Houston Personal Injury Lawyer

Houston Personal Injury Attorney

Having to deal with the fallout of a personal injury situation on your own can be frustrating and painful, especially if you are also dealing with severe, life-changing injuries. In a personal injury case, you are trying to recoup damages from a situation where somebody’s negligent or malicious behavior hurt you. Sometimes, the only way to start healing is to pursue legal action with the help of an experienced Houston personal injury lawyer. The process starts there.

What a Personal Injury Lawyer Does for You?

Navigating a personal injury case is not easy, especially if you are deciding to pursue legal action on your own without the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer. While you are well within your legal rights to pursue your case without a lawyer’s help, you likely are not going to get very far. Remember, the other party will likely have a lawyer representing their case, and the last thing you want is to be caught unprepared. Your case will likely suffer for it.

Anytime you are dealing with legal strife, it is highly recommended that you hire an experienced lawyer to represent you. Personal injury cases are no exception. In Texas, a personal injury lawyer can help you with many different kinds of situations that result in your injury, including car accidents, product liability, boat accidents, slips and falls, and even medical malpractice cases.

Statute of Limitations

Deciding to pursue a personal injury claim against the person who did you harm is a big decision to make. Before making it, there are many things you should consider, including the state of Texas’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims. The statute of limitations is in place largely to prevent frivolous litigation and prioritize recent cases with evidence that’s easy to access and recent memories that witnesses may have an easier time recalling.

In Texas, you will generally have two years from the date of your injury to start the process of pursuing a personal injury case. In that time, you have to establish grounds for your claim, build a substantial case, gather the necessary evidence, consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer, and file a legal claim for damages.

If you are not able to fully develop your claim and file your case within two years, there is a good chance that your case will be dismissed outright, your claim will be denied, and your chance to pursue compensation for your injury will pass by with no legal action taken. Building a considerable personal injury case can take time, so you should get started as soon as you can. If you are worried your case isn’t strong enough, engage a lawyer who can review it.

Important Traits of a Personal Injury Lawyer

When you hire a lawyer for your case, it is important that you hire somebody you can trust, rely, and depend on. A strong relationship between a lawyer and a client is built on a foundation of respect, support, and trust. You need to be able to trust your lawyer with anything.

If you can’t do that, you may want to get a new lawyer. People tend to hire personal injury lawyers at a low point in their lives when an injury is holding their lives back, and they need help.

There are many important traits that you should consider prioritizing during your search for a personal injury lawyer. Depending on your specific situation, some traits may be more important to you than others. Finding someone you can depend on to represent your interests in the face of adversity is paramount to your case.

Here are some qualities you should try to look for:

