Personal Injury in Texas: How Knowing Before the Fact Can Help Protect You
The Texas borders contain 268 thousand square miles. You could fit the entirety of the United Kingdom within its spacious terrains 2.8 times! Within these vast lands, there is an intricate web of highway systems and roads, the surface on which many unfortunate accidents leave people with injuries and nowhere to turn. At Rios & Parada— your trusted personal injury attorney firm in El Paso— we offer experienced counsel in matters of injury suffered due to accidents and driver negligence.
Texas Car Accident Statistics
Texas is a great state. It has a fascinating history and a widely diverse population that makes up one of the most innovative and desired places to live in the nation. This makes its roads very populated. With three major Interstate Highways, thousands of roads, intersections, and minor highways, accidents are bound to happen. A personal injury attorney will protect you and your health in the event of an unfortunate accident. We have seen a wide range of car accidents. Anything from a fender bender to minor crashes and collisions, to full-fledged cars bent in half.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, in 2017 there were 14, 299 serious injury crashes with 17, 546 people sustaining a serious injury. There were 254, 853 total persons injured in motor vehicle crashes. Chances are that number is even higher, if many of the people injured do not report or fail to report the injury related to a car crash. What many people don’t realize is that many car crashes that seem minor will lead to physical consequences that are not apparent at the time of the crash. This is often deceiving and leads to people not getting full justice.
Be Mindful and Alert
Of course, most of us don’t get on the road anticipating anything to go wrong. When it does, however, we are often caught off guard and by surprise, which can prevent us from handling the situation in the best way. Below are some tips to keep in mind if you happen to get in a minor car accident:
- Control your emotions. Remember that you are likely to experience shock. Even with small collisions, some people will find their minds are scattered and unable to think clearly in the immediate aftermath. This might be because of an onslaught of emotions from anger, to frustration, to fear.
- Always visit a doctor. Get yourself to a doctor immediately or within a day of the crash. Shock prevents people from feeling pain. Sometimes people are in such a shock from the collision that they don’t feel the pain of their injuries until much later. This can cause people to dismiss the crash, not go to a doctor, and make attributing the injury to the crash much more difficult.
- Call the police. Similar to the above, people might often dismiss a collision as a mere brush or minor bender that can be fixed without police intervention. It’s not about being dramatic, it’s about obtaining an official record of the occurred. Otherwise, many cases will come down to a “he said/she said” scenario.
By keeping these three things in mind, you will ensure that if you sustain a serious injury or damage, you will be more protected. Of course, people will try anything to get out of their responsibilities and they will often deny your claim of injury. They will change the story and that’s why we’re here!
Call a Trusted and Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Find a knowledgeable personal injury attorney with Rios & Parada. We work in every kind of car accident case and other personal injury cases. If you have been injured due to another driver’s negligence or fault, it is your right and duty to get justice served. We can help you get your life back on track and recover from your pain and injuries.