Dallas Insurance Claims Attorney | Personal Injury Lawyer Richardson

Category: Auto driving

  • Mistakes That Can Derail Your Texas Car Accident Claim

    We like to think that seeking compensation after a car accident is pretty straightforward. Insurance companies simply look at the facts surrounding the accident, right?

    Wrong. The things you do even days or weeks after the crash can help or harm your case. Sometimes even facts from months later can affect what compensation you receive.

    Following the right course of action and getting the help of a Texas auto accident lawyer can give you a much better result. Here are our tips.

    5 Mistakes to Avoid After an Accident

    If you’ve been injured in an accident, we want you to be able to receive the maximum compensation possible. To do that, try to avoid these common mistakes.

    1. Failing to Call the Police

    Even if the accident seems minor, or if the other driver tries to convince you to keep insurance out of it, always call the police. A police report provides an official record of what happened and often includes key details that can help establish fault.

    Without it, it becomes your word against theirs, which is not a good position at the bargaining table or in court.

    2. Failing to Seek Medical Attention

    Some injuries don’t show symptoms right away or appear minor at first. Still, it’s important to see a doctor right away, just in case.

    If you seek treatment later, it makes it easier for the insurance company to argue that your injuries were caused by something else, rather than by the accident. See a doctor immediately and follow any recommendations they give you. This creates a clear medical record linking your injuries to the crash.

    3. Trusting the Insurance Company

    The insurance company is not on your side—even your own insurance company. The job of every insurance professional is to minimize payouts. A win for the insurance company is generally a loss for you.

    Insurance adjusters are trained to get you to say things that can weaken your claim so they can deny it. Consulting with a personal injury attorney before giving any statement can make a big difference in your case.

    4. Discussing the Case on Social Media

    A major event like a car accident may seem like a prime topic for social media. But if you’ve been in an accident, it’s best to avoid posting anything, even about unrelated topics.

    Insurance companies often monitor social media accounts. Even posts unrelated to the crash can be twisted to suggest you’re not actually hurt. When in doubt, stay silent online until your case is resolved.

    5. Not Hiring an Experienced Texas Car Accident Attorney

    Trying to handle your car accident claim on your own can be a costly mistake. Texas personal injury law is complex, and insurance companies have teams of lawyers working to protect their bottom line. Without legal representation, you may accept a lowball offer or miss an important deadline.

    A skilled attorney can take control and ensure you receive proper compensation for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering.

    Contact The Fell Law Firm Today to Get Started

    At The Fell Law Firm, our experienced attorneys can help you avoid common traps that can harm your case. After a car accident, call our team at 972-450-1418 or contact us online to find out how we can help.

  • Are Younger Drivers Safer Than Ever?

    It makes intuitive sense that the least experienced drivers are the most prone to mistakes. The more time you spend behind the wheel, the better you are able to handle the responsibility of safe driving.

    Recent statistics indicate that younger drivers are still the most accident prone group, but they may be doing better than they did in the past. Improvements in young driver safety could go a long way toward making the roadways safer for everyone.

    Young Driver Safety by the Numbers

    A report from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) shows that crash and fatality rates for young drivers are down significantly over the past 20 years. Drivers under the age of 21 have a per-driver fatal crash rate that is 34% lower than it was in 2002. The fatal crash rate for drivers over 21 dropped only 12% in the same time period.

    Understanding why safety has improved for the younger cohort could help identify strategies to expand those gains.

    The GHSA suggested a number of possible causes for the improved performance of young drivers, including:

    • Graduated Driver License (GDL) programs
    • Expanded access to driver training resources
    • Improved safety technology, particularly driver-assist features
    • More engagement from parents/guardians, particularly in association with graduated driver license requirements
    • Peer-to-peer driver programs for young drivers

    Accounting for Fewer Drivers

    Normalizing the data into fatal crashes per 10,000 licensed drivers helped account for the fact that young people are driving less than they once did. GDL programs account for some of this difference, as they restrict teen drivers to daytime driving and limit the number of teen passengers allowed in the vehicle.

    It’s also the case that a 20-year-old first-time driver may have significant advantages over a 16-year-old first-time driver. The fact that fewer teens are pursuing driving privileges at 16 than they did 20 years ago will also have some effect on driver safety numbers.

    While it certainly matters why fewer teens are dying in car accidents, there’s no doubt that it’s cause for celebration. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people aged 5 to 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s a grim reality that if drivers were more attentive and better trained, tens of thousands of lives would be saved every year in the U.S. alone.

