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Dallas Car Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a car wreck in Dallas, you need to speak to a lawyer right away in order to protect your rights. Attorney Aaron Herbert is the Dallas accident lawyer who can help. Our office handles all auto accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay us nothing unless we recover money for you! Contact us now for a free consultation and to find out how much your case is worth.

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Accidents in Dallas

Take one look at the interactive map here and you’ll see that accidents happen all over Dallas county. The map above shows all accidents in Dallas in 2015. Areas where you see red are zones where accidents happen more frequently. Feel free to zoom in on the map and hover over any dot for more information. For most Texans, driving a car is a necessity of life. In our great, sprawling state, we rely on our vehicles for business, recreation, shopping, and just about everything we do. But driving is not without risks. You may be a skillful and safe driver, taking care to adhere to the law and the rules of the road at all times, but no matter how carefully you drive, you may not be able to avoid being injured in a car crash. Why? Because you can’t control the behavior of other drivers on the road.

Why You Should Make a Claim Against the Responsible Party

If you or a close family member suffered a serious injury in a car crash that was caused by someone else, you can’t help feeling the unfairness of your having to suffer when you did nothing wrong. It offends your sense of justice! You are suffering—physically, emotionally, and financially, for someone else’s wrongdoing. Fortunately, you have recourse against the party who caused your losses by filing a legal claim to recover money for your financial and quality-of-life damages. Although no amount of money is ever adequate compensation for the loss of a loved one, or of your health, making a claim against the responsible party is important in several ways:
  1. It can provide you with the means to obtain the healthcare you need.
  2. It can ease your financial burden by getting your medical bills paid and compensating you for your lost earnings, or those of a deceased family member whom your family relied on for support.
  3. It can provide a sense of closure.
  4. It can force the wrongdoer to face up to the harm done and possibly prevent a recurrence of the behavior that led to your losses.
  5. It can restore your sense of justice.

Where to Go for Help After Your Auto Collision

To ensure that you recover an amount of money that reflects the full range of damages that you and your family have suffered, you should retain the best personal injury attorney you can find, preferably a car accident lawyer who has been certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a specialist in personal injury trial law. You can find the experienced, specialized representation you need for an accident-related injury or death at Aaron A. Herbert, P.C. Call us or use the form to contact us today for a free case review. Dallas Car Accident Lawyer will give your cast dedicated personal attention

Tips on Choosing a Lawyer for Your Car Accident Case

The qualifications and experience of the lawyer you choose to represent you can make an enormous difference in its outcome. Here are some tips for selecting the right lawyer for your car accident case:
  1. Choose a Texas Board Certified Personal Injury Trial Lawyer with a practice devoted exclusively to personal injury law.
  2. Choose a lawyer who has significant courtroom experience and a demonstrated willingness to try a case in court with a high rate of success. (Insurance companies know which lawyers will go all the way for their clients and will usually offer better out-of-court settlements, to avoid the expense and uncertainty of a trial.)
  3. Check the attorney’s AVVO rating. Look for a rating of 10 out of 10.
  4. Select a lawyer who has successfully handled high value cases. An attorney who is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum has recovered settlements and verdicts for individual clients in excess of a million dollars.
  5. Make sure that the lawyer you hire has access to traffic safety engineers and accident reconstruction experts who can provide support and expert testimony to help prove your case.
  6. Choose an attorney you feel comfortable with, who is focused on your needs, and who is committed to keeping you informed about the progress of your case.

Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Texas

Distracted Driving

It only takes a few seconds of distraction from attention on the road to cause a car crash. Distracted driving was the cause of 460 highway fatalities in Texas in 2013. With the ubiquity of cellular phones, the number of distracted driving accidents caused by drivers on the phone has risen. Talking on the phone while driving—even using a hands-free device makes an accident more likely to occur, but even worse is texting. Sending or reading a text message while behind the wheel increases the chance of a crash occurring by 23 times. Aside from cell phone use, there are numerous other ways a driver may become distracted, for example:
  • Rubbernecking: looking at law enforcement activities, car accidents, pileups, or other roadside occurrences,
  • Looking at scenery,
  • Distractions caused by children or passengers,
  • Setting the GPS, adjusting the radio, or changing a CD,
  • Personal grooming: styling hair, applying makeup, etc.,
  • Eating or drinking,
  • Unrestrained pets, and
  • Reading a map, newspaper, book, or written directions.
It is every driver’s responsibility to avoid becoming distracted while behind the wheel. A distracted driver is a negligent driver, and may be held accountable for resulting damages to others.

