Negligent drivers make our roadways far less safe for all of us, and we share the road with careless drivers every time we get behind the wheel. If you have suffered an injury by another driver's negligence, you must obtain enough compensation to cover your losses. An experienced Denton car accident lawyer from Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers can help considerably.
We are a national law firm based in Texas with multiple offices around the country. We also work with affiliate law firms in most states that share our focus and dedication to excellence. No matter where you are located, we may be able to help you, so call or contact us now. We are open, for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-898-4877, or you may contact us now by clicking here to submit your case for review.
Car Accident Guide
Crashes in Denton, Texas
Denton is not only the county seat of Denton County but is also a thriving Texas city with a beautiful courthouse square and a lively music scene. With all of this comes plenty of traffic and traffic accidents. The Denton Record-Chronicle reports that, in 2021, Denton saw its highest number of traffic fatalities in a decade.
Some of the roads involved include:
- University Drive
- Interstate 35, where it intersects Highway 380
- Highway 380 (between South Loop and U.S. Highway 377 in Cross Roads)
If a car accident that another driver’s negligence caused leaves you injured, the trusted Denton car accident lawyers at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers are on your side and here to help.
Car Accident Claims
If you suffered an injury in a car accident, you'll file your claim with the at-fault driver's insurance provider—in pursuit of compensation that covers your entire range of losses. While the insurance company is responsible for covering your claim, its primary goal is to keep its profits as high as possible, so it might turn to some tried and true tactics to keep your settlement as low as possible.
Claims Denials
If the insurance company comes back with a claim denial right out of the gate, it can be exceptionally discouraging, and the insurance company banks on this. By denying claims upfront, the insurer can offload all the claims that vulnerable claimants simply give up on.
If your car accident lawyer believes in the strength of your claim, you should follow suit by not taking a claim denial for an answer. In the end, the court will determine the value of your claim (if the insurance company turns its back on you and you need to move forward with a lawsuit).
Early Settlement Offer
The insurance company handling your claim may offer you a settlement very quickly, and it may seem like the answer to all your problems (including your mounting medical bills and decreased income). The insurance company is counting on this reaction—it hopes to settle your claim before you calculate your losses. Discuss all settlement offers with your dedicated car accident lawyer before accepting them.
Prolonged Claims Process
Car accident claims tend to be very complicated, and the process lengthy. If the insurance company, however, artificially prolongs or complicates the process, some claimants will simply lose patience and give up—playing directly into the plans of their insurance companies. Laws prohibit artificially complicating or prolonging the car accident claims process, and your lawyer knows how to help ensure the insurance company complies with those laws.
Casting Doubt
The insurance company may doubt the extent of your losses to keep your settlement low. This is why you must carefully document every loss in your car accident claim.
You can bolster the strength of your claim by:
- Reaching out for the professional legal guidance of our knowledgeable car accident lawyers early in the process.
- Laying low on social media (your posts can be twisted and used to weaken your claim)
- Attending all your medical appointments, including physical and occupational therapy, and carefully following the advice and instructions provided
- Allowing our car accident lawyers to do the talking with the insurance company for you
Victim Blaming
The insurance company may attempt to direct fault in your car accident claim away from its policyholder and toward you. Don't fall for this common tactic. Fault is determined by carefully assessing the available evidence, and your car accident lawyer will address the matter in your claim.
In Texas, sharing some of the fault in a car accident does not bar you from seeking compensation in a car accident claim—so always contact a lawyer even if you don't know whether you contributed to the crash.
Your Losses
The losses—or legal damages—you can seek compensation for in a car accident claim fall into these basic categories:
- Property damage to your car and its contents
- Your medical bills (current and ongoing)
- Your lost wages
- The pain and suffering you endure
Recovering your complete losses can pay for the treatments you need to regain your health and well-being.
The Other Driver’s Negligence
Car accident claims stem from driver negligence, which can manifest in many forms.
Impairment
Alcohol can lead to physical, cognitive, and sensory impairments that seriously interfere with one’s ability to drive safely. Unfortunately, the statistics demonstrate that drunk driving continues to be a significant problem on our roadways. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shares that, in 2020 alone, more than 11,500 people lost their lives in traffic accidents involving drunk driving, which translates to one preventable death every 45 minutes.
Consider the following vital statistics forwarded by NHTSA:
- Almost a third of all traffic accidents in the United States involve drunk drivers (who are over the legal limit of .08 percent blood alcohol concentration).
- From 2011 to 2020, drunk drivers killed about 10,500 people each year.
Fatigue
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the following eye-popping statistics regarding drowsy drivers:
- About one out of every 25 motorists self-reports having fallen asleep behind the wheel in the 30 days prior.
- In a recent year, the NHTSA estimated that drowsy driving caused 91,000 car accidents that caused 50,000 injuries and 800 fatalities. As steep as these numbers are, many experts believe the actual numbers to be higher.
