El Paso Car Accident Lawyers

All you can control behind the wheel is your own actions. Unfortunately, you may end up bearing the costs of another driver’s carelessness or recklessness. One mistake can cause an accident that can injure you or a loved one. The law requires the other driver to pay you compensation when they were to blame for the accident.

First, you need to deal with their insurance company that wants to save money at your expense. The experienced El Paso car accident lawyers at Nix Patterson are ready to stand up for you when the insurance company tries to make your life harder.

The Dangers of El Paso Roads

In 2021, the number of car accidents in El Paso increased markedly. There were over 15,000 motor vehicle accidents in the city itself. The number of accidents surged even higher in 2022, nearing 17,000.

Authorities report that the Eastside area of El Paso is the most dangerous part of the city for drivers. The area is both heavily populated, and Amazon is increasingly using it for its operations and deliveries.

More than one-third of the traffic accidents in El Paso occur on I-10. In addition, Loop 375 is also a problematic area, with over 2,000 crashes on the roadway in 2022.

Drivers in El Paso have become far more reckless in recent years. This, combined with a surging population in the area, has made the roads much more dangerous.

Causes of El Paso Car Accidents

All it takes is a momentary lapse from a driver who is having a bad day to change the course of your life forever. One simple mistake can cause a major car accident.

Common causes of El Paso car accidents include:

• Illegal turns
• Distracted driving
• Excessive tailgating
• Reckless driving
• Speeding
• Fatigued driving
• Inexperienced drivers
• Drunk driving
• Running red lights or stop signs

Your lawyer would perform a full investigation of your car accident, helping to determine the cause and gathering evidence that could prove liability.

Common El Paso Car Accident Injuries

The force and trauma of the car accident can cause you one or more of a number of injuries, including:

• Broken bones and fractures
• Cuts and lacerations
• Contusions
• Internal injuries
• Head and neck injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Soft tissue injuries

Whiplash is one of the most common car accident injuries. Do not make the mistake of thinking that common means that whiplash is not serious. 40% of people who suffer whiplash will have lasting symptoms from the injury. 10% of these accident victims will be permanently disabled. If you feel any pain in your neck or back, see a doctor immediately. You could even suffer a concussion or a traumatic brain injury from whiplash when your brain slams against the base of your skull.

Never assume that any car accident injury is minor. If you have the urge to try to “tough it out,” resist that at all costs. Avoiding or delaying medical treatment will make it much harder for you to get financial compensation. It is never a sign of weakness to see a doctor. In fact, you are being prudent and smart. You are both looking after your health and preserving your legal right to compensation.

How to Prove Your El Paso Car Accident Case

You have the burden of proof to show that the other driver was responsible. Negligence is the legal standard that you must meet in a car accident case. Negligence is a legal term of art that means that the driver did something that would be considered unreasonable under the circumstances. They must have done (or not done) something that would make their actions unreasonable. You have to prove that it is more likely than not that the other driver’s actions caused your injuries.

Your lawyer may gather the following forms of evidence that could show that the other driver was negligent:

• Testimony from witnesses who saw what happened
• Pictures from the scene of the accident
• Dashcam footage from your car or from another driver in the area
• The police report from the accident (not admissible in court since it is hearsay)
• An opinion from an accident reconstruction expert

You have a limited amount of time to collect evidence, so it is crucial to get a lawyer working on your case early. Your lawyer may be able to gather additional proof if your case goes to court.

Why Do You Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident?

After you have been injured in a car accident, you are dealing with a myriad of challenges. Your first priority should be your physical health. If you are reading this, you have likely suffered some type of injury that could entitle you to financial compensation. However, you first need to go through an extensive legal process before the settlement check can be deposited into your account, even if you have received one at all. There are no guarantees of anything in the car accident claims process.

The way that you establish your legal right to financial compensation is by showing that someone else was to blame for the accident. Here, you would need to investigate the car accident and gather the evidence necessary to prove that the driver was negligent. Even though you think you know what happened, it did not really happen unless you can prove it. However, you do not necessarily have the investigative prowess to get things done yourself. Even if you did, you would struggle to do anything on your own because you are physically injured.

The insurance company is the biggest wildcard that you will deal with after a car accident. They are a for-profit business whose sole purpose is to make money. Their interests are the opposite of yours. They want to save money – the money that should be going into your pocket. They do not care about your own financial situation. The insurance company only wants to avoid paying you what they owe you. Sometimes, they want to get out of paying you altogether.