DUI: Drunk and Drugged Driving

Alcohol consumption and driving are a lethal combination. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nationwide, crashes involving alcohol use killed 10,076 people in 2013. Not only alcohol causes impairment on the road, but also drugs, legal and illegal, prescription and over-the-counter. It is every driver’s responsibility to stay off the road when impaired by any substance, regardless of its legality. An impaired driver may be held civilly accountable for damages to others on the highway, and in some cases, especially with blood alcohol levels over .08, criminal penalties may also apply. In Texas in 2013, DUI crashes were responsible for 1,089 fatalities, about a third of the state’s highway deaths in that year. More crashes involving impaired drivers occurred between 2:00 am and 2:59 am than any other time of day.

Speeding

Exceeding the speed limit, which is often accompanied by other aggressive driving behaviors, including weaving in and out of traffic and making unsafe lane changes, can result in extremely serious and fatal accidents. High speed accidents are deadly, and in Texas, where the legal speed limit, at 85 mph on some highways, is the highest in the nation, exceeding the legal limit by even a small amount can result in a powerful impact if the speeding driver strikes another car, or cyclist.

What Are the Most Common Types of Accidents in Dallas, Tx?

Serious injury accidents may be of various types, including rear-end collisions, head-on crashes, T-bone side impact crashes, sideswipes, and vehicle rollovers.

Rear-End Collisions

Rear-end collisions are statistically the most common car accident type. According to the NHTSA, they comprise 29.6 percent of all car accidents. Tailgating and distracted driving are usually responsible. The driver of the car in back is invariably at fault. Some injuries are relatively minor, but painful neck and back injuries, including herniated discs, strains, and sprains, often occur. Fortunately, although they sometimes happen, fatalities are less likely in a rear-end crash than in many other accident types

Head-on Collisions

Head-on collisions are the least frequent but most deadly type of car accident. While only two percent of the total number of crashes, they cause approximately ten percent of all traffic fatalities, according to the NHSTA. Driver impairment, whether by alcohol, drugs, fatigue, or distraction is usually involved. Some of the most common ways for head-on crashes to occur include:
  • One car drifting across the center of the road into the wrong lane, c into the path of a vehicle coming in the opposite direction
  • A driver entering a highway on the wrong ramp, against the flow of traffic
  • A driver turning the wrong way into a one-way street

T-Bone Side Impact Accidents

A T-bone collision is one where a vehicle strikes another broadside, usually at around a 90 degree angle. T-bones are usually intersection accidents that happen when a car runs a red light or stop sign and slams into the side of a car rightfully in the intersection, or a car makes a left turn, failing to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic, and smashes into the side of a car traveling in its proper lane. T-bones make up about 13 percent of all car accidents, but 18 percent of accidents causing fatalities. They kill around 9000 people every year, making them the second most deadly accident type.

Sideswipes

A sideswipe is another type of side impact collision that occurs when a car strikes another vehicle moving in the same direction at a glancing angle, often during a lane change or while attempting to pass or merge into traffic from a ramp. Sideswipes sometimes occur between two cars moving in opposite directions, when one car drifts into the opposite on a two lane road, glancing off the side of an oncoming vehicle.

Rollovers

Rollover accidents, in which a car flips over and lands on its roof, make up about 2.3 percent of all car accidents. They are very serious and have a high fatality rate. Rollovers are most common in older SUVs and vans with a high center of gravity, which makes them less stable. Rollovers often occur when rounding a curve or as a result of being hit by another vehicle. SUVs manufactured after 1993 have electronic stability devices and are less likely to roll than the earlier models.

Common Injuries Resulting From Car Accidents

A serious car accident can cause horrific damage to the human body that is all too often fatal or life-changing. These are some of the many types of injuries that often occur in Texas motor vehicle crashes:
  • Brain trauma,
  • Spinal cord damage,
  • Paralysis,
  • Internal bleeding,
  • Damage to vital organs,
  • Neck and back injuries,
  • Herniated discs,
  • Torn and damaged tendons and ligaments,
  • Fractures,
  • Facial disfiguration,
  • Burns,
  • Blindness,
  • Deafness,
  • Amputations,
  • Lacerations,
  • Scarring,
  • Chronic pain,
  • Anxiety, phobias, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other psychological damage, and
  • Wrongful Death.

