Dallas Disfigurement Attorney
Unfortunately, accidents happen. Car accidents can happen in a split second and cause serious injury, disfigurement, or death. If you are involved in a car accident in Dallas, Texas, that was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. Call our Dallas disfigurement attorneys right away if you were disfigured in a car or truck accident in Dallas.
The experienced and skilled Dallas car accident attorneys of The Benton Law Firm understand that no compensation can compensate for physical disfigurement. However, compensation can help cover your daily expenses, medical costs, future medical expenses, and lost wages if you cannot work.
We know there are overwhelming feelings that happen after an accident. You may also be faced with physical and financial burdens. Although this is a challenging time, you should not have to face it alone.
The compassionate and experienced Dallas disfigurement attorneys of The Benton Law Firm will fight to protect your rights and seek fair compensation for your injuries. Call our office today at (214) 777-7777 for a free consultation and case evaluation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit?
After a car accident, the days can pass quickly into weeks and months. Filing an insurance claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company as soon as possible is essential. Additionally, Texas law limits the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit.
The statute of limitations defines the period in which you’re eligible to file a lawsuit. In Texas, this time begins on the accident date and ends two years later. If you have not filed a lawsuit within two years, you will likely relinquish your right to seek justice in court and recover compensation for your accident-related losses.
Types of Disfigurement After a Car Accident
You may suffer disfigurement in a car accident in several ways. The most psychologically damaging scars and disfigurement occur on the face. Disfigurements are usually permanent, with lifelong consequences that may affect your physical abilities. Several types of disfigurement can happen after a car accident, including:
Facial injuries: You may experience a combination of bone fractures, skin abrasions, or burns. Skin abrasions or burns can leave permanent scars, while facial fractures may alter the structure of your face. When bones heal at a break, the area that was broken may be slightly larger. When an arm or a leg breaks, this slight enlargement is not noticeable under layers of muscle. However, when a nose or cheekbone breaks, enlargements are immediately noticeable and often permanent.
Burns: A fire during a car accident is not the only way to experience a burn. Thermal burns caused by open flames or hot surfaces are among the most common ways to get burned. However, you may also experience an electrical, chemical, or friction burn, commonly called road rash, after a car accident. Each of these can leave permanent scar tissue and disfigurement.
Amputation: Some car accident victims can experience a traumatic amputation in the accident. This can occur if a heavy object crushes your arm or leg. It may also happen when sharp object slices through and separates your arm or leg from your body. In other cases, you may develop a severe localized infection, or there may be such significant damage that the limb will not heal. This may also necessitate a surgical amputation.
Loss of physical mobility: This is also a form of disfigurement, where limping or needing an assistive device brings attention to your physical disability. An assistive device could be crutches, a cane, or a wheelchair.
Types of Compensation Available
After a car accident that was not your fault, you may recover damages to cover objective and subjective losses. These losses are identified as economic and non-economic. Economic compensation, also called economic damages, covers straightforward and verifiable costs that you incurred due to the accident.
These could include medical expenses, such as an emergency room bill, surgery costs, physical therapy, prescriptions, bracing, and wheelchairs. Economic damages might also cover repairing or replacing any lost property from the accident, including your vehicle, lost wages or earning potential if you’re unable to return to work, and domestic services if required. These are typically objective costs for which you will have receipts to demonstrate your loss.
Non-economic damages cover losses that are subjective and deal with factors that are intangible and more difficult to measure objectively. For example, you can be awarded money to cover pain and suffering after being disfigured in a car accident. You may also be awarded compensation if the car accident aggravates a pre-existing condition, causes emotional distress, loss of consortium, or loss of enjoyment of life.
In rare cases, a court may award punitive damages. These are not intended to compensate you but to punish the defendant and deter them from future negligent behavior. This type of award can vary tremendously and is only awarded if the plaintiff can show, through clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant was malicious, intended to defraud you, or was guilty of gross negligence.
How an Experienced Dallas Disfigurement Attorney Can Help
After a car accident in which you are injured, the at-fault party’s insurance company often sends an insurance adjuster to gather information about the accident. These people are skilled negotiators and often present themselves as friends of the injured person.
However, you must understand they are there to gather evidence to disprove your claim. An insurance adjuster may ask you to answer questions about the accident or to make a recorded statement. You are within your rights to refuse to answer questions until you have legal representation.
An insurance adjuster may also make an initial settlement offer in the hope that you will accept it. A first offer is generally not a fair offer. The Dallas disfigurement attorneys of The Benton Law Firm have many years of experience dealing with insurance adjusters and negotiating on behalf of our clients for fair compensation. We know how to overcome their tactics.
When a skilled attorney from our team represents you, we can help prevent you from saying something inadvertently that will negatively affect your case. Insurance companies are well-represented by experienced attorneys and skilled adjusters. You should have an accomplished attorney at your side, too.
Contact The Benton Law Firm Today for a Free Evaluation
The legal team at The Benton Law Firm are dedicated and compassionate attorneys interested in your physical and emotional healing while we fight to protect your rights. From the moment of your first free consultation, you’ll receive undivided attention from our team as we evaluate the unique details of your case.
Our goal is to develop a strategy that will make the process as easy as possible for you while obtaining the fair compensation you deserve for your injuries. Becoming disfigured in a Dallas car accident can have severe and long-term consequences. Call a Dallas personal injury attorney who will treat your case with the same importance you do. The Benton Law Firm is here for you. Call us today at (214) 777-7777 for your free consultation and case evaluation.