Highway 71 Reopens After “Y” Crash
Recently, four people were injured in a serious wreck at 71 and Covered Bridge Drive, closing down Covered Bridge Drive for most of the morning. All of them were taken to nearby hospitals, with one having sustained life-threatening injuries and nature of the other three people’s injuries not specified. While no discussion of liability seems to have occurred in this particular case, it is important to be aware of your options after an accident. Too many people think that they have no case for one reason or another; in reality, you should be aware that there are ways to hold negligent drivers accountable.
Do I Need an Attorney?
If you have been in an auto accident and you or a loved one sustain serious or life-threatening injuries, hiring an attorney can feel like an overwhelming, insurmountable task. However, in reality, an attorney can be of great help with all of the sudden questions that pop up after a serious accident. An attorney can help negotiate with your insurer, search for evidence to support a personal injury claim, and handle the general legal questions while you focus on recovery.
Your attorney can also keep on top of deadlines that come up in this type of case. For example, Texas law allows two years from the date of the accident in which to file a personal injury lawsuit, which is very easy for an injured person to forget, given all the other situations on your proverbial plate during recovery. There are very rare exceptions to that two-year statute of limitations, but in general, that time is it, and an experienced personal injury attorney will be aware of that.
Comparative Fault Issues
Another common reason why injured people may decline to file suit is if they fear that they have been partially at fault for their own injuries. They may assume that since they can be shown to be somewhat liable, a jury will not award them anything even if they were injured by someone else. For example, if one of the injured people in the Covered Bridge Drive accident mistakenly swerved in front of another car, causing everyone’s injuries, that person may think they have no ability to recover for their own because their actions helped to cause the accident. In reality, Texas law interprets these matters differently.
The state observes a common-law concept called comparative negligence, which is a legal theory that recognizes that even if someone is liable in part, they still may have been harmed beyond the level that would “pay them back,” so to speak, for their actions. Texas law states that if you are judged to be more than 50 percent liable for your own injuries, you may not recover – but if your percentage is deemed to be less than 50 percent, you can recover minus that. For example, if you are judged 10 percent liable, you would, in theory, be able to recover 90 percent of your damages.
Call a New Braunfels Car Crash Attorney Today
While no word is immediately available on the condition of those injured in the Covered Bridge Drive accident, know that car accident injuries can be severe and even life-changing. Calling an experienced New Braunfels auto accident lawyer at the Bettersworth Law Firm can be the first step toward helping you get back on your feet. Call us today at 888-392-0039 for a free consultation.
Source:
https://www.kvue.com/article/traffic/highway-71-austin-the-y-crash/269-e58e6186-3429-43eb-9719-72d6187af2cd
