Houston Personal Injury Lawyer

Houston, Texas is the setting for thousands of personal injury accidents every year. From vehicle collisions to slip and fall accidents, many harmful incidents can injure victims in Houston. If you or a loved one has an injury from an accident, you may face thousands of dollars in lost wages, property repairs and medical expenses. You may also experience a great deal of pain and suffering. A serious accident could drastically alter your life.

At Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP, our Houston personal injury lawyers believe you should never have to pay the price for someone else’s negligence. If another person caused your injury in Houston, it should be that person’s responsibility to pay for your property repairs, medical bills and other expenses. Our personal injury attorneys are committed to helping injured people obtain fair compensation for their losses from at-fault parties in Houston.

Contact us if you think you have grounds for a claim. Call (800) 773-6770 today to schedule a free consultation.

Why Hire Our Houston Personal Injury Attorneys?

• We believe in the power of individualized client care. Our law firm accepts fewer cases so we can dedicate 100% of our time and attention to each client.
• We have years of experience practicing personal injury law. We can take many types of personal injury cases, from 18-wheeler accidents to dog attacks.
• We know how to obtain maximum compensation for injured clients. Most injury claims settle, but we are prepared to take claims to trial in Houston if necessary.
• We accept clients with serious injury claims on a contingency fee basis. You will only pay our legal fees if and when we obtain compensation on your behalf.

How Do I Know If I Have a Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury claim could lead to fair and full financial compensation for your past and future damages. Not every accident or injury will give you grounds to bring a cause of action, however. Civil laws in Texas only grant the opportunity to seek compensation in specific scenarios. In general, someone else must have caused your accident through an act of negligence, recklessness, carelessness, maliciousness or fraud to qualify. You also need proof of compensable damages, such as hospital bills or property damages.

If you have reason to suspect someone else caused or contributed to your injury, talk to an attorney from Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP about the possibility of a lawsuit. We provide free legal consultations to allow clients to find out if they have grounds for claims. You will have no financial risk in scheduling an initial evaluation. We will listen to your accident story, answer your questions and provide tailored legal advice as to whether we believe you have a claim. If so, we may offer to accept you as a client in Houston.

How Much Is My Case Worth?

One of the most common questions our personal injury attorneys receive is, “How much is my case worth?” The answer depends on your particular case. It is impossible to give an average payout amount that will depict what your case could be worth. Instead, you will need to schedule a free consultation so our lawyers can analyze your specific claim. Our Houston personal injury lawyers will assess the potential value of your case based on your compensable losses and several other factors.

• Medical expenses. The full cost of the bills related to your medical treatments, including medications, surgeries, specialists, medical devices and live-in care.
• Long-term damages. If you have permanent injuries, your award can cover the costs of lifelong treatments, disability accommodations, and home or vehicle modifications.
• Lost wages. The amount of income you lost from having to miss work during medical treatments and recovery, as well as future lost wages if you have a disability.
• Pain and suffering. A noneconomic damage award covering intangible losses such as physical pain, suffering, emotional distress, anguish, trauma, depression and anxiety.
• Property damages. The amount it will take to repair your damaged vehicle or property, or the amount to replace a destroyed piece of property.
• Punitive damages. An additional award granted to some plaintiffs injured by gross negligence, malicious intent to harm or wanton recklessness.

The value of your claim can depend on your injuries, healing time, income, age and many other factors. Many personal injury claimants in Houston have obtained impressive awards, including six- and seven-figure settlements and verdicts. While we cannot guarantee positive results, we promise to do what we can to obtain maximum compensation for your claim. Our experienced personal injury lawyers can take your case to trial in Houston if that is necessary for a fair and full recovery.

Who Can Be Sued?

The person responsible for causing your accident will serve as the defendant in your personal injury case. Identifying the defendant often takes investigation by professionals such as police officers, lawyers and insurance companies. An investigation will look at facts such as causation for your accident to pinpoint the responsible party. The identity of the defendant can also depend on the type of case.

• Property owner. Those in possession of land, buildings or properties are often defendants in premises liability cases. These include slip and fall accidents, dog attacks, elevator/escalator accidents, and swimming pool accidents.
• Vehicle operators may be at fault for causing motor vehicle accidents, including truck, motorcycle, car, bicycle, pedestrian, and Uber or Lyft accidents. The owner of the vehicle could also be responsible for a poorly maintained car.
• Product manufacturer. Injury claims involving defective, dangerous or malfunctioning products could point to manufacturer liability. A manufacturer or distributor could be responsible without proof of negligence in a strict product liability claim.

Other common defendants include employers, business owners, schools, doctors, hospitals and the government. In most cases, it is the insurance company of the defendant you are going up against in an injury claim, not the individual. Insurance companies can be difficult to negotiate with unless you have a personal injury lawyer representing you. An injury lawyer can guide you through the claims process, including identifying the defendant and proving negligence.

How Is Negligence Determined in Texas?

