outcome. Your rights and your rightful compensation matter too much not to fight for a just resolution. Contact a skilled car accident attorney today at the law office of Stewart J. Guss by calling 800-898-4877 or contacting us online.
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“As a relatively new resident of Houston, I did not know of an attorney to contact for a personal injury suit. I randomly went through the yellow pages contacting two attorneys that had rejected my case prior to me contacting Stewart Guss. Stewart took my case on and settled for far more than I had anticipated. The silver lining of this is that I will now have enough money to go back to school for retraining, so I will be able to reenter the workforce in a new capacity. The paralegal, Angela, was kind and supportive throughout the process. If I did not understand the legal jargon, I did not hesitate to ask, and was never once made to feel that I was incompetent. Thank you Stewart and Angela for giving me a new lease on life.” -Sally T.
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