THOMAS NGUYEN LAW

Frequently Question & Answer

The team at ThomasNguyenLaw has successfully represented many past clients in a wide range of personal injury cases. We understand that your injury has likely impacted your life in several ways, and many of these effects may not be immediately noticeable. However, even if you were to successfully handle your personal injury claim on your own, you might be unaware of potential avenues of compensation that are available to you and mistakenly settle for much less than a qualified personal injury lawyer could have secured on your behalf.

Hiring a reliable Houston personal injury lawyer means you can approach your case with clarity and understanding. Your lawyer will handle the procedural requirements of your case and assist you in managing your court proceedings, making sure you fulfill all the Texas civil court’s requirements for your case to proceed unhindered by procedural errors. They can also coordinate expert witness testimony on your behalf to support your case, clarifying the most specific and complex aspects of your claim before the court. Ultimately, your lawyer will handle the complex legal aspects of your personal injury claim, so you and your family can focus on your recovery in peace.

It’s vital to understand the legal definition of a “personal injury” and the framework of a standard personal injury claim if you want to secure fair compensation for the losses you and your family have sustained. To succeed with a personal injury claim, the injured person must identify those responsible for their damages and prove the responsible party was negligent. There are four general elements of negligence an injured person must establish in a personal injury case:

  1. Duty of care. First, the injured person and their personal injury lawyer must identify the responsible party or parties and establish their duty of care for the situation in question.
  2. Breach of duty. Second, the injured person must show the court how the responsible party or parties breached their duty of care.
  3. Damage. Next, the injured person must provide the court with a complete accounting of the damages suffered due to the responsible party or parties’ actions.
  4. Causation. The final element of proving negligence is establishing causation, or a causal link between the responsible party or parties’ breached duty of care and the injured person’s claimed damages.

Successfully establishing these elements of negligence will significantly increase a person’s ability to secure compensation for their losses and perhaps the losses of others who are also affected by the person’s injury. Depending on the severity of your personal injury and the resulting economic effects, an experienced Houston personal injury lawyer can potentially help you secure much more compensation than you may have initially anticipated.

Texas civil law allows a person who has been injured by the negligence of another or others to claim compensation for all losses resulting from the responsible party or parties’ behavior. “Personal injury” is a broad area of civil law that can pertain to many different types of cases, including:

  1. Motor vehicle accident claims. Accidents involving carstrucksmotorcycles, and other motor vehicles are the leading cause of accidental deaths and injuries in the United States. Unfortunately, auto insurance may not be enough to cover your losses after an accident, and a Houston personal injury attorney can help you secure what insurance can’t cover through a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver and any other party responsible for your physical injuries and financial losses.
  2. Defective product claims. Product manufacturers must ensure their products perform as advertised and present no unreasonable risks to consumers through regular use of their products. If you or a loved one suffered injuries from a defective or unreasonably dangerous consumer product, a Houston personal injury lawyer could help you secure compensation through a product liability claim.
  3. Premises liability claims. Property owners must ensure their properties are safe for lawful guests and visitors. If you sustained an injury on someone else’s property due to a preventable and foreseeable safety hazard, a personal injury lawyer in Houston could help you hold the property owner accountable with a premises liability claim.
  4. Catastrophic injuries and wrongful death claims. Some personal injuries result in life-changing damage to a victim, and some people do not survive their personal injuries. These cases require the best legal representation, and a lawyer can be invaluable when you need to secure compensation for severe injuries with long-term or permanent effects. If you lost a loved one due to another party’s negligence, you would need to pursue a wrongful death claim instead of a personal injury claim.

These are only a few examples of the types of cases that fall within the purview of personal injury law in Texas. Your lawyer will carefully review your situation and help you determine the full extent of your claimable damages. In most personal injury cases, a person  can secure compensation for economic losses, including:

  1. Medical expenses. You have the right to claim compensation for both immediate and long-term medical expenses resulting from a personal injury.
  2. Lost income. You have the right to pursue compensation for lost income during recovery, including lost future income if you cannot work in the future because of your injury.
  3. Property damage. You can claim repair and replacement costs for any personal property damaged or destroyed by the defendant’s actions.

In addition to these economic damages, the injured person in personal injury claims also has the right to claim compensation for their pain and suffering. Your personal injury attorney in Houston can help you determine an appropriate amount to claim based on the severity of your injuries.