What Is the Purpose of a Personal Injury Claim?
Accidents and injuries are an everyday part of life. Whether an injury occurs at home, at work, in a store, or on our nation’s roadways, when a person suffers an injury due to the recklessness or negligence of another party or entity, the injured person should be properly compensated for his or her injuries.
Unfortunately, the insurance companies responsible for compensating accident victims often try to avoid liability and limit injury payments For this reason, it is important to discuss your case with an experienced Houston personal injury lawyer at Morrow & Sheppard LLP before you talk with the insurance company. A skilled attorney will carefully review your accident and injuries in order to determine whether you have a valid personal injury claim.
Often in our practice, clients ask whether they should file a personal injury claim. In reality, the question our clients are truly asking is: “what does a personal injury claim do?”
Personal injury claims serve several different functions. First and foremost, a personal injury claim is designed to help you obtain the compensation and relief that you are legally entitled to. When an insurance company offers you a settlement knowing that you are not represented by an attorney, the offer is likely to be low. While you might try to negotiate a slightly higher payment on your own, it is extremely unlikely that you are going to be able to convince an adjuster to pay you the same amount as you would if you retain legal counsel.
When you work with an attorney to make a personal injury claim, you are sending a strong message to the corporation or insurance company involved that you are not going to accept their lowball offer: you expect to receive fair and just payment for your injuries.
Why Work With a Personal Injury Lawyer?
In addition to increasing the likelihood of a higher compensation award, working with a personal injury lawyer to file a legal claim can also give you peace of mind. Rather than acting alone, you will have the support and guidance of a trusted professional who knows how to gather evidence to support your claim and stand up to the insurance company or corporation responsible for your injuries. Whether negotiating a settlement with your opponents or litigating your case in court, the experienced lawyers at Morrow & Sheppard LLP will take all steps necessary to protect your rights and obtain maximum financial relief for you and your family.
If you decide to work with a Houston area law firm to pursue a personal injury claim, make sure the firm will represent you on a contingency fee basis. Morrow & Sheppard LLP handle their personal injury cases on a contingency basis.
A contingency fee means you only pay if you win. If you don’t receive a recovery from a settlement, arbitration, or court judgment, you will not be responsible for paying your attorney’s fees. Not only does this type of fee arrangement relieve you from making a large up-front payment to your attorney, it also creates a strong financial incentive for your lawyer to secure the maximum compensation available in your case, as quickly as possible. In a contingency fee arrangement, your interests are directly aligned with the interests of your attorney, because he or she will only get paid when and if you receive a recovery.
The process of filing a personal injury claim can seem overwhelming, but it is important to remember that a good attorney will be with you every step of the way. If you decide not to initiate a claim, you may be wondering what is the worst that can happen? The answer is that you run the risk of getting nothing from the insurance company or a payment that is only a fraction of what you would have received if you had been represented by a skilled personal injury lawyer.
While no lawyer in Houston can guarantee what you will ultimately get for your personal injury claim, it is certainly worth your time to discuss your case with the experienced professionals at Morrow & Sheppard LLP. We can explain your options and walk you through the legal process. Please contact us now for a free, confidential consultation.
Common Questions
- What Should I Do Right Now?
- Why Do I Need To Act Fast?
- Should I Sign Anything Or Give A Statement?
- I Don’t Live In Texas. What Should I Do?
- Will My Case Settle?
- I Don’t Know If I Can Afford A Lawsuit – How Much Does It Cost?
- What About Doctors & Medical Bills?
- What If My Employer Finds Out?
- What Is a Personal Injury?
- What is the Purpose of a Personal Injury Claim?
- What Will My Personal Injury Claim Be Worth?
- What Compensation Will I Be Entitled to Receive?
- Do All Personal Injury Cases Go to Trial?
- Personal Injury Negligence
- What Is Personal Injury Negligence?
- What Must Be Shown In A Personal Injury Negligence Case?
- Who Owes You A Negligence Duty?
- Does An Employer Have Special Duties?
- What Damages Can I Recover In A Personal Injury Negligence Lawsuit?
- How Long Do I Have To File A Personal Injury Negligence Lawsuit?
