San Antonio Rear-End Collision Attorneys

San Antonio’s Highways

San Antonio has some key intersections, stretches of highway that are no longer than three miles in length but result in an average of 540 crashes every year. The intersection of Interstate 10 and Highway 90 make their transitions through the center of town south and west and are regularly full of congestion. This intersection is at high risk for rear-end collisions.

Along the interstate 10, drivers who fail to use blinkers, are prone to fast lane changes or speed changes result in serious rear-end car accidents. Given the number of cars on the road at any time, a single rear-end collision can cause the front vehicle to swerve (to avoid hitting another car) and clip those that are nearby. In essence, even a single rear-end collision in San Antonio can result in a lot of damage.

Fault Laws

In San Antonio, any rear-end collision is subject to Texas State fault laws. These laws stipulate that even if both parties are found to be at fault for the accident to some degree or another, a claim can still be filed for damages. The amount you are awarded is based on how much at fault you were found.

For example: If the courts find that you were 10% at fault because you had a broken tail light, but the other driver was 90% at fault because they followed you too closely and, as a result, ended up in a rear-end car crash, Texas fault rules would modify the total amount of compensation accordingly. If, for example, the total amount of compensation awarded was $50,000, you would instead take home $45,000, which would be equivalent to the full amount minus your 10% of the fault.

Why You Need a San Antonio Rear-End Collision Attorney

When you are involved in an accident, your insurance provider will ask for a detailed report of what happened. This report will include information you may or may not have written down at the scene as well as any pictures you took.

If you are filing a claim against another driver for a rear-end collision, you have two years from the date of the accident to file the claim.

Someone to Work With Insurance Companies

Having an attorney gives you someone who can handle the insurance companies on your behalf. Rest assured that claims adjusters (the people with whom you speak after a car accident) may sound kind enough on the phone, but they are trained on how to reduce settlements or avoid paying out altogether. Insurance companies also understand the San Antonio statute of limitations and will do their very best to wait out the claim, postponing a settlement until the point that it is no longer payable.

Experienced San Antonio rear-end collision attorneys know how to work with these companies to make sure that claims are submitted on time and to demand compensation when and where it is deserved. In addition to working with your insurance company or any other insurance companies involved, attorneys will take the time to answer your questions and help you best understand the process so that you know not only what has transpired but what is likely to take place along the way.

Someone to File Lawsuits

If a settlement cannot be reached or you have to file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver, an attorney can help you not only file the lawsuit but substantiate all of your claims. For example, proving that another driver was at fault for a car accident because they were negligent while on the road and caused a rear-end collision is stressful enough on its own. But, an attorney can help you to prove that the other driver was negligent by getting copies of the cell phone records which could confirm text messages being sent and received at the time of the accident. Attorneys can more easily obtain security camera footage from nearby companies where you would have trouble.

Someone to Maximize the Compensation

Even if you know how to handle each step of your insurance claim or lawsuit, it is still more comfortable and faster to have an attorney do it on your behalf. If you have sustained injuries, in particular, you might have trouble proving that your injuries resulted from the accident in question if your doctor failed to use precise medical jargon in the report. Even something as simple as a single missing word or missing sentence could mean the difference between a settlement and no settlement.

Consider this: just because a medical report says you have tissue damage, lacerations, and broken bones this doesn’t prove that there was a link between the car accident and all of those issues. A medical report saying you have lacerations from shattered car glass, broken bones from the impact of being thrown against the dashboard, and tissue damage from coming into contact with the steering wheel provides a much more substantial link; therefore, how much more likely you will have a settlement with maximum compensation.