Houston Personal Injury Lawyer
HOUSTON'S TOP TRIAL AND ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS
We are Houston's top trial and serious personal injury law firm. Our attorneys handle Houston's very biggest cases. When accident claims make local news, our lawyers are often involved. Right now we are pursuing a case against a negligent commercial truck driver and fleet operator that resulted in our client sustaining catastrophic injuries on a local freeway, and often litigate multiple car and trucking accidents that resulted in trades.
Our Houston lawyers are the best in the business. President and Founders Niles Sneed and Brit Mitchell exclusively represents personal injury victims and their families that suffered physical harm. Over the years our Houston personal injury attorneys have collected million in settlements and verdicts and settlements and have the case experts and note-worthy track record to obtain a maximum recovery on your behalf.
Experiencing an injury through no fault of your own can cause a tremendous emotional burden. Accident victims often find themselves with stacking medical bills and expenses while oftentimes unable to continue working. The personal injury lawyers of Sneed & Mitchell LLP want to help you.
Read about Founders and Lead Trial Attorney Niles Sneed & Brit Mitchell and our many successful results in personal injury cases.
Houston Personal Injury Resources
Houston locals and visitors are involved in accidents every day that result in emergency room hospital stays. Some of the types of accidents that result in Hospital visits include, car accidents, trucking accidents, falls, construction site injuries, offshore admiralty and maritime claims, dog bites, drownings, child injuries, shootings, and sexual assaults, and many more.
In every accident and injury circumstance doctors and surgeons provide medical treatment to patients in an attempt to save their lives and prevent them from suffering additional aggravation. However, emergency procedures are only the start to an often extended and painful recovery process for the injury victims. Additional rehabilitation treatment and therapy add to the increasing medical bills and liens, which often are not covered by private health insurance plans.
Sneed & Mitchell LLP - The Injury Team is a Houston based and Texas statewide personal injury law firm with a track record of success assisting people who have sustained injuries following another person or company's careless, negligent, unsafe, or intentional actions. To learn about how we can aid you and your family after a personal injury interrupts your life, continue reading these resources, or please contact us immediately.
Why Choose Sneed & Mitchell to Handle Your Injury Claim?
Sneed & Mitchell LLP - The Injury Team, is an award-winning law firm that represents Texas residents and impacted by serious injuries and the tragic death of loved ones. From our law offices in Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio, and Fort Worth, we assist statewide. We are one of the few firms in Houston that handles every types of accident case, and does well.
At Sneed & Mitchell LLP, we only hire the best. Our Houston attorneys includes "Trial Lawyers of the Year" recipients, and are honored by attorney associations both statewide and national for our litigation talent and verdicts. If you were harmed in a personal injury actions, let us ensure that the tort system works in your favor.
No Fee Unless We Get You Compensation
At Sneed & Mitchell LLP, your Houston injury lawyer won't cost you anything unless we are success in obtaining a financial award on your beneficiary. This fee arrangement is titled a "contingent fee basis", meaning that your lawyer only gets paid once you do. In each case, the client and attorney agree to set percentage of any recovery prior to entering into an attorney client relationship. You should never hesitate to discuss fees with any lawyer you consider hiring to represent you in a personal injury lawsuit.
What Does A Personal Injury Lawyer do?
A "personal injury lawyer" helps people who have been physically or psychologically hurt by the negligent, grossly negligent, or reckless actions of another individual, company, or governmental entity. Personal injury lawyers are civil lawyers that sues wrongdoers in tort actions. A "tort" is how the civil wrong is classified. An attorney experienced with handling civil lawsuits provides the victim legal guidance and representation in accident claims.
Some of the services provided by a personal injury attorney include:
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Investigating of the accident scene to determine how the incident happened and what parties can be help legally accountable under Texas law for your injuries and damages.
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Retaining case experts from a variety of specialties, including; medical professional, accident reconstructionist, economists, engineers, life care planners, and more. Our team of injury and accident professional include a nurse consultant.
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Reviewing your medical and treatment records to determine the extent of your past, current, and future impact. From disfigurement to future surgical or rehabilitation needs, any impact is factored in the settlement calculation.
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Determining the applicable insurance policies that may cover your losses. General liability policies, homeowners insurance, auto insurance, and umbrella insurance and the most common forms of insurance that pay injury and property damage following and accident.
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Filing all claims, notice letters, and legal filings timely and in accordance with Texas law.
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Negotiating with defendants, insurance companies, or insurance adjusters for fair compensation for you and your family.
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If negotiations fail, litigating your case in a Texas district court or federal court.
