Understanding How Insurance Companies Handle Serious Injury Claims
When you’re seriously injured in an accident, here’s the reality: the person or company who caused it probably can’t afford to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and everything else you’re facing. Even if they could, they don’t want to. That’s exactly why they have insurance – to transfer the financial risk when they hurt someone.
Before I started representing injury victims, I spent over a decade as an insurance adjuster managing serious casualty claims across multiple states. I evaluated cases just like yours, decided what they were worth, and worked directly with defense attorneys to minimize what we paid out. Then I practiced insurance defense and coverage litigation at a Houston firm before opening my own practice to represent injury victims.
I know how insurance companies evaluate serious injury claims because I did it for years. I know what makes them increase their reserve on your file, what documentation forces their hand in settlement negotiations, and which tactics work versus which ones waste time. When you hire me, you get an attorney who’s been on both sides and knows exactly how to get you fair compensation.
Serious Injury Cases I Handle Throughout Houston
Not every accident needs an attorney, but when injuries are severe enough to change your life, the stakes are too high to navigate alone. I represent clients across Greater Houston and throughout Texas who’ve suffered:
Construction and Industrial Accidents
Falls from heights, scaffolding collapses, equipment failures, and electrocutions on Houston-area construction sites and industrial facilities. These cases often involve complex liability questions, multiple potentially responsible parties, and significant workers’ compensation issues that require understanding both the insurance and legal angles.
Oilfield and Refinery Incidents
Burns, explosions, toxic exposures, and crush injuries at petrochemical facilities from Houston through Texas City and along the Gulf Coast. My experience handling industrial claims as an adjuster gives me insight into how these companies assess liability and manage high-exposure incidents.
Wrongful Death
When negligence proves fatal, families deserve accountability and compensation. These cases require sensitivity to what you’re going through while aggressively pursuing justice against the responsible parties and their insurance carriers.
Commercial Vehicle Accidents
18-wheeler crashes, delivery vehicle collisions, and other commercial trucking accidents on I-10, I-45, Highway 288, and throughout the Houston metro area. Trucking cases require understanding federal regulations, corporate liability structures, and how trucking insurers evaluate these claims differently than standard auto cases.
Crime Victim
When criminal acts like assaults, shootings, robberies, or sexual assaults occur on someone else’s property or in the workplace, they may give rise to negligent security claims. Property owners and employers can be held responsible when they fail to provide reasonable security, fail to properly screen or supervise employees, or ignore foreseeable risks. These cases often involve premises liability, negligent hiring and supervision, and workplace violence issues, requiring careful analysis of how responsible parties’ insurance policies apply to violent crime claims.
Brain and Spinal Cord Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries and spinal damage often result in permanent disability, lifetime medical needs, and loss of earning capacity. Properly evaluating these cases requires understanding future medical costs, life care planning, and how insurance companies try to minimize long-term damage projections.
Drunk Driving Accident
Impaired drivers cause devastating harm, and Texas law allows recovery of punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. These cases require holding both the driver and potentially the establishment that over-served them accountable.
Premises Liability
Slip and falls, inadequate security, negligent maintenance – property owners have duties to keep premises safe. These cases often involve complex insurance coverage questions that my background helps navigate effectively.
Other Serious Injury Cases
Pedestrian accidents, ridesharing crashes, motorcycle collisions, workplace injuries, and product defects. If your injury is serious enough to fundamentally change your life, we should talk.
What to Expect When We Work Together
- Initial Consultation: We’ll discuss what happened, the extent of your injuries, and any questions or concerns you have. I’ll give you my honest assessment: what I think it’s worth, what challenges we might face, and whether you need an attorney. These consultations are confidential with no obligation to sign.
- Investigation: If we move forward, I start working on your case on day one. This means visiting the accident scene, interviewing witnesses before memories fade, obtaining police reports and medical records, consulting with experts when necessary, and gathering the evidence needed to prove both liability and the full extent of your damages.
