Grand Prairie Rear End Сollisions Accident Lawyer

Whether you’re on I-20, the Pioneer Parkway, the turnpike or Bell Line Road, chances are good that you’ve seen a rear-end accident. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nearly one-third of all traffic accidents are rear-end accidents. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) 2017 Crash Report, there were 537,970 total crashes in Texas that year. That means approximately 179,323 of those wrecks were rear-end accidents. To bring it closer to home, Grand Prairie had 3429 reportable crashes, with approximately 1,143 of those being rear-end accidents.

But just because rear-end accidents are common doesn’t mean they’re simple to handle. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rear-end accident, it would be a good idea to consult with our Grand Prairie rear-end accident lawyers. The insurance companies may be trying to hurry you into a quick settlement, or they may be arguing that you were partially at fault in the accident so they can reduce the amount they pay you or deny your claim altogether.

Our Grand Prairie injury accident law firm has vast experience negotiating generous settlements for our clients, and taking on the insurance companies in court when needed. We know all of their tricks, and we’re one step ahead of them. Let us handle the phone calls, paperwork and court filings while you focus on your recovery.

Common Causes of Rear-End Accidents

Just like rear-end accidents are common, so are the main causes. According to the NHTSA, 87% of rear-end accidents are caused by inattentive drivers also known as distracted drivers.

Inattentive driving can include:

Texting & driving
Talking on a cell phone
Fiddling with the radio or a smartphone to find music to listen to
Putting on makeup while driving
Shaving while driving
Eating while driving
Turning to talk to a passenger or child in the back seat
And more

The other top causes of rear-end accidents are speeding, following too closely, drunk driving, and road rage. Except for road rage, these causes can be interrelated with inattentive driving.

Who’s At Fault?

You may think that the driver who rear-ended you is always at fault. But that is not always the case. Since Texas is a modified comparative fault state, the other driver’s insurance company may try to say you are partially to blame for the accident. If they are successful, they can reduce any amount they pay you by the percentage at which you are found at fault.

Most times, the rear driver is at fault, for the reasons listed above. But occasionally, the driver in front may be partially responsible. A couple of typical scenarios where this might be the case include:

The front driver turns onto a street or merges onto a highway and misjudged the speed and distance of oncoming traffic.
The front driver changed lanes inappropriately and had to slam on the brakes to avoid hitting the car in front of them.

Our Grand Prairie rear-end accident lawyers will fight the insurance company so you don’t have to. We have the ability to perform our own investigation and get access to information you as a private citizen might not be able to. This includes:

Reviewing the police report and any legal documents related to the accident
Reviewing traffic camera footage or security footage where available
Interviewing witnesses
Obtaining the cell phone records of the other driver to determine if they were texting while driving or on the phone at the time of the accident
And more

Getting You Compensation

Many times, our independent investigation helps us get our clients a more generous settlement than the insurance company was prepared to offer. This is because we are thorough, and many times, we turn up more information about how the accident happened than is indicated in the police report. We also thoroughly document your injuries, medical costs and potential future costs related to the accident.

Frequently, we are able to negotiate a settlement out of court, but we are always prepared to take your case in front of a jury if necessary. Depending on the severity of your injuries, and if the insurance company is balking at paying what you need to care for yourself and your financial future, we may recommend taking your case in front of a jury. A jury can be sympathetic to your story, and award you more in damages than the insurance company was offering.

Types of damages include compensatory, other damages and punitive damages.

Compensatory Damages

Like the name implies, compensatory damages compensate your for costs you have incurred as a result of your rear end accident. These include, but are not limited to:

Medical bills and future medical bills as estimated by a medical expert
Repair or replacement of your vehicle
Lost wages and future lost wages if you are disabled

Other Damages

Other damages a jury may award are not compensatory, but are awarded for intangibles, such as:

Mental anguish
Pain and suffering
Disfigurement
Disability

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are only awarded by a jury, and only if they award you compensatory damages. Punitive damages are aimed at punishing the other driver if we can prove their gross negligence directly caused the accident, and your resulting injuries. An example of this type of case would be if you were rear-ended by a drunk driver. Texas law says the drunk driver is grossly negligent because they willfully got behind the wheel, knowing they were endangering the lives of others.

Contact One of Our Grand Prairie Rear End Accident Lawyers

Our Grand Prairie rear-end accident lawyers have the experience you need to take on the insurance companies and win. If you or a loved one has been injured in a rear end accident, call us today at 469-998-4069 to set up your FREE case evaluation. You can also use our contact form and we’ll be in touch shortly.