The traffic in and around Austin, Texas is an accident waiting to happen because of the population boom that has occurred in recent years and the lack of highway infrastructure to support the number of drivers on Austin highways. Compounding the problem is all the commercial traffic that is traveling through Austin. Unfortunately the number of auto accidents occurring across Austin and Travis County continues to rise. Hopefully, you or your family never get into an auto accident, but if you do you need to know what stops to take.
You should always take time to become educated about what happens during an auto accident before you have one. Unfortunately, most people have no idea what to do when they are involved in an accident. The stress alone, even if you have not suffered serious injury can prevent you from thinking clearly. It is critical for you to do and say all the right things because doing so will be important, not only to protect your emotional, physical, psychological, and financial well-being, but also to preserve your legal rights and remedies.
If you get into an auto accident in Austin County, Travis County, or anywhere in Texas; the MOST important thing for you to do is take every available action to PROTECT YOURSELF and that not only includes doing and saying the right things, but also not doing and saying the wrong things!
Police ReportYou should file a police report to protect yourself against future litigation in which you could be held liable if you are found to be at fault in an accident. You should also record your own information regarding the accident, document this information, take pictures of the accident, and keep it on file. Never leave the scene of an accident! Texas Transportation Code (Section 550) requires that anyone involved in an accident resulting in injury or death: 1) stop the vehicle as close to the scene as possible, 2) immediately return to the scene of the accident if the vehicle did not stop at the scene of the accident 3) remain at the scene of the accident until a police report and/or accident report has been filed.
Should I Seek Medical Attention?If you are involved in any type of collision, even if you do not think you have been injured, you should go to the hospital for a physical checkup and make sure you have documentation of your visit. For example, on January 1, 2012, driver A gets in what he believes to be no-fault accident but does not go to the hospital. On January 3, 2014, driver A goes to the hospital complaining of neck pain and discovers he has a compressed disk in the neck which may have been caused by the accident. Driver A has lost their legal right to litigate and be compensated for their injuries because no lawsuit was filed within 2 year statute of limitations for the state of Texas.
Do’s and Don’tsAnytime you are involved in an accident you are required by law to check on the safety of the other person, exchange insurance information, and file a police report. Texas has another law which you can be charged for failing to stop and render aid. In addition, if someone is injured you are required to render assistance including transporting them to the hospital if necessary. Call 911, never be fooled by a gentlemen’s agreement, so that you can file a police report and most insurance companies are starting to require one to protect them from fraud. If the police do not respond to the accident to file police report, make sure you get a copy of accident report.
Should You Hire an Attorney?If you are involved in an accident in Austin or Travis County, you should ALWAYS consider hiring a qualified experienced auto accident attorney who can advise you of your legal rights, options, and protect your interests such as assuring you are compensated for your past and present injuries, future pain and suffering, lost wages, medical expenses, and property damage. Additionally, attorney fees are usually taken when a recovery is made or the case is settled at no initial cost to you. IF YOU OR LOVED ONE HAS SUFFERED AN INJURY OR SERIOUS LOSS AS A RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT, CALL CARABIN SHAW, DAY OR NIGHT. THE CONSULTATION IS FREE 800-862-1260.