Motorists who drive the wrong way down a road risk putting drivers going in the proper direction in danger. Wrong-way motorists may directly cause head-on collisions or cause you to swerve or make another maneuver resulting in you or a loved one suffering injuries. If this happened to you, you may want to pursue compensation for your damages.
The motorist who drove in the wrong direction could be one of multiple parties responsible for your accident-related losses. Hiring an Austin wrong-way accident lawyer with Loncar Lyon Jenkins could be a step towards you obtaining any compensation that you deserve.
Call Loncar Lyon Jenkins today for a free consultation about how our Austin car accident lawyer may help you after a wrong-way accident in Austin. You can explore your legal options during a free consultation with our team today.
Our Austin Wrong-Way Car Accident Lawyer Will Demand Full Recovery for the Accident Damages You Suffered
Motor vehicle accidents are often costly, and affected victims can face various losses after suffering physical injuries, lost income, pain and suffering and more. A car accident attorney from our team can review your damages from the accident in Austin and determine what you can demand from the party responsible for the crash.
Common recoverable damages in wrong-way car accidents include economic and non-economic damages, including:
- Medical bills, including emergency care, surgeries, tests, medications
- Rehabilitation expenses (e.g., physical therapy)
- Loss of income from time missed at work due to recovery time
- Lost earning ability if you cannot return to work right away, cannot return at all or must take a different job
- Pain and suffering, including psychological harm, such as post-traumatic stress, mental anguish, emotional distress, depression, or anxiety
- Impaired quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death damages (e.g., funeral and burial expenses, the decedent’s medical bills, and lost household income are recoverable in wrongful death lawsuits)
- Property damage (e.g., cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle and other personal property)
- Other related pocket expenses from the accident
Our lawyer will assess your calculable expenses and advise you on the types of compensation you could recover after the car accident.
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We Can Work on Your Austin Wrong-Way Collision at No Upfront Cost
Legal representation could benefit you if you want to hold the at-fault party accountable for your losses. It may cost you nothing to hire a lawyer after your accident. The attorney you hire will handle important duties pertaining to your lawsuit. Many personal injury lawyers lead personal injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, which generally means:
- You will not have to pay your lawyer up front to represent you.
- Your lawyer will not receive any compensation from your pocket.
- You and your lawyer will agree to them receiving a percentage of any winnings that you secure due to their services.
- Your lawyer will only receive compensation for their services if you secure a settlement or judgment.
This contingency-fee structure may apply regardless of whether your lawyer is handling an insurance claim, lawsuit, or some combination of both for you. Not having to pay your lawyer upfront may lower the barriers to accessing legal representation and ensure you pursue your case properly.
How Our Attorneys Help Victims of Wrong-Way Accidents in Austin, TX
Healing from an accident takes time, especially collisions that cause severe injuries. We will lead your entire compensation case for damages as you heal from the accident. You can focus solely on your recovery while we seek to hold the negligent driver or another entity accountable. When our personal injury law firm handles your case, you can expect our team to always protect your rights and interests.
A Lawyer Will Complete an Insurance Claim or Lawsuit
The circumstances of each wrong-way accident must be considered individually. The facts of your accident may determine whether an insurance claim or lawsuit is your first option for seeking compensation for damages.
A lawyer can advise you on whether they believe an insurance claim or lawsuit is most appropriate. They may advise that you initiate an insurance claim while leaving open the option of a lawsuit. You may even initiate both types of action against different at-fault parties.
Your lawyer will take steps to build a supporting case for your claim or lawsuit, including:
- Hearing your account of what happened in the wrong-way crash in Austin to understand your perspective on the accident.
- Investigating the accident to gather the facts related to the accident.
- Collecting and organizing critical evidence related to your accident (e.g., a police report, witness statements, medical records, photos, video footage).
- Collecting and documenting witness testimony and expert witness testimony.
- Hiring experts to recreate your accident or testify to specific aspects of your case.
- Taking care of all case-related deadlines and filing your lawsuit before the time limit expires (In Texas, injured parties generally have two years from the accident date or the decedent’s death date to file a lawsuit, per Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003.
- Negotiating for an accident settlement that covers your post-accident needs
- Taking your recovery case to trial and fighting for compensation in court
We Will Look Out for Your Needs and Interests After the Accident
Certain lawsuits may require a trial to achieve a resolution. Your lawyer will be ready to take your case through the trial phase if this occurs during your case.