You need a heavy hitter to take on the insurance company. Do not make the mistake of thinking that the claims process is anything but adversarial. The insurance company steps into the shoes of their policyholder, and they take on the obligation to pay for the damages that their driver has caused. They would be liable up to the amount of the policy limit. Just because the coverage exists does not mean that the insurance company wants to pay you the money.

Hiring an attorney is the only way to show the insurance company that you mean business. When they see that you have hired a lawyer, they know that you have the potential to sue them in court. Then, they lose all control over your case if they ever had any in the first place. Insurance companies are afraid of juries, and for good reason.

The Insurance Company May Try to Blame You for the Accident

To understand why you need a lawyer, you need to know what would happen without one. The insurance company could unfairly blame you for the accident. Texas law relies on a very harsh standard called contributory negligence. If you are even 1% to blame for the car accident or your injuries, you will end up with nothing. The law may seem unfair, but that is the reality that you have to work with in Texas. The insurance company may try to either point the finger at you, or they may make you a paltry settlement offer. Your lawyer’s job is to stand up for your legal rights and fight back when necessary. Our attorneys are ready, willing, and able to take your case to court if the insurance company leaves you with no choice.

What to Do After a Car Accident in El Paso

It may not seem like you can do anything when you are dealing with physical injuries. However, addressing your own injuries is exactly what you have to do after a car accident. You need to be proactive about getting medical care for yourself. Some car accident injuries are immediately apparent at the scene, and you may have been taken to the hospital. Then, you must follow up on all of the doctor’s recommendations. If you were prescribed medication or were told to undergo physical therapy, you need to keep with your course of treatment. Otherwise, the insurance company may claim that you made your own accident injuries worse, and they may refuse to pay for your damages.

You also need medical care because your doctor will provide you with the documentation that you need to file an insurance claim. The insurance company will pay close attention to your diagnosis because it will dictate how much you may be able to receive in compensation. Your doctor may need to treat you over an extended period of time to zero in on your prognosis for the future. That is crucial information in light of the fact that you are paid for both past and future damages.

The other thing you should also do is hire an experienced car accident lawyer to handle your case. We have already explained why you must have an attorney representing you in the legal process. You cannot afford to wait to get legal help. Simply stated, it will cost you money. The longer you wait to get legal help, the more you may compromise your own legal position.

If you wait too long to hire a lawyer, you may lose some of the valuable evidence that you need to prove your case. You may no longer have the ability to track down and speak with key witnesses. You could also lose key physical evidence that you may have had from the scene of the accident. An attorney can immediately get to work to gather this evidence. Then, they would be able to use it to prove that the other driver was the negligent one and that they owe you money.

Equally as important are the things that you should not do after an accident. When in doubt, do not talk to anyone about what happened or your life since the accident. Always assume that the insurance company is watching, and they will use anything that they can against you. Hiring an attorney will keep you from making crucial errors, and it will also prevent the insurance company from rushing you.

How Much Is My El Paso Car Accident Case Worth?

That is really only a question that an experienced personal injury lawyer can answer for you after speaking with you and reviewing your case. Do not try to search Google to learn about average car accident settlements for your specific type of injury because what happened to other people has little to nothing to do with you. In other words, your car accident damages are unique to you, and they depend on how your injuries have impacted you.

Factors that can affect the size of your settlement can include:

• How much medical care you may need in the future (and how much you may owe for your past care)
• What you were earning before your accident and whether you may be able to work in the future
• How you have been affected by your physical injuries, both in terms of physical pain and emotional suffering
• The life that you had before the accident that you can no longer enjoy
• The psychological aftereffects of the car accident

You have to prove the scope and extent of your car accident damages. Then, you should negotiate with the insurance company to receive the maximum possible compensation for your injuries that the insurance company may be trying to deny you. The ultimate trump card that you have to get them to pay up is litigation. Insurance companies hate litigation because they surrender control to a jury, and they need to pay for the cost of their own lawyer.

Contact the El Paso Car Accident Lawyers at Nix Patterson Today

When you need a hard-hitting lawyer to fight for you, call the experienced car accident attorneys at Nix Patterson. We could do everything within our power to take on the insurance company to get you what you deserve.

We never ask you to pay us anything out of your pocket, both for the time that we spend on your case and litigation expenses. You only pay if and when you win your case. To schedule a free initial consultation with one of our attorneys, you can message us through our website, or you can call us today at 512-328-5333.