Rear-end car accidents often catch you off guard and can cause surprisingly severe injuries, even at lower speeds. The injuries you face after a car accident should always be your top priority, not the damage to your car. You should seek immediate medical treatment and consider talking to an attorney any time you’re involved in a car accident.
If you were rear-ended in the Arlington, TX area, contact our law offices today. The Arlington rear-end collision lawyers at The Queenan Law Firm represent injured drivers and passengers and help them fight to get compensation they need to cover their medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. For a free consultation on your case, contact our law offices today at (817) 476-1797.
Injuries from Rear-End Car Crashes
If you were rear-ended, you could be dealing with surprisingly severe injuries. Cuts and scrapes from broken glass, broken bones from crush injuries, and brain trauma from strong impacts can occur in severe accidents. However, even low-speed and less serious rear-end car accidents can still cause surprisingly severe and long-lasting injuries.
One of the most common injuries from rear-end crashes is whiplash. Whiplash injuries occur when your head makes a back-and-forth whipping motion during a car crash. In many rear-end accidents, the victim’s car is stopped when they are struck from behind. Your car could be pushed forward suddenly, meaning that the seat presses your body forward. This causes your head to snap backward, putting strain on your neck. Then, your head often snaps back forward, putting additional strain on your neck. As your neck muscles and tendons contract to put everything back into alignment, you can suffer additional stress and strain.
Whiplash injuries are often quite painful, though you may not notice them immediately. It can often take until the next day for the ligaments and tendons to settle and for the injury to become apparent. This does not mean that an attorney cannot connect the injury to the car accident, and you should still seek immediate medical treatment and consider claiming damages for your whiplash injuries.
Back injuries are also incredibly common in rear-end car crashes. As mentioned, a rear-end crash often pushes your seat into your back, forcing you forward along with your car. When you stop, you can fall forward to where your seatbelt and airbag should catch you. However, that initial push and the sudden stopping and bending can also cause flexion and strain on your back. It is incredibly common to suffer from herniated discs and misalignment in your back after a car crash. More serious accidents can even cause fractured vertebrae and spinal cord injury.
Suing for a Rear-End Car Accident in Texas
Texas is an “at-fault” state for car insurance. This means that every driver is required by law to carry car insurance which can cover any injuries they cause in a car accident. The insurance company will only pay for damages when their driver is at-fault for the crash, which may mean proving the case against them. Alternatively, you may be able to file a lawsuit for damages after a car accident.
Filing through insurance often means limiting the damages you can receive. Auto insurance is designed to pay for compensation for medical expenses and lost wages after a car accident, but it may not cover these in full. It is easier to file through insurance rather than going to court, but filing your case as a lawsuit in a court of law could entitle you to additional damages.
The most notable damages you could receive in court are damages for pain and suffering. Pain and suffering damages are paid directly to the victim to compensate them for the pain and discomfort they face from the injury, on top of any damages they receive for medical expenses. These damages have no cap or limitation under Texas law, so this could be the most substantial set of damages in your lawsuit. Especially for injuries like whiplash and neck and back injuries, the pain and suffering can be ongoing or last for the rest of your life, potentially entitling you to high pain and suffering damages.
To prove your case, you need to prove that the other driver did something wrong. In most rear-end cases, it is simple enough to prove that the driver behind you was following too closely, failed to stop at a stop sign or red light, or otherwise violated traffic laws and unlawfully crashed into you. Unless there are more complicated facts, like evidence that you were backing up when the accident occurred, common legal strategies may help to prove your rear-end car accident case.
Arlington Rear-End Car Accident Lawyer Offering Free Consultations
If you or a member of your family was injured in a rear-end collision in Arlington, Texas or the surrounding areas, contact The Queenan Law Firm about your case. Before accepting any money from insurance, talk to an Arlington car accident attorney about your injuries and what your case might be worth in court. For a free consultation on your injury case, contact our Arlington rear-end collision lawyers today at (817) 476-1797.