A Firm Providing Skilled, Knowledgeable Personal Injury Representation in Jefferson County

If you’ve been injured in a motor vehicle crash or another accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you have the right – and likely the need – to seek full and fair compensation. Doing this alone is an uphill battle, which is why you need the advocacy of an experienced personal injury attorney. In mid-County and throughout Southeast Texas, you can find the help you need by contacting Branick & Devenzio.

As a local attorney board-certified in personal injury trial law who has been named an Outstanding Young Lawyer in Jefferson County, Texas, Trent continually strives to help his clients find the best outcome available in their case. He is not afraid of insurance company tactics, and he will not accept lowball settlement offers. After a serious injury, he is the lawyer you want on your side.

Types Of Compensation You Can Receive In A Personal Injury Settlement

If you get injured, it’s important to pursue full compensation for:

  • Immediate medical bills
  • Lost wages
  • Long-term medical costs – such as rehabilitation or in-home care
  • Reduced earning capacity
  • Long-term disability or disfigurement
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional trauma

If you have suffered severe injuries, it’s important to consider both the short term and long-term impact this will have on your health and wages. In some cases, courts will also award punitive damages. This means that the responsible party may be ordered to pay extra as a form of punishment for their negligence.

Who Can Be Held Liable For My Personal Injury?

If you suffered serious injuries in Southeast Texas, it’s natural to wonder who is liable – especially if you’re looking to start a personal injury lawsuit before reaching the statute of limitations. Liability depends on the nature of the injury, but fault could lie with a few different parties. Below are some common examples:

  • If you’ve been injured in a car accident, a Nederland personal injury lawyer may be able to help you seek compensation from the negligent driver who caused the crash. If you were a passenger, the driver of your own vehicle may be liable.
  • If you were injured on someone else’s property, that property owner may be liable if they negligently allowed dangerous conditions to exist or didn’t make necessary repairs.
  • If you were injured in an accident caused by road design issues or faulty traffic signals, the municipality that designed the road or failed to maintain the traffic signals may be responsible.
  • If you were injured at work, your employer may be liable. Workplace injuries also sometimes lead to third-party claims, such as if a tool manufacturer built a defective product that injured you on the job.
  • When you are injured by defective products or medications, liability could be assigned to the product designer, the manufacturing center or the company in charge of labeling, depending on the nature of the defect.

An experienced attorney can help you consider all of your options as you seek full compensation.

Answers To Common Nederland Personal Injury Questions

People involved in an accident, whether an on-the-job injury or a slip-and-fall often have many questions. Below are answers to some of the more common questions clients ask.

I do not have time to take care of all of the paperwork and phone calls regarding the accident. Can you help?

Yes, as part of the firm’s service to you, attorney Devenzio works to ease the stress of dealing with this difficult situation. His goal is to free you up to focus on regaining your health.

How much is my personal injury case worth?

The settlement value of a case depends on several factors including the following: whether the cause of the incident is clearly the fault of another person or business, the nature and the extent of the resulting injury, whether there are any preexisting medical conditions, whether the injured person lost any income, and the length and quality of needed health care. In short, each case is unique, and an experienced attorney can help you assess the amount of damages to seek.

Should I get health care after an accident?

The law says that you are entitled to reimbursement for health care that is necessary to treat an injury caused by an accident. In this regard, one should make the same health care decisions that you would normally make regarding your health, i.e., whatever is in the best interest of your health should guide your health care decisions.

How do I pay for health care after an accident?

Ultimately, the insurance company for the at-fault person or business will pay for your reasonable and necessary medical bills; however, they will reimburse you for this cost in a lump sum when the case is settled. In the interim, you should pay for your needed health care with cash, your health insurance, and/or Medicaid or Medicare. In some instances, some doctors will agree to wait and be paid when your case settles.

Tips And Suggestions Following Your Accident

After being involved in an accident, there are things you can do to protect yourself and increase the chances of a favorable settlement or jury award. Some are discussed below.

Know your injury Following an injury, don’t settle your case until you and your doctor identify the true nature of your injury. If you settle your case and then find out you are hurt worse than you thought, you cannot start over.

Pay your medical bills – While it is true that the at fault insurance company will ultimately pay your bills, this will take a while. In the meantime, protect your credit by paying your outstanding medical bills however you can.

Document your lost wages If you lose income due to injuries following an injury, the law says that you are entitled to reimbursement for these losses. Be sure and keep documentation of your lost wages as they are incurred. This is especially important if you own your own business.

Photograph evidence – Be sure to photograph the scene as soon as possible following an injury, including the scene where the injury occurred. Be sure and take pictures of the area where an injury occurred from all angles before the hazardous condition is repaired. Finally, make sure and take pictures of scrapes and bruises.

Statements Giving a statement to an insurance adjuster can be important to the resolution of your case. However, if you are planning to consult with an attorney, hold off on giving a statement until after you have talked to an personal injury attorney.

Contact The Firm To Discuss Your Legal Options With An Experienced PI Attorney

Based in Nederland, Branick & Devenzio serves clients throughout Southeast Texas including Beaumont and Jefferson County. To schedule your initial consultation with Trent, call the firm at 409-403-1370 or fill out an online contact form.