Auto Accident Attorney in San Antionio, TX

The Importance of Hiring San Antonio Car Wreck Attorney for Your Case

In 2019, the Texas Department of Transportation recorded 50,796 crashes in Bexar County alone. Those crashes resulted in roughly 16,592 injures and 177 deaths. The truth is that no matter how safe of a driver you are, you cannot control the actions of others. Nobody is immune from negligence.

At Thomas J. Henry Law, we believe in holding those responsible for your accident and injuries accountable. We also believe that a person who has suffered injuries and damages due to the negligence of another driver should not be left to bear the consequences, nor should they have to face the adverse driver’s insurance company without representation. Let our auto accident attorneys in San Antonio fight for you. You can depend on our team to ensure you recover the full amount owed for your injuries.

Remember, an insurance company’s primary goal is to make money. This means their adjusters want to limit their liability and pay you as little as possible for your injuries. By hiring a local San Antonio car crash lawyer, you can rest assured that your case is being handled by a licensed attorney who is familiar with Texas personal injury law, and specifically Texas car accident law, and has experience dealing with insurance companies, gathering evidence, and representing victims in court.

When you call Thomas J. Henry Law, you are taking the first step in protecting your rights. Our team of more than 200 attorneys have the experience and resources to represent your case effectively and aggressively. Let us handle the adverse driver and their insurer so you can focus on recovery.

Steps to Take Following a Car Accident in San Antonio

If you have been involved in a car accident, the first thing you want to do is ensure the safety of yourself and your family, friends, or passengers. This includes removing yourself from immediate danger and seeking appropriate medical attention as soon as possible. It is not uncommon for injured individuals to not feel the pain or immediate impact of their injuries following an accident. Sometimes, pain and symptoms of an injury may not be apparent for days or even weeks after an accident or injury has occurred. The best course of action following any collision is to speak with a medical professional and get checked out, if only for peace of mind alone.

It is also important to remember that delaying medical care can affect more than your health, it can also negatively impact your claim to compensation. If you choose not to get checked out by a doctor immediately after an accident, insurance adjusters will argue that your injuries must not have been that serious, if they’ll admit your injuries even occurred at all.

After seeking medical attention, call a respected San Antonio car accident attorney. Simply speaking with an attorney about your crash carries no obligation and our firm even offers initial consultations FREE of charge. This introductory call is to help you understand your rights as an injured person and to make you aware of the legal options available to you. If you decide to continue your claim with Thomas J. Henry Law, a car accident lawyer in San Antonio will take immediate steps towards investigating your case and securing and protecting evidence

Damages that Can Be Sought in a San Antonio Car Accident Lawsuit

The damages you are eligible for following a car accident in San Antonio will depend on the circumstances of your accident and the types of injuries that you suffered as a result of the crash. Speaking with a San Antonio car accident lawyer will help you better understand the damages that may be sought in your case but generally speaking, victims of a car accident may be eligible for the following.

• Medical Expenses – Damages related to car accidents almost always include the cost of medical care associated with treating the injuries that occurred. This can include reimbursement for treatment you already received as well as compensation for the estimated cost of medical care you will need in the future.
• Lost Wages: Another very common car accident damage is loss of wages. Typically, we think of this as wages lost because your injuries prevented you from attending work or caused you to lose your job; however, lost wages can also include paid leave or vacation days taken during a hospital stay, to attend appointments, or to attend rehabilitation.
• Loss of Earning Capacity – Similar to lost wages, loss of earning capacity seeks to recover income that has been lost due to your car crash and/or injuries; however, whereas lost wages is focused on salary or wages that have already been lost, loss of earning capacity seeks damages based on future income.
• Pain and Suffering: If your injury has resulted in pain or serious discomfort, you may be entitled to pain and suffering damages. This can include pain experienced when an injury was caused, pain experienced immediately after an injury was caused, and any ongoing pain that can be attributed to the injury or accident.
• Loss of Enjoyment – These damages attempt to quantify the loss of enjoyment in day-to-day pursuits like hobbies, exercise, and other recreational activities.
• Emotional distress – Not all injuries are physical. If your accident or injury has had a psychological impact and has resulted in things like anxiety, depression, or sleep loss, you may be entitled to emotional distress damages.
• Loss of consortium – Typically applied to wrongful death lawsuits, loss of consortium damages can also be sought when a severe injury has resulted in a loss of companionship or an inability to maintain a sexual relationship with a spouse. Children may also sue for loss of consortium if the injuries have significantly hampered the victim’s ability to provide care, nurturing, or comfort.

The above cover common types of compensatory damages, or damages that seek to make the injured party whole, but if the actions leading up to your accident were especially reckless or egregious, you may also be entitled to punitive damages. Punitive damages are extra damages meant to punish the defendant for, particularly careless behavior while also serving as a deterrent to society at large.

Common Causes of Car Accidents

Car accidents can occur for a number of reasons, and a single collision can have multiple causes. More often than not, however, car accidents are caused by some manner of negligence. Below are the top five causes of car accidents in San Antonio.