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Resolving all forms of medical liens related to the accident, including, Medicare, Medicaid, or workers’ compensation liens.Our Houston personal injury lawyers will help you through the legal process, step by step, promptly answer their questions, ensure that you are informed throughout each stage of your claim or lawsuit. At Sneed & Mitchell LLP, you will be treated with care, compassion and professionalism. We will also remain transparent, informative, and dedicated to securing full and fair compensation for you losses.
Personal injury attorneys offer free consultations. During the no obligation consultation potential clients can detail the facts of what occurred and learn of their legal rights and options. Give our attorneys the opportunity to review your claim. If you endured harm due to the fault of another personal or company, contact us today by phone or through our online chat. We will carefully review the unique facts of your your situation.
Types of Personal Injuries
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Permanent disabilities
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Wrongful death
Proving Negligence and Holding Negligent Defendants Accountable
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Under Texas Law, the actor or at-fault party (defendant) owed a legal "duty of care" to the innocent party. The duty of care is an requirement placed on people to act in a certain way, or meet a certain standard. Generally, the duty requires people to made decisions in good faith and in a prudent manner. As an example, while driving, vehicles have a duty to abide by the rule and regulations set form by the Texas Driver handbook. Similarly, a construction company or offshore drilling operator must abide by OSHA regulations to protect the health and safety of their employees.
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There was a breach of this applicable duty of care. Examples of this include motorists failing to maintain safe speeds, or a company failing to provide its employee proper protective great or a safe work environment.
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The breach in the duty of care must be shown to have caused the injury victims damages. In addition, the resulting damages but have been caused by the defendant's act of negligence. The attorney then assists the victim by securing different forms of damages, including compensation for the person's medical bills, pain and suffering, and diminished quality of life.
Determining Your Full Financial Compensation
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Medical treatment bills and related rehabilitation costs. This classification of damages all forms of treatment prescribed in association with your physical recovery, including any ambulance bill, emergency medical care, imaging, mediations, surgeries, physical thereby, psychiatry, radiology, nursing needs, or chiropractic care. The cost of any physical aids, in the form of crutches, wheelchairs, or prosthetic devices are also compensable.
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Lost wages are entitled reimbursement from the at fault from an accident, and includes both lost income and time missed while you were undergoing treatment. A economic damages expert is often hired by an attorney to quantify the monetary sum necessary.
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The cost of any property damage. As an example, in a serious car crash case, the innocent party can receive reimbursement for the structural damage to their vehicle, along with their damaged phone, laptop, tools, equipment, and more.
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Emotional distress damages relate to the state of mental anguish and pain and suffering experienced as a result of the traumatic experience. Although psychological impact is tough to quantify, a personal injury attorney has various ways of deciding upon an appropriate sum.
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Loss of enjoyment of life, from a legal perspective, often refers to the ways in which an injury impacts someone's ability or willingness to engage in prior hobbies or favorite activities.
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Loss of consortium includes compensation to a spouse related to how an injury or accident has diminished the victim's ability to be affectionate or intimate.
Houston Personal Injury Cases We Handle
At Sneed & Mitchell LLP, our Houston injury lawyers handle a wide range of accidents and scenarios that leave innocent victims and their families struggling with the effects of serious and fatal injuries. If you have experienced harm in an incident that was not your fault, no matter how it occurred, we can assist you in recovering the compensation you're entitled to. A few of the types of matters we handle and litigate include the following.
Car accidents
The Texas Department of Transportation reported that there were 58,167 serious injury crashes in one year in Houston. More than 18,000 of those accidents caused possibly injuries and there were no deathless days in the last annual report. Some other common contributing factors in car accidents in Houston and surrounding areas include:
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Alcohol impairment: Driving under the influence results in hundreds of collisions in Houston in one recent year. Intoxication is determined by the level of alcohol intoxication in the bloodstream. When an individual's blood alcohol content reaches .03% and .059%, the brains ability to handle safe driving tasks becomes impaired.
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Red light running: The frequently of red lights being intentionally violated is Houston is alarming. With red light cameras being deactivated throughout our county, the rate of "T-bone" or broadside incidents has increased, which are one of the most dangerous types of traffic collisions.
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Aggressive driving: Any intentional driving behavior that disregards the safety of others constitutes aggressive driving. Research shows that traffic congestion is often a contributing factor to the rate of traffic crashes and fatal highway collisions each year. Action that result in aggressive driving include running red lights, following too close, erratic lane changing, racing, unsafe passing, failure to yield, street racing, and improper turns.
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Speeding: The normal flow of traffic in Houston often exceeds the posted speed limits. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that one third of all fatal crashes are the result of at least one driver speeding.
