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Houston Car Accident Lawyer
Were you or someone you love injured in a car accident? Houston car accident lawyer Hector Longoria has the experience needed to fight for your rightful compensation. For strong legal representation, call today for a free consultation.
If you have ever been involved in a car accident, you will be all too familiar with the shock, the fear, and the worry that you felt immediately after the collision. “What happened,” you wondered first. “Am I all right?” Once you got yourself to safety, questions about what would come next began to pop up. “What is the damage? Is anyone else hurt? Am I at fault?”. Let Houston car accident lawyer Hector Longoria worry about these questions for you, so you can focus on your recovery.
Minor fender benders and head-on collisions alike can have major consequences, as even the smallest car accident can injure a driver, a passenger, a pedestrian, or all three. If you were injured in an auto accident in the Harris County area, be sure to reach out to a Houston car accident lawyer as soon as possible to receive the legal representation you need.
First Steps After a Car Accident in Houston
Even if you have been fortunate enough to avoid a motor vehicle collision in Texas, it never hurts to be prepared for such a life-changing event. After all, in the first few moments after a collision, there is not enough time to call a Houston car accident lawyer or a police officer for guidance. Whether you are responsible for the auto accident or not, you must not leave the scene until you have spoken with law enforcement and received permission to go. Instead, your highest priority is to first get yourself (and, if possible, any other parties who have not been seriously injured) to safety. Be sure to pay attention to such hazards as leaking gas, sudden fires, and oncoming traffic as you move to a safe distance from the accident—again, without leaving the scene.
If you have not sustained serious injuries, once you are safe, you should call 911 immediately in order to report the accident to the Houston Police Department and request an ambulance. If you worry that you have been seriously injured, ask anyone nearby to call law enforcement on your behalf. Do not try to move anyone who has been seriously injured, and do not try to move yourself if you are in significant pain. If you do so, you run the risk of worsening an injury before an emergency medical technician can begin to treat it.
You can begin to take stock of the car accident even before the police and an ambulance have arrived. You are compelled by law, of course, to exchange information with all other parties involved in the car accident, and you should be ready to provide your name, address, licence plate number, and insurance information upon request. Take as many photos of the scene of the accident as you can, and be sure to collect accounts from witnesses; once you reach out to a Houston car accident lawyer, you will need to use this information in any claims you make and lawsuits you file.
The Aftermath of a Car Accident
Some people are lucky and survive motor vehicle collusions with few to no injuries. However, it is best to prepare for the worst just in case it comes to pass. The most common injuries stemming from car accidents are those to the head and neck. When a car, motorcycle, or truck comes to an abrupt stop, drivers and passengers can easily strike their heads against steering wheels, dashboards, projectiles, and even windshields. Traumatic brain injuries often result, and while some may be temporary concussions, those who survive car accidents can still suffer lasting cognitive damage. Whiplash, the ligament and muscle damage that occurs in the neck when the head is jerked back and forth, is also common.
Other such injuries that follow car accidents include trauma to the spinal cord, which can lead to permanent nerve damage; herniated disks, caused by displaced cartilage in the spinal column; tears in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL); broken bones; and even collapsed lungs. All these injuries can be a burden to overcome, and it is important to document every last detail. This way, your car accident attorney will be better able to help you receive necessary health insurance coverage.
Car Accidents in Houston, Texas: a Local and Statewide Crisis
Car accidents in the Lone Star State are on the rise, and drivers have to take extra precautions to ensure their safety. The Texas Department of Transportation reports that in 2016, a new car accident occurred in Texas every 57 seconds, and 3,773 drivers and passengers died—a more than five percent increase in the fatality rate from 2015. Throughout the state, 265,076 people, or about one percent of all Texans, sustained injuries in car accidents that year. Because one out of every one hundred people in Texas will endure an auto accident this year, having a trusted Houston car accident attorney on call is an asset.
Houston is one of the hardest-hit cities in Texas by the national epidemic of automotive collisions, gaining notoriety for its sheer number of accidents. As car accident lawyers in the Houston metropolitan area can testify, the alarming frequency of crashes, pileups, and wrecks in Harris County has forced local auto insurance rates and medical costs to rapidly escalate. Houston drivers are more than twice as likely as the average American to be involved in a vehicle collision, and more than 200 car accidents happen in the Greater Houston area (including Sugar Land, Galveston, and The Woodlands) every single day.
There are several reasons behind this markedly high rate of collisions. Insufficient funding of the Houston Police Department allows fewer traffic control officers to monitor congestion and issue tickets to violators. Urban sprawl and a rapid population expansion mean that Houston drivers have to rely on smaller, less developed, and less safe roadways in order to avoid widespread gridlock. Greater Houston’s population growth has been so meteoric, in fact, that local infrastructure cannot keep up with the pace, and newcomers to Texas frequently speed down potholed roadways and through poorly designed intersections, elevating the possibility of a car accident at every turn. All these factors together spell out that Houston drivers put their lives at risk every morning when they commute to work.
When Should I Contact a Car Accident Attorney?
It may be tempting to think that a simple fender bender can result in a “no harm, no foul” situation, but the truth is that you will need the help of a Houston car accident lawyer with experience in Texas state law to advocate on your behalf. The last thing you will want is to become caught in a long legal battle over insurance coverage or responsibility for the accident. If you have recently experienced a motor vehicle collision, contact Houston car accident lawyer Hector Longoria for help in navigating the next steps.
Because of his extensive experience in these types of cases, Hector understands the physical, emotional and financial burdens that come with an auto accident or injury. His goal is to help you and lessen the stress. Hector will deal with the insurance companies, adjusters, and defense lawyers to make sure your rights are being protected.
Call Hector today at 713-929-3996 and start protecting your rights now.
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Out of Town Legal Resources
We get calls from people who get injured in car accidents while traveling in other areas. We primarily help people that are injured in Texas but we are constantly looking for attorneys and online resources that can help people injured in other parts of the country. If you are looking for representation in New York City we found a great personal injury attorney that handles car accidents and provides a wealth of online resources.Check out their New York Car Accident Guide
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Client Reviews
“Mr. Longoria just settled my 18 wheeler, rear end case this month. He got me a great settlement. He and his staff worked very hard to make sure I was feeling in better condition healthwise, went out of their way to make sure I was happy and satisfied and that I was always updated on my case.”
– Victor G.
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