1. Driver Inattention and/or Driver Distraction: The most common cause of car accidents in San Antonio and across the U.S. is simply drivers not paying attention to that task at hand- driving. This can occur in two forms: driver inattention and driver distraction. Most of us are familiar with distracted driving. Distractions can include texting, using a cell phone, talking to passengers, adjusting the radio, and nearly anything else that draws a driver’s eyes away from the road, their hands away from the wheel, or their concentration away from the task of driving. Driver inattention is a little different in that it does not require an actual manual, visual, or audible distraction, only that a driver loses focus on driving.
2. Driver Fatigue/Drowsiness: Driver fatigue and driver drowsiness are unfortunately common on San Antonio roadways. It is also important to remember that driver drowsiness does not need to mean a person is falling asleep at the wheel. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), chronic sleep deprivation affects nearly one-third of all Americans. Sleep deprivation, chronic or otherwise, can greatly impact a person’s reaction times, hinder visual and motor coordination, and impair judgment. When combined with driving, any of these effects can be catastrophic or even fatal. In fact, the CDC also found that a driver who has been awake for 18 hours straight suffers from the same visual, motor, and cognitive impairments as a driver with a .05 blood alcohol content level. Driver fatigue and drowsiness can also lead to driver inattention.
3. Speeding: Speeding is very dangerous and alarmingly common. Studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that two-thirds of all drivers exceed the speed limit. In addition to increasing the likelihood of a crash, speeding also increases the chances that a crash will result in serious injury or death. Speeding also makes vehicles more susceptible to hazards like poorly maintained roads, adverse weather conditions, and tire blowouts.
4. Alcohol and Drug Impairment: Between one-fourth and one-third of all traffic accidents of all fatal collisions in the U.S. involve a driver who is impaired by alcohol or drugs. Of all the factors that can contribute to a crash, driving while impaired is among the easiest to avoid. Still, tens of thousands of crashes occur every year because people continue to choose to get behind the wheel while drunk or under the influence of drugs. Drivers should also be aware of how legal prescription drugs may affect their ability to drive safely.
5. Reckless and Aggressive Driving: The final leading factor in traffic accidents in San Antonio is driving in a reckless or aggressive manner. This is typically demonstrated by the conscious disregard for traffic laws and safety, including improper lane changes, running red lights, tailgating, road rage, and cutting in-and-out of traffic.

10 Most Dangerous Intersections in San Antonio

According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), about 50 percent of all traffic accidents, and nearly one-quarter of traffic fatalities, occur at or in relation to intersections. How dangerous an intersection is can have a number of factors, including design, traffic volume, visual obstructions, and the posted speed limit around the intersection. These are San Antonio’s most dangerous intersections based solely on the number of collisions that have occurred at each.

1. Loop 1604 and Interstate 10 – 216 collisions reported in 2017
2. Northwest Loop 410 and Interstate 10 – 124 collisions reported in 2017
3. U.S. 281 and Interstate 35 – 108 collisions reported in 2017
4. West Loop 1604 North and Highway 16 – 92 collisions reported in 2017
5. Northeast Loop 410 and Interstate 35 – 90 collisions reported in 2017
6. North Loop 1604 East and Interstate 35 – 82 collisions reported in 2017
7. Alamo Ranch Parkway and Westwood Loop – 79 collisions reported in 2017
8. Northeast Loop 410 and Walzem Road – 63 collisions reported in 2017
9. Northwest Loop 410 and Wurzbach Road – 61 collisions reported in 2017
10. Northwest Loop 410 and San Pedro Avenue – 61 collisions reported in 2017

Statute of Limitations on a San Antonio Car Accident Claim

If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a car accident, it is best to contact an auto accident lawyer in San Antonio immediately. An experienced lawyer can help you protect your rights while also mitigating the confusion and stress that can follow a serious collision. However, we understand that calling a lawyer may not have been top-of-mind following your crash. Do not worry, there is still time.

Under Texas law (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a)), the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims is two years.

This means even if you did not call a San Antonio personal injury attorney in the days or weeks following your crash, you can still reach out to our law offices to file your claim. Our attorneys will take immediate action on your case, including gathering information about the accident, gathering insurance information from the adverse driver, and gathering your medical records necessary to prove your claim.

Injured in a Crash? Contact an Experienced San Antonio Auto Accident Lawyer

Were you injured in a traffic accident in San Antonio or a surrounding area? Our San Antonio auto accident lawyers are available 24/7 to assist you and provide you with a free legal consultation. Contact Thomas J. Henry Law today for more information about the services we provide to clients in San Antonio, Texas.

Thomas J. Henry Law is among the most respected personal injury firms in San Antonio and is the largest personal injury plaintiff’s firm in Texas. For the past 25 years, we have built a reputation for securing record-breaking settlements and verdicts on behalf of injured clients. We are committed to our clients’ financial and physical recovery and place client satisfaction at the center of every decision. As a result, Thomas J. Henry has been named one of the Best San Antonio Lawyers by San Antonio Scene for three consecutive years (2018, 2019, and 2020) and was recognized as the Best Attorney of San Antonio by the San Antonio Current in 2019 and 2020. He is also a lifetime member of Rue Ratings’ “Best Attorneys of America” and his firm, Thomas J. Henry Law, was named one of the Top Law Firms of 2020 by Newsweek.com.

Remember, you do not have to face your accident and injuries alone. We are here to help you during your time of need. This includes help with medical appointments, transportation, and cash advancements on qualified cases. Let our attorneys deal with the insurers and your claim so you can focus on what’s really important: getting better.

Our San Antonio Personal Injury Law Offices

• Phone number: 210-941-2191 (attorneys available 24/7 to assist you)
• Address: 5710 W Hausman Rd, Suite 108, San Antonio, Texas 78249