Having a lawyer can also protect your rights, whether from insurance companies, other lawyers, or any other party who may threaten your case.
What Happens If an Underinsured or Uninsured Driver Hits You in a Wrong-Way Austin Accident?
Some drivers who steer their vehicles into oncoming traffic may not have insurance coverage or may have adequate insurance to cover losses from an accident they caused. If this is your situation, our Austin wrong-way car crash attorneys can review other options you may have for recovering your accident damages, including uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) or personal injury protection (PIP).
We can handle all communications with insurance carriers, ensuring you understand what your policy covers in a wrong-way accident and that you don’t tell your insurance company something that could jeopardize your compensation case.
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We Will Deal With the Insurance Company for You After the Austin, TX, Wrong-Way Crash
Sometimes, accident injury victims experience a hard time from insurance companies after a collision that could discourage them from seeking fair compensation. We can take up your case to ensure you seek all avenues to recovery with complications. You can secure legal counsel if:
- An adjuster is hard to reach or stalling your claim
- Not communicating with you about your policy and what it covers
- Lowering your case’s value to avoid paying the full amount
- Engaging in bad faith tactics, as outlined under Chapter 541 of the Texas Insurance Code
You can get help from an accident injury attorney if you think you are experiencing any of the above while seeking financial recovery after a wrong-way collision in Austin, Texas. We encourage you to reach out to us as soon as possible, as the clock is ticking. If you miss the two-year deadline, you risk losing your right to hold the at-fault party accountable in court.
What If You Are Partially Responsible for a Wrong-Way Crash in Austin?
Texas is a modified comparative fault state, which means you must prove the other party’s percentage of fault is greater than yours if you wish to recover losses. If you played a role in the crash, we can still review the accident and determine what your percentage of fault is.
We will work to show how the other party’s percentage of fault is higher than yours or that they are 100 percent at fault for the crash. Your percentage must be less than 50 percent for you to recover damages. Your percentage of fault will reduce your compensation award. So, for example, if you are awarded $10,000 but are 40 percent responsible for the crash, you would recover only $4,000.
The Rules of the Road Matter in Texas – Austin Drivers Should Know and Follow Them
The rules that govern the roads of Austin are not created thoughtlessly, and they are not optional. Traffic signals, lane markers, and wrong-way signs are among the traffic indicators that every driver in Austin must follow, as disobeying them could result in severe injury. Wrong-way accidents happen for various reasons.
Sometimes, a motorist may not be able to see in poor weather conditions and end up turning into the flow of traffic. Drunk driving and drowsy driving can also lead to confusion that causes a motorist to go in the wrong direction and run into other vehicles.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) provides a database of the road signs you might find on any road in Texas. All motorists must be able to recognize wrong-way signs and refrain from driving in the wrong direction down any roadway in Austin. The consequences of driving the wrong way may be a head-on collision, which can result in serious injury or death.
The Consequences of Head-On Collisions in Austin
KVUE-Austin (a local ABC affiliate) reported on an accident in July 2020 in which two victims died because a wrong-way driver caused a head-on collision on Interstate 35. This tragic consequence illustrates the extreme danger of driving the wrong way on any roadway, especially on roads with relatively high speed limits.
The Insurance Information Institute (III) notes that head-on collisions accounted for about 10.9% of fatal traffic accidents in 2021. These types of collisions may have a disproportionately high rate of injury and death because:
- The momentum of two vehicles traveling in opposite directions and stopping suddenly may cause significant harm to your body.
- Such a sudden stop in momentum could cause your head to thrash violently forward and backward.
- Those without seat belts, or those whose seatbelts do not function properly, may be thrown out of the vehicle or into the windshield.
The impact caused by a head-on collision could be significantly greater than many or most other types of accidents. Therefore, the injuries you or your loved one may have suffered in a wrong-way accident may be severe.
You can hire an Austin wrong-way accident lawyer to help you seek justice after a collision, whether it is head-on or of another sort.
Call Loncar Lyon Jenkins Today After a Wrong-Way Car Accident in Austin, TX
Calling Loncar Lyon Jenkins means calling in the Strong Arm to take over your case for compensation. Do not wait to reach out to us, as you may have a limited period to pursue an insurance claim or lawsuit in Austin.
Call our personal injury team today for a free consultation about how we can pursue compensation for you after an accident in Austin.