When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

As personal injury lawyers, we talk to people every day about accidents, work-related incidents and dangerous products that are costing them money and impacting their everyday lives. While many injury victims are entitled to compensation for their losses, in some cases, there simply isn’t anyone to hold responsible.

When you come to our Houston offices for a free consultation, we may tell you that we believe you have a claim worth pursuing (though we can never guarantee the outcome of any case); or, we may advise you to pursue other legal options based on the specifics of your case.

At Morrow & Sheppard LLP, we only take cases we believe we can win. We do not bill by the hour, and we do not want to give false hope to individuals who are suffering from catastrophic injuries or loss of a loved one. There are specific legal grounds for seeking financial compensation for personal injuries and wrongful death. When grounds exist, we fight vigorously to help our clients win the compensation they deserve.

If You are Injured on the Job

If you are injured on the job, in most cases, you will be entitled to workers’ compensation. Unlike other accident cases, in order to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you do not need to prove that your employer is at fault for your injuries.

However, workers’ compensation benefits are limited by law to medical expenses and a portion of your lost wages, and employers and their insurance companies often fight to minimize their benefits obligations. As a result, in work-related accident cases, we typically look to see if someone else is to blame for your losses in addition to fighting for maximum workers’ compensation.

If You are Injured by a Defective Product

Defective product claims are similar to workers’ compensation claims in that you do not need to prove fault in order to win compensation. However, the similarities end there. Defective product claims are often extremely complex, and it takes years of experience pursuing successful claims in order to extract maximum value from manufacturers and distributors. However, when you have a valid products liability claim, the results can be well worth the time and effort involved. Note that the vast majority of this time and effort will be spent by your lawyers.

If You are Injured in an Accident

If you are injured in an accident not involving work or a defective product, someone else must be responsible for your injuries in order for you to be entitled to compensation. In the vast majority of cases, responsibility is determined based on the legal concept of “negligence.”

In its simplest terms, negligence requires that: (i) someone else owed you a duty of care, (ii) that person breached their duty of care, (iii) their breach contributed to causing an accident and (iv) you suffered harm as a result of the accident. If any of these four elements are not present, you will not be entitled to receive financial compensation.

The following are some common examples of situations where someone’s negligence can put them on the hook to compensate victims for their losses:

• A speeding driver or drunk driver loses control and collides with your vehicle, causing you serious injuries.
• A grocery store manager fails to have a spill cleaned up or cordoned off quickly, allowing you to slip, fall, and suffer a broken bone.
• A subcontractor (not your employer) on a construction site fails to provide adequate training for its workers, and you suffer serious injuries when one of their workers makes a mistake while operating heavy machinery.

As perhaps you can see, there are many different ways in which someone else’s negligence can lead to an accident resulting in serious injuries. If you have been injured in an accident and believe someone else may be to blame, you should see a lawyer for a complete case evaluation.

Contact Morrow & Sheppard LLP to Learn More

Houston personal injury lawyers Nick Morrow and John D. Sheppard provide experienced representation for accident victims in and around Houston, Texas. To find out if you have a case, schedule your free initial consultation today.