Personal Injury & Criminal Defense Lawyers in Brazoria County Providing Guidance and Representation for Clients Dealing With Legal Matters

Personal injury claims in Texas are subject to a legal deadline referred to as a statute of limitations. A statute of limitations defines how much time a personal injury victim has to seek damages compensation after the accident. In Texas, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years, and the clock starts ticking from when the accident occurs.

If you are partially at fault for your own injuries, you may still receive compensation as long as you are not 51% at fault or more. In addition, the percentage of responsibility assigned to you directly affects how much money you may receive. If you are partially responsible for your accident, working with a seasoned personal injury attorney is crucial to help you minimize your liability.

Insurance companies are for-profit businesses that want to protect their profits and close out claims quickly and for as little money as possible. One of the ways they accomplish this goal is by pressuring a claimant to accept their initial offer. However, their initial offer is often too low to cover all damages. You are not required to accept the first offer you receive from the insurance company. Review all offers with your attorney before making a decision.

Punitive damages are a special category of compensable damages available for personal injury victims who were hurt by someone else’s gross negligence. Since a civil court cannot sentence a defendant to any type of criminal sentence other than ordering that defendant to compensate the victim for any losses, punitive damages may be ordered as a way of punishing the defendant’s behavior and discouraging it from happening again in the future. Ask your attorney if your case qualifies to receive punitive damages.

Being charged with a crime or taken into custody is a scary and stressful experience, so your priority is to remain calm and polite. Do not argue with law enforcement or try to resist arrest, as that can only complicate matters for you. You can exercise your fifth amendment rights and remain silent, and be sure to reach out to a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Your attorney can help you understand your charges and next steps.

Every criminal case is unique, and results may vary, but one of the goals of a criminal defense attorney is to get charges reduced or dropped whenever possible. One of the many strategies your attorney may use to achieve this goal is to question the legality of the evidence the prosecution may be presenting against you. For example, if an officer did not have enough probable cause to conduct a search in your vehicle, any evidence found as a result of an illegal search could be deemed inadmissible in court, likely resulting in your charges being dropped.

A DWI will stay on your record permanently in Texas unless you meet certain strict criteria to have the conviction expunged or sealed – otherwise, a DWI can follow you for the rest of your life and affect your ability to pass a background check, secure employment, housing, and more. If you are charged with a DWI, the best thing you can do is to hire a DWI lawyer that can help you avoid a conviction in the first place.