- What Are Examples Of Personal Injury Negligence Lawsuits?
- No Fee Promise
- Do I Really Need a Personal Injury Attorney?
- Who Has Claims For Wrongful Death?
- What Is The Jones Act?
- What Is The Death On The High Seas Act?
- Who Is A Jones Act Seaman?
- About Other Wrongful Death Actions
- How Long Do I Have To Pursue A Jones Act Claim?
- What Jones Act Damages Can I Recover?
- Who Can I Sue Under the Jones Act?
- What Is Jones Act Negligence?
- What Are Examples of Jones Act Cases?
- Maritime Law & Unseaworthiness
- Maritime Injury Lawyer Rules
- What Evidence Matters In 18 Wheeler Trucking Or Commercial Vehicle Accidents?
- Who Is Responsible For My 18 Wheeler Or Commercial Vehicle Accident?
- What Legal Claims Am I Entitled To Bring?
- How Common Are 18 Wheeler Truck And Commercial Vehicle Accidents? Why Are They Significant?
- Are There Special Inspection Requirements For 18 Wheeler Trucks And Commercial Vehicles?
- What Are Common Causes Of 18 Wheeler Truck And Commercial Vehicle Accidents?
- Inadequately Trained Or Unqualified Drivers
- Improper Maintenance & Inspection
- Driver Fatigue
- Poor Route Planning
- Failure To Properly Secure Cargo
- Specific Issues Involving Vocational Trucks
- Hazardous Materials & Oversized Loads
- Distracted Truck Drivers
- Braking & Tire Issues
- Speeding
- Weather Conditions
- Alcohol and Drugs
- What Oilfields Are Active In Texas?
- What Is Shale?
- What Is Hydraulic Fracturing Or “Fracking”?
- What Does The Texas Railroad Commission Have To Do With Oil & Gas?
- What Is The Barnett Shale?
- What Is The Eagle Ford Shale?
- What Is The Granite Walsh Formation?
- What Is The Haynesville Shale?
- What Is The Permian Basin?
- How Many Oilfield Accidents Have There Been In Texas?
- Do I Have A “Strict Liability” Products Personal Injury Claim?
- What Goes Into A Products Liability Claim?
- What Is A Product Defect?
- What Kinds of Product Defects Are There?
- What If There Have Been Other Accidents Involving The Same Product
- Do I Have To Prove Negligence In A Products Liability Case?
- What Is A Product Recall?
- What If The Product Cannot Be Traced Back To The Manufacturer?
- Who Are The Defendants In A Products Liability Case?
- Do I Have Any Other Claims?
- What Damages Can I Recover?
- What Are Examples Of Industrial Accidents?
- What Is OSHA?
- What Rights Do Workers Have Under OSHA?
- What Are The Most Common OSHA Violations?
- What Is The Chemical Safety Board?
- How Old Are Most Refineries? What Condition Are They In?
- What Refineries Are Active In Texas? Have They Had Safety Incidents?
- Incidents At Alon’s Big Spring Refinery
- Incidents At Calumet’s San Antonio Refinery
- Incidents At Citgo’s Corpus Christi Refinery
- Incidents At Delek’s Tyler Refinery
- Incidents At ExxonMobil’s Baytown Refinery
- Incidents At ExxonMobil’s Beaumont Refinery
- Incidents At Flint Hills Resources Corpus Christi Refinery
- Incidents At Lyondell’s Houston Refinery
- Incidents At Marathon’s Galveston Bay Refinery
- Incidents At Marathon’s Texas City Refinery
- Incidents At Petrobras’s Pasadena Refinery
- Incidents At Shell’s Deer Park Refinery
- Incidents At The Motiva Port Arthur Refinery
- Incidents At The Valero Port Arthur Refinery
- Incidents At Total’s Port Arthur Refinery
- Incidents At Valero’s Bill Greehey East & West Refineries
- Incidents At Valero’s Houston Refinery
- Incidents At Valero’s McKee Refinery In Sunray, Texas
- Incidents At Valero’s Texas City Refinery
- Incidents At Valero’s Three Rivers Refinery
- Incidents At Western Refining’s El Paso Refinery