Other Types of Accidents that Involve Motor Vehicles

Pedestrian Accidents

Doctors and other healthcare professionals have been encouraging people to walk more, to help maintain a healthy weight and cardiovascular fitness. In Texas, many people have taken up walking for exercise or to get to work, school, or shopping, or other activities. Walking is a healthy way to get around, but it does come with some risks. Too many drivers fail to take notice of walkers who are sharing the road or crossing at intersections and end up getting into a pedestrian accident. Drivers too frequently run through stop signs and red lights, speed through intersections, work zones, and crosswalks. As traffic fatalities have been decreasing across the nation, pedestrian fatalities have been rising. On average, in the United States, a pedestrian was killed every 2 hours and injured every 8 minutes in an accident involving a car in 2013, accounting for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, according to NHTSA data. In that year, Texas reported 485 pedestrian deaths. About 3 percent of traffic accidents injuries were sustained by pedestrians. A report prepared by the National Complete Streets Coalition at Smart Growth America, a nonprofit safety advocacy group, ranked Texas as the 10th most hazardous state for walkers, with almost 4,200 pedestrian fatalities occurring from 2003 until 2012—about 10 percent of the nation’s total for that period, based on NHTSA statistics. Pedestrians lack the protection that car passengers have of being enclosed in a metal shell, so they are much more vulnerable. It is every driver’s responsibility to be aware of others sharing the road, including pedestrians. If you’ve been injured by a car while walking, a good personal injury lawyer can help you make a case for full compensation for your damages.

Bicycle Accidents

Like walking, riding a bicycle is a great way to stay fit and healthy, in addition to being fun. More and more people are choosing to commute to work and school via bicycle, both for their own enjoyment and well-being and to reduce their impact on the environment. But a bicyclist, like a pedestrian, is exposed and vulnerable when sharing the road with cars and trucks, and may be injured by a driver who is distracted or impatient with the bicycle’s slower speed. Approximately 540,000 bicycling accidents occur every year in the U.S. In 2012, 726 died in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles nationwide, nearly two people every day. There were 48 cyclist fatalities in Texas in 2013, and countless serious injuries. These are some of the most common causes of cars hitting bicyclists:
  • A driver turning directly in front of an oncoming bicyclist
  • A driver encroaching on a bike lane
  • A driver or passenger suddenly opening a car door as a cyclist is approaching
  • A driver entering the street from a driveway or parking spot in front of a bicyclist
  • A driver who fails to yield or who runs a stop sign or red light at an intersection
  • A driver attempting to pass a bicyclist too closely (A driver should always allow at least three feet of clearance when passing a bicycle.)
  • A driver who is impaired by drugs or alcohol.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Dallas, Texas

Take these steps immediately after an accident to help protect your right to an injury claim for compensation for your damages:
  • Get the ID and contact information for all owners, drivers, passengers, and witnesses.
  • Get the plate numbers, registration, and auto insurance information for all vehicles.
  • If you are physically capable, take pictures of the accident scene, showing all cars involved, including the point of impact on every vehicle involved and street signs or other geographical features that will identify the location of the accident.
  • Call the police and request that an officer be sent to the scene. If you have been seriously injured, tell the police dispatcher that you need an ambulance.
  • Make a report to the responding officer, providing only basic information about the accident. After several days, you should obtain a copy of the accident police report from the law enforcement agency that wrote it.
  • Do not apologize. While you simply mean to be polite, this could be wrongly construed as admitting you were at fault.
  • Do not comment about how you feel physically, unless you are clearly badly injured and need someone to call an ambulance.
  • Get medical attention without delay. You should still be seen in an Emergency Room or physician’s office.
  • Do not allow any insurance adjuster to record a statement from you. The adjuster’s job is to minimize the company’s payout, not to help you get your accident claim paid.
  • Do not sign any authorization, release, or anything else for any other car’s insurance company, they most likely will try to offer you the lowest possible settlement.
  • Call a Texas Board Certified personal injury attorney.

What to Do After an Accident with an Uninsured Vehicle?

Unfortunately, there are many drivers in Dallas and in the state of Texas who flout the state’s insurance law and drive without the required coverage. If you are injured by an uninsured driver or if the driver who injured you has fled the scene and cannot be located, you may need to examine your own insurance policy to determine if you have uninsured motorist coverage. If you do, you will turn to your insurance carrier to pay for your damages, up to your policy limits, if the other driver is uninsured or underinsured and doesn’t have enough insurance to fully compensate you for your damages. Your UIM coverage may also cover you if you are injured as a pedestrian or bicyclist by a vehicle lacking adequate insurance coverage. If you are not sure whether you have this important coverage, have your car accident attorney examine your policy. If your insurance agent failed to offer you UIM protection and did not obtain a statement from you that you declined the coverage, the insurer may have to provide it anyway.

Contact a Texas Car Accident Lawyer Today

At Aaron A. Herbert, P.C. we offer a complimentary consultation in which we will examine the facts of your case and advise you on how to proceed. With 14 years of experience, Texas Board Certification, a client-centered practice focused exclusively on personal injury law, the highest possible AVVO rating, more than 50 jury verdicts, and membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. You will incur no attorney fees, court, or legal expenses unless you recover. Time to file is limited by state law, so call today at (214) 200-4878 to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer who can protect your right to a monetary recovery.

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