Car Accident Lawyers
Driving in the Dallas Metroplex is often frustrating. Major thoroughfares like I-35, I-30, and North Central Expressway can be extremely dangerous. If you were injured in a car accident caused by a careless driver, our auto accident attorneys can build a strong case on your behalf.
To start an investigation into your car accident case, please call the Turley Law Firm today at 214-691-4025 0r email us at turley@wturley.com. Our Dallas attorneys will discuss the details of your claim during a free consultation.
For detailed information about car accidents, please view the following sections:
- What Caused the Car Accident?
- Drunk Driving Accident Cases
- Texting & Distracted Driving
- Types of Auto Accident Injuries
- Diagnosing Auto Accident Injuries
- Whiplash And Your Car Accident
- What To Do After a Car Accident – Step-By-Step
- Assessing the Scene After a Car Accident
- Liability in Car Accident Cases
- Contact Our Attorneys For Help With Your Car Accident Case
What Caused the Car Accident?
Negligence behind the wheel can take many different forms. When a driver fails to operate a vehicle safely it can cause serious injury not only to people in other cars and pedestrians but the responsible driver and his/her passengers, too.
Our Dallas Car Accident Lawyers represent clients harmed by drivers who engage in reckless conduct such as:
- Speeding
- Careless driving
- Road rage
- Drugged or drunk driving
- Texting and other forms of distracted driving
- Driving without sleep
Drunk Driving Accident Cases
In 2015, Texas had more deaths caused by drunk driving than any other state in the country. This doesn’t take into account the thousands more people who are severely injured in collisions caused by drunk drivers in Dallas and other parts of the state each year.
Texas law states that a person is driving while intoxicated (DWI) with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of .08% or higher. If alcohol is found to be a factor in an auto accident even if the driver doesn’t have a BAC over the legal limit, they can still be impaired and found liable.
But the drunk driver might not be the only responsible party. Institutions serving alcohol to an obviously intoxicated patron can be the subject of legal action if the customer injures and kills someone in a drunk driving accident.
This legal theory is known as Dram Shop Liability. Depending on the details of your case, the following venues could be liable for over-serving the driver who injured himself or caused your accident:
- Bar or restaurant
- Nightclub
- Liquor store
- Party host
- Adults providing minors liquor
During your free consultation, our lawyers will gather information about your claim and conduct a full investigation on your behalf. Depending on what we find, our attorneys can begin building your case against the drunk driver, a negligent business, or other potentially liable parties.
Texting & Distracted Driving
While texting, a driver moving at 55 mph can easily travel the distance of a football field without looking at the road. The reason text messaging and other mobile phone functions contribute to so many car accidents is because texting occupies the driver’s visual, manual, and cognitive abilities at a time when all three are critical to operating a vehicle safely.
However, texting isn’t the only type of distraction that leads to accidents on the road. Other examples of distracted driving include:
- Talking on the phone
- Eating
- Interacting with passengers
- Looking at maps or reading directions
- Checking a GPS device
- Changing the radio or CD player
- Brushing your teeth, combing your hair, shaving, and other grooming activities
Any one of these activities could be a sufficient distraction for most drivers to operate a car unsafely. When more than one task is done simultaneously, the accident risk is even higher. Studies have shown that even using hands-free technology to access your phone or GPS while driving distract a driver just as much as using hand-held devices.
Types of Auto Accident Injuries
The force of the collision and a number of other factors can affect the kinds of injuries an accident victim might sustain, generally referred to as “physical injuries”. But there are often other economic or emotional injuries. Some of the most common severe physical injuries in auto accidents include:
- Concussion and more serious brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Trauma to the neck and back
- Internal bleeding
- Damage to the lungs, bowels, and other organs in the chest and stomach
- Severe burns
- Loss of limbs
Some auto injuries aren’t life-threatening but still require extensive treatment and recovery, such as:
- Broken bones
- Joint damage
- Lacerations and scarring
- Scrapes and bruises
- Whiplash and other soft tissue injury
Alongside physical wounds with short- and long-term repercussions, victims of catastrophic auto accidents can suffer from anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional issues. These “invisible” injuries can take a toll long after the body has healed.