    Contact Our Experienced Dallas Car Accident Attorneys Today

    After a car or truck accident, you need to move quickly to protect your rights. If you’ve been involved in a crash, a skilled personal injury lawyer can help you seek the compensation you deserve. At The Fell Law Firm, we combine small firm values with big firm fight. Call 972-450-1418 or contact us online to discuss your legal needs today.

  • What Are Common Causes of Auto Accidents?

    “239,539 persons were injured in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2021.” – Texas Department of Transportation.

    That’s a shocking piece of information to think about, isn’t it. The report has an even more startling fact: One person was killed every hour and 57 minutes on Texas roads in 2021. Driving cars, trucks and other automobiles is so common and essential to daily life that you’d expect it to be safe. Sadly, the reality is just the opposite.

    Why Auto Accidents Happen

    Automobiles are amazing works of technology that help people get places quickly. But they’re also large and made of heavy materials. Add to that the unfortunate element of user error, and you’re looking at the possibility of big damage when drivers collide with each other and other objects.

    What causes these collisions to happen? How can people get in their cars every day, gain experience and yet still end up getting into accidents? There are a number of common causes of these accidents:

    Other causes of auto accidents include speeding, defective vehicle parts, aggressive driving and more.

    What Types of Claims Do People File After an Accident?

    Auto accidents can come with devastating consequences. As a result, many accident victims file claims and lawsuits to help them move forward. Types of claims include the following:

    Personal Injury

    If you’ve ever been injured in an accident, you know the road to recovery can be long and painful. It’s even worse if you’re struggling to pay the medical bills and dealing with lost wages.

    Ideally, an insurance claim would cover the financial burden, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Depending on the policy, the insurance coverage could be limited. This is why many people get the help of a lawyer to negotiate fair compensation.

    Property Damage

    Cars can receive varying levels of damage from accidents. But whether a vehicle receives a few minor dings and scratches or gets completely totaled, someone needs to pay for the damage.

    People file property damage claims in order to cover the cost of getting their vehicle repaired or to completely replace their car or truck. But these claims can also take care of costs for things you might not expect, such as the price of a rental car or even the cost of possessions inside the vehicle that were damaged during the accident.

    Need Financial Compensation After an Auto Accident? Contact Our Attorneys Today!

    If you or a loved one have been injured in an auto accident and are struggling to get compensation from an insurance company, we can help. The experienced attorneys at The Fell Law Firm will help fight to get you the money you need. Call 972-450-1418 or send us a message online to schedule your consultation.

  • Is Auto-Driver Technology the Answer?

    Let’s face it; humans can be terrible drivers. We make a host of mistakes behind the wheel. For example, we drive when we’re tired, when we’re angry, and while we focus on anything but the road in front of us. Unfortunately, for all our flaws, we are also the best and only option for operating a motor vehicle.

    For many, self-driving vehicles have been the hoped-for solution for years. We’ve been waiting on robot drivers almost as eagerly as on flying cars. Who wouldn’t rather set the destination and forget about the trouble of getting there?

    Eager for any Solution

    As nice as it would be to have auto-driving technology on board, it’s important not to take that step too soon. It’s one thing to identify a problem and another to find a better solution. Auto-driving technology needs to be carefully reviewed before we allow uninhibited access to the roads we all share. 

    The new top official at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has promised to take a long, hard look at the safety records amassed by early entrants into the field of automated vehicle technology.

    What Is the Sweet Spot for Self-Driving Tech?

    One difficult question is what kind of failure rate are we willing to tolerate from self-driving vehicles? Most people regard themselves as better than average drivers. That means many, if not most, drivers overestimate their own skills and/or underestimate the skills of others. 

    We would likely all be happy to replace the other drivers with automated technology. But are we willing to turn over our own control to it?

    There’s no such thing as a perfect machine. If we demand perfection, automated technology will never arrive. If we demand technology that matches our current abilities as human drivers, we will continue to tolerate high numbers of injuries and deaths without holding the tech companies accountable for not doing better. 

    The NHTSA may play a large role in determining how safe it is when it comes to auto-driver devices.

    Turn to Us With Your Auto Accident Questions

    At The Fell Law Firm, we have years of experience helping the victims of car and truck accidents. We know how to protect you from insurance companies and a court system that can be difficult to navigate. If you have been in an accident, or if you have lost a loved one in a fatal crash, send us a message or call 972-450-1418.