- Dealing with Insurance Companies: I handle all communication with adjusters and defense counsel. You focus on recovering while I handle the legal battle and keep you informed of developments.
- Settlement or Trial: Most serious injury cases do settle, but only when insurance companies face an attorney prepared to go to court if necessary. I prepare every case for trial. If settlement negotiations produce a fair offer that you accept, we resolve the case. If not, we litigate.
Serving Greater Houston and Texas
My office is located in Houston’s East Downtown. I represent serious injury victims throughout the Greater Houston metro area including:
- Houston (East Downtown, East End, Greater Heights, Montrose, Medical Center)
- Sugar Land
- Katy
- League City
- Alvin
- Texas City
- Galveston
- Surrounding Harris County Communities
I also represent clients throughout Texas on serious injury cases.
Understanding Texas Law on Serious Injury Cases
Two-Year Statute of Limitations
You generally have two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit in Texas. For wrongful death cases, it’s two years from the date of death. Miss these deadlines and you lose your right to pursue compensation in court, regardless of how strong your case is. Important exception: Claims against government entities like cities, counties, or state agencies require written notice within 6 months. Limited other exceptions exist, but don’t wait to consult an attorney.
Modified Comparative Negligence
Texas allows you to recover damages even if you share some fault for the accident, as long as you’re not more than 50% responsible. However, your compensation gets reduced by your percentage of fault. Insurance companies exploit this rule by trying to shift blame onto injury victims, which is why you need an attorney who knows how to counter these tactics.
Don’t Settle Too Early
You shouldn’t settle your case until you reach maximum medical improvement and understand the full extent of your injuries and future medical needs. Once you settle, you can’t reopen the case if your condition worsens or you discover additional injuries.
No Upfront Costs – Contingency Fee Representation
Serious injuries create immediate financial pressure. Medical bills accumulate while you’re unable to work. You shouldn’t have to pay attorney fees upfront when you’re already financially stressed.
I handle personal injury cases on contingency – you pay nothing unless I recover compensation for you. I advance all case costs including expert fees, investigation expenses, and court costs, and only get reimbursed if we win. This allows you to afford experienced representation regardless of your current financial situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my case worth?
Case value depends on injury severity, medical treatment extent, lost income, and how injuries affect your daily life and future earning capacity. Economic damages include quantifiable losses like medical bills and lost wages. Non-economic damage compensates for pain, suffering, disability, and reduced quality of life. After reviewing your case, I can give you a realistic assessment of what fair compensation looks like based on similar cases I’ve handled and evaluated over the years.
What if I was partially at fault?
Texas allows recovery if you’re less than 51% at fault, though your compensation gets reduced proportionally. Insurance companies will try to inflate your fault percentage to reduce what they pay. Having an attorney who understands how fault gets evaluated and contested makes a significant difference in these situations.
Do I really need an attorney for my injury case?
Not always. Minor injuries that are fully resolved with basic medical treatment often get handled adequately through insurance claims. But when injuries are serious – requiring surgery, causing permanent disability, resulting in significant lost income, or fundamentally changing your life – the stakes are too high to navigate alone. Insurance companies defend these cases aggressively because the money involved matters to their bottom line.
How long will my case take?
Every case is different. Some cases settle within months when liability is clear, and insurance companies act reasonably. Others require litigation, discovery, and potentially trial, which can take one to three years depending on court schedules and case complexity. The timeline often depends on when you reach maximum medical improvement – you shouldn’t settle until you understand the full extent of your injuries and future medical needs.
Let’s Talk About Your Case
The decisions you make after a serious accident matter. Insurance companies start building their defense immediately, looking for ways to minimize what they pay. Waiting to seek legal help gives them an advantage.
If you or someone you love suffered serious injuries in an accident caused by negligence, contact me for a free, confidential consultation. I’ll review your case, explain your legal options, and answer your questions with no obligation.
Please contact me at 832-891-3210 or complete the contact form below.