Diagnosing Auto Accident Injuries
One of the key steps to take after a car accident is being evaluated for injuries. This evaluation might include:
- Physical exam
- Lab tests
- X-rays, MRI, and other imaging
- Review of your medical history
Immediate medical attention after a collision can prevent trauma from becoming worse and even save your life. It also creates a record of the extent of the injuries you suffered in the auto accident, as well as the treatment you received – not to mention the expense of the care.
Whiplash and Your Auto Injury Case
Whiplash is a type of neck trauma that occurs when the head is suddenly jerked backward and forward. The strain of the movement may damage discs, tendons, ligaments, and muscles in the neck, collectively known as soft tissue.
Many victims injured in rear-end auto accidents sustain whiplash and other neck injuries. Symptoms might include:
- Soreness, stiffness, and pain in the neck
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Blurry vision
- Mood swings
Unlike other common car accident injuries, whiplash isn’t always readily apparent at the scene. Damage to soft tissue doesn’t appear on X-rays, and some victims don’t begin experiencing symptoms until days after the collision occurred.
A severe whiplash may inflict concussion-type injuries.
Many insurance adjusters and their lawyers representing a driver who caused an accident try to claim that whiplash is unconnected to the crash because the onset of symptoms is so delayed. Our attorneys are prepared for this defense tactic and we encourage you to get a complete medical exam as soon as possible after the accident to document the full extent of your injuries.
Comprehensive medical records are a critical part of any accident case. They can show that your injuries were consistent with the later development of whiplash or other soft tissue damage, and doctors can often use advanced tests like an MRI to determine the severity and extent of the injury.
What to do After a Car Accident – Step-by-Step
Immediately after the car accident, you should do the following:
- Step 1: Remain calm and breathe easy before assessing the situation.
- Step 2: If you or your passengers are hurt, seek medical attention immediately.
- Step 3: Call the police – an accident report should be filed after any injury accident.
- Step 4: Report the accident to your own insurance company, but don’t apologize or admit fault before all facts are known.
When speaking with the other driver, the police, or an insurance agent, make sure you only discuss pertinent facts and don’t volunteer unnecessary information. Any admission of wrongdoing on your part could be used against you when you decide to pursue compensation for your damages.
After you’ve received necessary treatment for your injuries, talk to our attorneys as soon as possible to begin assembling your case. We have the experience to represent your best interests in interactions with the reckless driver’s legal team and their insurance company.
Assessing the Scene After a Car Accident
If you didn’t sustain severe injuries and you don’t need emergency medical care, and you can do so safely, you can start gathering key information for your car accident case such as:
- Photos of the scene, including damage to your vehicle, skid marks and debris on the road, and any visible injuries
- Name, contact information, license plate number, and insurance information from the driver who caused the accident
- Names and contact information for witnesses at the scene
When you bring this information to your free consultation, our attorneys can begin building your car accident case immediately. We can speak with the witnesses you identified right away, and thoroughly can investigate the accident so you and your loved ones can focus on recovery.
Liability in Car Accident Cases
Not every car accident is caused by a careless driver. In some cases, other factors can play a primary or contributing role in a collision, including:
- A defective vehicle or defective part
- Poorly maintained or designed roadways
- Absence of proper signs or safety signals
- Drunk driving or distracted driving
- A reckless pedestrian or bicyclist
Most drivers who cause accidents won’t admit fault, and even fewer will confess that they were doing something careless behind the wheel when the accident happened. This is why it’s so important to talk to experienced accident attorneys who can investigate the facts and take action on your behalf.
By listening to your story, our attorneys can assess who might be liable in your car accident case and take appropriate action to pursue the full compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Attorneys For Help With Your Car Accident Case
After a car accident, you need to seek assistance so you can seek the full amount of compensation for your damages and injuries. Our Car Accident Lawyers will also help you seek recompense for the following:
- Medical bills
- Long-term care and disability costs
- Lost income
- Damage to vehicle and other property
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
We can also help you if you’ve lost someone you know and love because of a car crash. Our attorneys can pursue compensation for your family through a wrongful death claim. Legal action won’t bring your loved one back, but it can help meet current and future family needs and maybe prevent a similar wrong to someone else.
Acting quickly is crucial in any car accident case: Contact the Turley Law Firm online or call 214-691-4025 or email turley@wturley.com today to start building your case with a free consultation. Our attorneys serve clients throughout Dallas, Plano, Richardson, Garland, Irving, Fort Worth, McKinney, Frisco, and all of North Texas.