Most personal injury claims involve the legal doctrine of negligence. Negligence is the failure to fulfill a duty of care. It can refer to an action or omission a reasonable party would not have done in the same circumstances. If you base your claim on the theory of negligence, you or your personal injury lawyer will have the task of proving negligence. This requires establishing four elements to be more likely true than untrue.

1. A legal obligation to act a certain way according to the situation.
2. Breach of duty. A failure to fulfill one’s legal duties or obligations.
3. An actual and causal link between the breach of duty and the accident.
4. Specific losses incurred because the defendant breached a duty.

Some types of cases in Houston do not require proof of negligence. A strict liability claim, for instance, can hold a defendant liable for a victim’s damages without needing to prove negligence. Your lawyer from Gordon, Elias & Seely can explain the burden of proof in your specific personal injury claim. We can break down what your case will need to succeed, as well as provide an honest opinion as to whether or not we believe you have a strong case.

How Is Fault Determined?

In a car accident claim, in particular, you or your lawyer will need to prove fault. Fault refers to responsibility for causing the car accident. Fault laws vary from state to state. In Texas, fault-based insurance rules apply. Fault-, or tort-, based insurance laws state that the driver or party at fault for the car accident will be financially responsible for damages. In a no-fault insurance state, on the other hand, each injured driver will seek financial compensation from his or her own insurance company, regardless of fault.

Determining fault after an auto accident often requires an analysis of the crash scene and related evidence such as police reports and eyewitness testimony. Each accident is unique. Investigators and crash reconstructionists can piece together how the car accident occurred, as well as who was at fault. Looking at traffic laws, surveillance footage, vehicle damages, photographs and other information can help determine fault. Your lawyer can handle these tasks on your behalf while you focus on healing.

What Is Texas’s Statute of Limitations?

It is important to contact a personal injury attorney from Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP as soon as possible after an accident in Houston. Bringing a claim in Houston and all cities in Texas comes with a strict deadline, or statute of limitations. If you do not file within the statute of limitations, the courts will most likely not allow you to bring a claim. In general, the statute of limitations on personal injury claims in Texas is two years from the date of the accident. If you fail to notice your injury on the day of the accident, you will have two years from the date you discovered or reasonably should have discovered your injury to file.

What Should I Do If I’ve Been Injured? Should I Take Photos?

It is important to complete a few critical steps as an injured victim in the aftermath of a serious accident in Houston. The actions you take or do not take in the beginning can shape the rest of your injury claim. Contact our law firm as early as you can after an accident to learn what you need to do next. We can tailor our advice to you during a free claim evaluation in Houston. In the meantime, use a few general tips for building a case.

1. Involve the authorities. Report your accident immediately to the police, if appropriate, or another authority figure, such as the manager of a construction site or owner of a store. Immediate reporting can document that your accident happened.
2. Do not admit fault. Never confess any fault for causing your accident or injury. This can automatically bar you from recovery without any further investigation. Do not apologize for the accident, either.
3. Take photos. Always take as many photos as possible of the accident scene, what caused your injuries, and any personal injuries or property damages. Photographs can serve as clear and convincing evidence during an injury claim. Record videos as well, if possible.
4. Exchange information. If you think someone else caused your injuries, write down that person’s name and contact information. Write down other important details as well, such as the date, time and location of the accident, as well as the names of any witnesses.
5. Ask for medical care. See a physician right away for injury treatment. Prompt care is important not only for your physical health but for your insurance claim as well. Keep copies of documents such as your medical bills, hospital records and x-rays.

Once you have taken these fundamental steps, continue your claim by contacting the insurance company of the person you believe is to blame for your accident. Do not accept an insurance settlement, however, until you have spoken to the Houston personal injury lawyers at Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP. Call us at (800) 773-6770 to discuss the details of your accident and injury claim right away. We can provide trustworthy legal advice and guide you through the rest of the steps toward obtaining fair and full financial compensation.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

At Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP, we have spent years accepting cases in a variety of practice areas that fall under the umbrella of personal injury law. We have experience representing clients during many types of injury claims.

• Car accidents
• Slip and fall accidents
• Premises accidents
• Dog bites
• Railroad accidents
• Construction accidents
• Work accidents
• Dangerous pharmaceutical drugs
• Defective products
• Nursing home injuries
• Catastrophic injury claims
• Wrongful death

This is not a full list of cases we accept. We can assist clients who have broken bones, burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries, scars, disfigurement, spine injuries, organ damage and more. Please contact our law firm to discuss your unique case.

Contact Us

After a serious injury in Houston, Texas, do not wait to contact an injury lawyer. An experienced personal injury attorney from Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP will be able to review your case and explain your rights for free. If we take you on as a client, we can immediately go to work on bringing one or more defendants to justice for causing your accident. We bring respect, professionalism and a personal touch to every injury claim we accept. Contact our Houston personal injury lawyers today for a free consultation.

Call (800) 773-6770 to schedule a case review or submit our online contact form 24/7.