What Should Your Top Priorities Be? How Can You Best Protect Your Legal Rights?
A car accident can change your life in an instant. You may have extensive injuries that require long-term medical care, some of which may not be covered by insurance. Your injuries may make it difficult or impossible to perform your duties at work. You may also experience chronic pain or discomfort, such that even the simplest functions of daily life are challenging.
When you have been hurt in a car accident in or around San Antonio, you have a right to hold the at-fault party accountable for all your losses. The experienced personal injury lawyers at Bailey & Galyen can help.
What’s the Most Important Thing after a Car Accident in San Antonio?
Your first priority should always be your health. In the immediate aftermath of a collision, it’s usually best to stay right where you are, if you can do so safely. If your injuries seem serious or if you’ve had any injury to your head, neck or back, you’ll want to wait, if possible, until emergency responders arrive. They’ll be able to quickly assess your condition and determine whether you need to go to a hospital by ambulance. Even if you are able to get up and move under your own power, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible, either at a hospital emergency room, an urgent care facility or with your primary care physician.
It’s also extremely helpful to gather as much evidence and information as possible while still at the scene of the accident. That includes:
- Contact information for all parties and witnesses
- Pictures of anything relevant to a potential personal injury claim, including your injuries, the damage to any vehicle, the weather conditions at the time of the crash, and any roadway defects that may have contributed to or caused the accident
What about Insurance Claims after a San Antonio Car Accident?
Like most states, Texas is an “at-fault” state for auto insurance claims. That means that, in the aftermath of a car, truck or motorcycle accident, you must look to the “at-fault” party’s auto insurance provider to recover certain damages. If you have health insurance, you can seek medical care and have it initially covered by your policy. Your health insurance carrier may subsequently seek reimbursement from the at-fault party’s insurer through a legal claim referred to as subrogation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in San Antonio after a Car Accident?
The length of time you have to file a personal injury claim is set forth in the statute of limitations, a written law enacted by the state legislature. In Texas, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years, calculated from the date of the accident. However, under prevailing Texas law, if you suffer an injury that takes some time to develop, the statute of limitations may not start to run until you either actually discovered the injury or should reasonably have discovered it.
Contact the Proven Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Galyen
At the law offices of Bailey & Galyen, we offer more than 40 years of experience successfully representing people who have been hurt in any type of car, truck or motorcycle accident. We know that the civil justice system can be confusing and intimidating and will take the time to carefully explain the process at every juncture. Contact us by e-mail or call our offices at one of the convenient locations listed below. Our phones are answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