Drowsy drivers experience all the following risk factors:
- It is more difficult for them to pay attention to the road ahead.
- Their fatigue diminishes their ability to make sound driving decisions.
- Their reaction times are slower.
Drowsy driving is often the result of simply getting too little sleep, but factors such as shift work, the effects of certain medications, and untreated sleep disorders can also play a role.
Excess Speed
Speed causes far too many car accidents. Speed not only makes accidents more likely but also helps to ensure that the accidents are more severe.
The National Safety Council (NSC) says that excess speed was a major factor in a full 29 percent of all traffic fatalities in 2020, leading to more than 30 fatalities each day.
When a motorist exceeds the speed limit or fails to slow down for road conditions, they reduce the time to safely react to risks, increase their stopping distance, and decrease the effectiveness of road safety structures (like guardrails and concrete barriers). The number of speed-related traffic deaths increased 17 percent in just one year.
Distraction
To drive safely and accommodate the safety of everyone on the road, motorists must focus their attention solely on driving. One of the most common distractions—and one of the deadliest—is texting. When a driver sends or reads a text, the motorist's thoughts, sight, and hands all engage in the distraction—making it a hazardous practice.
A motorist can travel the length of a football field (when traveling at highway speeds) in the five seconds it typically takes to type a text, which highlights exactly how dangerous it is to text behind the wheel.
Aggression
Aggressive drivers like to take their anger out behind the wheel, and they endanger everyone who shares the road with them. Immense speed is a favorite of aggressive drivers, but they tend to engage in multiple dangerous driving activities at any given time.
A few classics include:
- Tailgating
- Ignoring traffic signs, lights, and signals
- Passing dangerously
- Attempting to engage other motorists with crude language or gestures, incessant honking, headlight flashing, and more
- Weaving in and out of traffic and other erratic driving practices
- Refusing to yield the right-of-way
Aggressive drivers are generally hard to miss, and if one catches your eye, alerting the authorities (when it is safe to do so) is the best way to defuse the dangerous situation.
Having Professional Legal Guidance on Your Side
One of the most important steps you can take if you suffer an injury due to another driver’s negligence is consulting with a seasoned car accident lawyer.
Your lawyer will skillfully:
- Gather all the relevant evidence, including testimony from eyewitnesses, the police report, and more
- Compile your strongest claim
- Navigate the challenging claims process and make the right decisions for you along the way
- Communicate with the insurance rep handling your claim on your behalf
- Skillfully negotiate a settlement that addresses your physical, emotional, and financial losses in their entirety
- Hire the testimony of expert witnesses and create accident models that illustrate how your accident played out
- Prepare to file a lawsuit (in the event the insurance company refuses to engage in fair negotiations)
Denton Car Accident FAQs
The answers to the following frequently asked questions may help answer some of your own.
How do I know who is at fault for the accident that injured me?
Sometimes, it is self-evident who is at fault for a car accident, and sometimes, it requires more investigative work. The evidence will guide this determination, and a practiced car accident lawyer can help you make this primary determination.
What if I can’t afford a car accident lawyer?
Expense is a common concern when hiring a car accident lawyer. You face medical bills and lost earnings, and legal costs represent yet another expense. This is why most reputable car accident lawyers work on contingency, which means the outcome of their client's claims determines their pay. In other words, you will owe your lawyer a prearranged percentage of your settlement or court award once your claim has reached its resolution, and if your claim isn't successful, you won't owe anything.
How can I protect my claim?
While your car accident claim will be unique to your situation, taking the following steps is always well advised:
- Consult with a savvy car accident lawyer as soon after the accident as possible
- Follow your doctor’s orders, advice, and instructions carefully, and faithfully attend all your medical appointments
- Don’t post on social media
- Leave the insurance company in the capable hands of your lawyer
Remember that severe injuries can be slow to present with symptoms, which makes seeking medical attention early on extremely important (even if you don’t think you were seriously injured).
It’s Time to Consult an Experienced Denton Car Accident Lawyer
As we have already discussed, you can afford a lawyer because of how contingency fees work. Our law firm will evaluate your case at no charge. There’s no risk in reaching out to see if we can help. Recovering your health and your losses is too important.
The accomplished Denton car accident lawyers at Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers dedicated their impressive practice to harnessing their decades of experience in pursuit of favorable claims resolutions for clients like you.
In fact, the legal team of Stewart J. Guss, Injury Accident Lawyers, is nationally recognized for protecting the rights of injured victims for more than 20 years. If a Denton car accident injured you, call our office right now for a free consultation! Because we take all of our car accident cases on a contingency fee basis, you will not owe us a dime unless we win your case. We are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so call us today at 800-898-4877 or contact us now by clicking here.
The outcome of your claim is vital to your future, so please do not hesitate to contact us for more information today.