• Empathy: When you are pursuing a personal injury claim against someone who has physically or emotionally harmed you or your property, it’s not a secret that this entire situation means a lot to you. You are likely dealing with heavy emotions that are going to impact the case. Having a lawyer by your side who understands what is at stake for you and can provide you with support, compassion, and empathy makes all the difference.During your case, you may be feeling overwhelmed, confused, angry, isolated, vengeful, and terrified all at the same time. The more your lawyer cares about you and understands your situation, the harder they will likely fight to ensure you emerge victorious. Your success is their success.
• Communication: One of the most important qualities that a good lawyer can have is communication. Lawyers essentially communicate for a living. They have to effectively communicate with their clients, other lawyers, judges, police officers, private detectives, and juries on a daily basis. Lawyers have to be able to tell their clients good and bad news alike.You should hire a lawyer who understands the importance of strong, consistent communication. You’ll want them to be totally honest with you about your case’s chances and any setbacks you may run into along the way.
• Listening Skills: You should always keep in mind that communication is a two-way street. As much as you want a lawyer who is going to communicate with you effectively, you need to be able to communicate with them, too. Throughout the case, your lawyer is going to learn about the details of everything that’s happened from you more than anybody else.To make sure your lawyer understands everything you need from them, you have to tell them everything that might be relevant. A good lawyer will listen to you and provide you with honest feedback about what you have said and how it will affect your case. They will tell you what you can expect from them during this process and what they are going to need from you. The importance of effective communication cannot be understated.
• Experience: Experience is arguably the most important quality that your lawyer can bring to your case. If it is at all possible, you should try to hire a personal injury lawyer who has a great deal of experience handling cases similar to yours in the past and has a significant track record of success with those cases. That way, your lawyer can adapt past winning strategies to your case and be able to anticipate potential setbacks.
• Knowledge: It is not an easy process to become a lawyer. Lawyers have to undergo many years of education, commitment, and focus to get their law degree and become practicing legal professionals. Every lawyer has to choose the area of the law that they will make their primary focus, such as personal injury law. Personal injury lawyers dedicate their careers and lives to helping injured people at their lowest point.A good personal injury lawyer can consistently reach into their wealth of knowledge when it comes to the details of the law. That knowledge can come in handy throughout your case. Knowing and understanding the law can prepare your lawyer for virtually any possibility that could happen during your case. They may need to think quickly and reconfigure their strategy if a problem arises.
• Problem-Solving: Not every personal injury case is an easy win. Many of these cases take a great deal of work to devise a strategy and defend. Some cases may start out seemingly strong and fall apart over the course of a trial. Others may appear pointless but can become strong thanks to the tireless efforts of your lawyer. When you bring your case to your lawyer, they can give you their honest opinion of your chances.An important part of being a lawyer is using carefully honed problem-solving skills to recognize when your case has problems and be able to fix them. A strong lawyer can react accordingly depending on the moment and apply their strategies as needed. Problem-solving skills are paramount to being able to adapt.
• Strong Ethics: You should always remember that your lawyer is representing you on a public stage. With that in mind, you should hire somebody whose personal and professional ethics are going to match your own. If you decide to hire a lawyer who has a public history of unethical behavior, you could end up deeply embarrassed and in a poor situation. The importance of ethical behavior cannot be stressed enough.Throughout your case, you should never do anything that compromises your integrity or tests the strength of your ethics. The lawyer you decide to hire should never be somebody you are worried about when it comes to ethical behavior.
• Good Judgment: Throughout the duration of your case, your lawyer may have to make quick and important judgment calls regarding your case and on your behalf. You need to be able to trust your lawyer to act in your own interests. So much can happen between hiring your lawyer and being offered a settlement. During that time, your lawyer may have to exercise good judgment when making decisions for you.

From the start, your lawyer will make a judgment call about whether or not they should take your case. When they decide that your case is worth it, they’ll go from there. Believing in your lawyer’s good judgment equates to trusting them.

Houston Personal Injury Law FAQs

Q: What Percentage Do Lawyers Take for a Personal Injury Case in Houston?

A: There is no telling how much a lawyer might take for a personal injury case in Houston. Every personal injury case is going to be different, with each case having its own details and specifics that make it unique. Since each case is different, the settlement amount is also going to be different, which means the lawyer’s fee will be different. Your lawyer’s fee will partially be decided by their own experience, education, and resources.

Q: How Do I Pursue Legal Action for Personal Injury in Houston?

A: There are many ways to start pursuing legal action for a personal injury in Houston. Essentially, you should bring as much evidence of your claim as you can when you meet with your prospective lawyer for the first time. This evidence can include medical reports, police reports, witness statements, and more. Your lawyer can help you put together a personal injury claim and make sure you file it with the right court.

Q: How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Get Paid in Houston?

A: The way that a personal injury lawyer gets paid in Houston will depend entirely on the method of payment the lawyer requests and the agreement that you made with them. Many personal injury lawyers are paid through a contingency arrangement, which means that they only get paid if they win your case. In these cases, their fee comes out of your total settlement package. Other lawyers may want to be paid in a lump sum or through an hourly retainer.

Q: How Long Does It Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case in Houston?

A: In Houston, Texas, a personal injury case takes as long as it needs to take to fully settle. The time it takes to resolve depends on the specifics of the case. If both parties are open to reaching a compromise, it can take less time. If there is no way that will happen or if a case goes to trial, it will surely take longer.

Reach Out to an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Trying to deal with your own personal injury case may only leave you confused and angry. It’s a much better idea to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you make important decisions and meet necessary deadlines. With an experienced lawyer on your side, you can rest assured that your case is in good hands.

The legal team at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm understands how difficult it can be to be entangled in a personal injury case. We can help you build up your case, gather evidence, and protect your interests throughout this process. Contact us to speak with a valued team member about a consultation. Our legal team has the acumen and experience necessary to support you through each stage of your case. The sooner you get our team engaged, the better your chances are.