Driving in Austin, Texas, can be confusing and stressful. On top of traffic and merging lanes that end too quickly, many of our major roadways have multiple names which can make it difficult to get around effectively. While GPS can be helpful with all of these troubles, that can also get dicey because cell phone use is prohibited behind the wheel in the city of Austin. Your GPS must be hands-free in order to be allowed while driving.
All of these obstacles on top of the regular difficulties of driving can lead to accidents, which could cause you to need the help of our Austin, TX car accident lawyer. When other drivers aren’t fully paying attention to the road, or if drivers aren’t used to the area, they could make mistakes behind the wheel that cause them to collide with you.
When collisions occur, you could suffer from injuries and other damages that affect your life. If the crash wasn’t your fault, you shouldn’t have to worry about the costs you incur. Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm will fight to get you full and fair compensation for what you’ve been through.
Texas Fault Laws
One of the first things that your lawyer will look into when you’ve been in a car wreck is who was at fault. In Texas, we follow a modified comparative fault law, which we call proportionate responsibility. This means that if you and the other party share fault in the accident, that your compensation could be modified to the proportion that you were at fault for.
For instance, if you were found to be 10 percent at fault while the other party was 90 percent at fault, your compensation would be reduced by the 10 percent that you were deemed responsible. Additionally, if you are found to be more than 50 percent at fault for what happened, you won’t be able to recover any compensation at all.
That’s why it’s important to have an attorney on your side—they’ll be able to accurately determine how much you contributed to causing the accident and whether or not you’re eligible for compensation. Once they calculate your amount of fault, if any, they’ll guide you through your case.
Under this fault system, it’s required for all Texas drivers to carry minimum amounts of car insurance for liability. The Texas Department of Insurance outlines the minimum requirements for liability auto insurance in our state, which are:
- $30,000 per accident for injuries per person
- $60,000 per accident for total injuries
- $25,000 per accident for property damage
With this coverage, you can ensure that you’re following the law as well as feel protected in the event of an accident. However, if another person was at fault for your collision, you’ll likely use their insurance to pay for your damages.
You might still have questions about fault. Talking to an Austin, TX car accident attorney from our firm can help answer your biggest questions. We have experience with cases like yours, and will know exactly how to handle your claim.
Common Causes of Auto Wrecks in Austin
One of the main ways to determine who was at fault was to look into the cause of your car accident. Your car accident lawyer will ask you for every detail of your accident but will likely fixate on the cause so that they can work to prove who was responsible for causing it. Here are some of the most common causes of car crashes in Austin that could help your attorney figure out who was responsible for the wreck:
- Distracted Driving. When drivers don’t pay attention to the road, they can veer into another lane, crash into an object, or not slow down in time for a stopped vehicle. Distractions like cell phones, GPS navigation systems, the radio, food, makeup, and passengers can distract drivers enough to cause an accident. In this situation, the distracted driver would be at fault for what happened.
- Drunk Driving. Getting behind the wheel after drinking is a reckless decision that is known to have bad consequences. This illegal action often leads to deadly collisions, and since it is illegal, drunk drivers are the ones found to be at fault for these wrecks.
- Speeding. When you drive over the speed limit, you have less control over your vehicle. Speeding gives you less time to stop, can give you less time to make decisions while driving, can surprise other drivers, and can cause accidents around corners from losing control.
- Bad Weather. Driving in inclement weather is dangerous because you might not be able to see the road, or you don’t have adequate control of your car. Whether it’s high winds, heavy rain, snow, or ice, bad weather could be the cause of a car accident.
- Ignoring Traffic Signals. Breaking the rules of the road can cause a car wreck. If you ignore a stop sign, traffic light, or any other signage on the road, you can get into a collision with other drivers and cause serious injuries and damages.
Filing a police report will be the main evidence of what caused your collision. From there, the police will make a decision about the cause of your accident, and your Austin, TX car accident lawyer will be able to use that documentation to help prove the other driver was at fault. Photos of the scene, injury reports, and witness statements are also helpful forms of evidence that show what happened.
Compensation Your Austin, TX Car Accident Lawyer Can Recover
You might be wondering what you can financially recover after a car crash that wasn’t your fault. Our car accident attorneys have experience recovering compensation for victims of collisions where they’ve been injured and suffered from damages. In most cases, you can recover economic and noneconomic damages for what you’ve incurred.
Economic damages are the physical costs that an accident caused you. These are costs like medical bills, treatment costs, repair costs, lost wages, future medical costs, and future lost wages. You can also recover compensation for your everyday costs of living that you aren’t able to cover right now because you’re missing work and pay.
Noneconomic damages are more abstract, and can be harder to calculate, but you are owed them just as much as the other damages. Factors like pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, and other emotional tolls that you suffered can be used to calculate what you’re owed in noneconomic damages.
Although rare, if gross negligence was involved, then you also might be eligible to recover punitive damages. These damages are used to punish the responsible party because they were considered especially negligent or reckless in their actions.
Your attorney can help you determine how much you’re owed and ensure that you aren’t pressured into settling for less than you deserve.
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm Can Help You
When you’ve been injured in an auto wreck, you shouldn’t have to go through the healing process on your own. You might also be interested in filing a legal claim but feel like you have too much on your plate with healing and all the costs you’ve incurred. That’s where our Austin, TX car accident lawyer comes in.
We’ll handle the legal side of your claim to take it off your plate. We’ll keep you updated and involved every step of the way, but you won’t have to stress about the specifics. Contact our office today so we can discuss your options and how we can help you.