You should never settle your claim with an insurance adjuster without consulting with a personal injury lawyer year you. Whether, the liable driver was insured by GEICO, Progressive, USAA, our lawyers can provide immediate assistance.
Motorcycle Accidents
Our attorneys regularly represent motorcyclists harmed in local traffic collisions. In one recent year, 412 people were injured or killed in motorcycle accidents here in Houston, Texas. The risks and dangers of motorcycling include tire design, road design, protective gear, helmet rule exemptions, and the requirement that they navigate the roadways with cars, bikes, and 18 wheelers. The hazards facing motorcycle riders is increased by passenger vehicles and trucks not understanding the laws that protect bikers.
Some of the common injuries motorcyclist experience in accidents include:
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Concussions and brain damage
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Scarring and disfigurement
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Road rash
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Breakage of joints
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Shoulder and rotator cuff injuries
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Burns
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Soft tissue injuries
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Facial disfigurement
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Hip injuries
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Wrist injuries
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Amputations
Trucking and 18 Wheeler Collisions
Unfortunately, Houston is a hub for commercial accidents, which includes wrecks involving dump trucks, buses, haulers, flatbeds, garbage tucks, and more. Although extensive regulations govern the trucking industry, our attorneys regularly litigate cases against negligent commercial drivers and fleet operators for unsafe driving practices and violations of Federal safety measures and maintenance protocols. Determining the reasoning for the crash requires a personal injury lawyer to collect the crash report, examine the truck, download data from the truck's "black box" data, and in many cases involve an accident reconstructionist or forensic analysis.
Maritime & Jones Act Claims
We protect the rights of offshore seaman and maritime workers by bringing claims under the Jones Act against unseaworthy vessels owners and operators. Our personal injury attorneys help Jones Act Seaman injured on canes, tug boats, dredging, barge, jack-up rig, semi-submersible, supply boat, or any additional navigable vessel. No matter what types of crew member you were, you need an attorney with a deep background in this specialized area of the law. If you’ve worked on a vessel, you know the offshore world has a language of its own and need a lawyer that understand how things operate in the industry. At Sneed & Mitchell LLP, we know how to maximize your recovery under whichever maritime laws may apply. We can also review your maintenance and cure benefits.
Child Safety Incidents
Whether your child was injured in a motor vehicle accident, school bus collision, as a pedestrian, in a daycare incident, playground injury, or any other form of injury event, we can help. Kids are more vulnerable than adults for a variety of reasons, which is why additional laws are set in place to protect children from their own curiosity or misunderstanding. Individuals and companies are obligated to adhere to heightened standards of care if their service or area is one frequented by children.
Wrongful Death
A wrongful death claim allows families in Texas the legal right to seek financial damages from the parties that contributed in causing the death of a loved one. Here in Texas, the best personal injury lawyers hire investigators and other expert witnesses to determine the potential defendants legally responsible for the fatality, the economic impact on the family, the proper jurisdiction and venue for the lawsuit, and properly ensuring that the families finial future would be secured with the resolution of the claim. The leading causes of death here in Houston are drunk driving, dangerous products, semi truck accidents, and daycare injuries. Other accidents that result in mass casualties, such as aviation accidents, or ship wrecks, can result of wrongful death claims involving multiple plaintiffs in a single civil lawsuit.
Houston Personal Injury FAQ
A injury caused by the dangerous and unsafe behaviors of another person caused victims to experience physical and emotional pain that they never saw coming. You have questions, about medical treatment, the value of your potential settlement, how to be reimbursed for missed time of work, and more. Learn how we can help you after a personal injury interrupts your life by reading below, or calling us directly and learning about your rights and options immediately.
Here are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions we get from clients and potential clients here in Houston, TX. An remember, our experienced Houston personal injury attorneys are ready to assist you.
Who can I sue after an accident?
Generally, anyone injured or harmed in Texas has the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against any personal of company negligent, careless, or reckless in causing the incident. However, the proper party to compensate you for the economic and non-economic damages you suffered varies depending on how your facts surrounding the accident.
As an example, in a normal auto accident, injury victims are able to obtain compensation from the other driver's insurance company after it is determined that the motorist's unsafe actions caused the crash. However, if the other driver was operating company vehicle, or road construction caused the accident, then additional Defendant's can be found liable in contributing to the cause.
In short, every situation is different and involves a different fact pattern. Whether you have experienced a premises liability case, slip and fall, chemical explosion, child safety issues, or any other form of injury or accident, multiple people or businesses can be help responsible. Speak with a lawyer accustomed to handling complex personal injury matters to receive the best legal advice.
How much can I receive for my pain and suffering?
Insurance companies and Houston civil courts award compensation to injury victims according the unique facts involved in each case. Multiple factors contribute to determining the amount of damages obtainable in any specific lawsuit. Generally speaking, the more severe the injury or economic impact, the greater the sum of money required to compensate the victim.
Additional factors that determine faire an adequate compensation include:
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The degree of impact the accident has had on your loss. When a physical injury results in extensive treatment plans, medical expenses, disfigurement, or future needs, the amount of recoverable damages greatly increases.
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Your age and health condition prior to the accident. Although a person's age or preexisting conditions does not prevent them for having a successful claim, overlapping ailments can result in lessening the extent of pains attributable solely to the action forming the basis of the lawsuit.
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The number of parties determined to be legally at fault in causing your injuries.
A lawyer with years of experience representing personal injury claims understands how to strengthen and protect your chance of securing the best settlement or jury award. At the personal injury firm of Sneed & Mitchell, we understand complex legal matters and catastrophic injuries and can hold the negligent parties accountable.
I need money, should I accept the insurance company's settlement offer?
You should not accept an insurance company's offer without first counseling with an attorney. Insurance adjusters offer pennies in comparison to the true monetary value of your claim. Accidental and unexpected injuries often cause extensive financial distress, including stacking medical bills, lost economic opportunities, and lost income. Although quickly obtaining a settlement is an enticing idea, accepting any sum waives the liable party of any of your future injuries or costs
Can I handle my claim without legal counsel?
It is possible to handle your own personal injury claim without legal representation, but doing so generally ends in a substandard result. In our years of experience, we have not seen an insurance company adequately compensate an injury victim for pain and suffering, emotional distress, or future medical needs, or additional special damages.
What potential clients normally ask is, "Why is the insurance company offering me a lowball settlement offer for my injuries?" The answer is that insurance companies understand that the value of a personal injury claim depends how it is interpreted by a skilled attorney. A lawyer is able to aggressively advocate for the most money by understanding how a jury would evaluate the facts surrounding the accident. Further, an experienced attorney can hire qualified medical experts to prove the extent of your losses.
If you believe that you or a loved one has been harmed by the wrongful conduct of another, call us. You will speak with an experienced, professional and compassionate injury claim attorney experienced at handling optimal case results.
How do I find the best accident attorney for my case?
Finding the best personal injury lawyer is an important step in obtaining civil justice. Consider the following important characteristics to determine who is the best local representation:
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Look for an attorney that is not a large scale advertiser. Marketing law firms often accept cases in volume and and are unable to provide your case the time, attention, and resources required to obtain full compensation for your losses.
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Make sure the attorney has handled similar cases. If you were injured in an 18 wheeler accident, you need an attorney with a long track record of success representing victims and their families in trucking accident cases. Clients can trust that a reputable attorney with extensive practice handling their case matter knows how to handle the factual, legal, and insurance issues involved.
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Ask the attorney is they are a trial lawyer. The worst case scenario is when a client later realizes he or she is being represented by an attorney that only settles cases. Serious and catastrophic injury cases require lawyers that litigate cases before a jury. Insurance companies know which law firms have talented trial lawyers, and this results in their clients receiving higher settlement offers.
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Avoid unsolicited referrals. Be careful when you are approached by strangers, companies, or even medical providers, claiming to have an attorney for you. In Texas, it is against to law for lawyers to any form of a solicitor.
When should I contact and attorney after being hurt?
You should contact an attorney the moment you can safely make the call. In our experience, clients receive the best case result the sooner the retain legal counsel after suffering an unexpected, accident injury due to someone's negligent actions. A qualified Houston attorney needs begin obtaining key evidence by investigating the scene, photographing the area, securing witness statement or camera footage before these forms of evidence start to fade. An attorney that handles accident situations is hindered when the incident occurred months prior and information is missing that would support the legal theory of negligence. Assessing and determining the basis of fault is imperative to win your case.
Houston Personal Injury Law Firm
Personal injuries leave Houston victims and families spiraling from the physical, financial emotional impact of unexpected catastrophe. From making sure you see the best doctors, to securing a verdict or settlement that ensures your financial future, our Personal Injury Lawyers will assist you this is important time of need. Sneed & Mitchell LLP has built a reputation for achieving optimal case results for those wrongfully injured and is ready to help.
If you have been injured in an accident of any kind, call our Houston personal injury attorney today. Our trial lawyers are result-focused advocates and help accident victims and their families protect their rights. Get the compensation you deserve after suffering devastating injury by starting with a free consultation today. We also handle each claim on a contingency fee, meaning you pay nothing until we secure compensation on your behalf. Insurance companies have a legal duty to compensate victims or all the economic and non-economic damages reasonable caused by the liable party, our job is to make sure they do.
