Personal Injury Information

The Information You Need to Help You Make an Informed Decision about...Personal Injury Claims

Located in the state of Texas, Bailey & Galyen serves clients throughout Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Weatherford, Harlingen and Brownsville. We understand that in order to make informed decisions, you need accurate information and sound advice. For personal injury claims, we provide you with the information you need and the advice and service you expect, so you can make informed decisions.

We are pleased to provide you with the following general information about personal injury law and some answers to some frequently asked questions as well as some issues you may be interested in knowing about if you, or a family member, were injured in an accident.

We hope you find the information useful, and we invite you schedule a free, confidential consultation with Bailey & Galyen by calling 800-529-8008 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you to schedule a consultation.

• What Is a Personal Injury?
• Types of Personal Injury Claims
• Why You Want a Personal Injury Lawyer
• Why Insurance Companies Are Against You
• How Bailey & Galyen Helps Accident Victims with Their Personal Injury Claim
• Personal Injury FAQ
• Contact Bailey and Galyen

What Is a Personal Injury?

In the legal sense, personal injury refers to a civil claim to obtain compensation for physical and/or financial injuries to you caused by a tort. A tort can be an intentional act, such as intentionally striking you with a baseball bat; a negligent act, such as a car accident caused by failing to see you crossing the street; or a strict liability tort, such as injuries from a dangerous product or a dog bite (in most states).

The injuries could refer to physical injury, psychological injury, emotional injury or financial injury. Physical injury includes such injuries as brain injury, spinal cord injury, broken bones, torn ligaments, herniated discs, whiplash, burns, amputations and other similar injuries. Psychological injury and emotional injury include psychological trauma following a traumatic event, such as witnessing a gruesome accident or intentional act of violence, or disfigurement from a physical injury. Financial injury could be caused by a civil tort, such as libel or slander.

If you have been injured in an accident, such as an auto, construction or truck accident, and would like to discuss your personal injury claim with an experienced Texas lawyer, please schedule a free, confidential consultation with Bailey & Galyen by calling 800-529-8008 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you to schedule a consultation.

Types of Personal Injury Claims:

There are many different actions that can give rise to a personal injury claim. Those actions range from negligently performing one's work to simply owning a pet. Of course, there must be a cause and effect relationship between your injuries and action in question, i.e., the action giving rise to a personal injury claim must have caused or contributed to the injuries in which you are seeking compensation.

The most common types of actions or accidents giving rise to personal injury claims include the following:

• Motor Vehicle Accidents
  • Car accidents
  • Truck accidents
  • Bus accidents
  • Pedestrian accidents
  • Bicycle accidents
  • Boating accident
  • Train accident
  • Airplane accident
  • Light rail or subway accident
• Construction Accidents
  • Scaffold and ladder accidents
  • Falling debris
  • Construction machinery accidents
  • Construction vehicle accidents
  • Holes, ditches and other construction hazards
  • Building collapse
• Premises Liability Accidents
  • Slip and fall
  • Trip and fall
  • Swimming pool accidents
  • Dog bites and dog attacks
  • Inadequate security
  • Failure to properly maintain property, including walkways, sidewalks and parking lots
  • Inadequate lighting, including stairwells
  • Elevator and escalator accidents
• Professional Malpractice
  • Attorney or legal malpractice
  • Accounting malpractice
  • Architect and design malpractice
  • Dental malpractice
• Medical Malpractice
  • Emergency room error
  • Surgical mistakes
  • Medication errors
  • Misdiagnosis
  • Failure to diagnose or treat a medical condition
  • Medical chart errors
  • Birth injury
• Products Liability / Defective and Dangerous Products
  • Defective products, including children's toys, drugs, car parts, electrical appliances, power tools, machinery, and other defective products
  • Dangerous conditions, including lack of or failure of safety precautions, including guard rails, and failure to warn about a dangerous condition such as ditch, trench, swimming pool, and other dangerous conditions
  • Defective designs, including SUV rollovers, highway design, building design, and other defective designs
• Workers' Compensation
  • Workplace accidents
  • Lifting injury (back injury)
  • Repetitive stress injury
  • Amputations
  • Burns
  • Toxic chemical exposure
• Nursing Home Abuse
  • Bed sores
  • Dehydration and starvation
  • Sexual or physical abuse
• Defamation
  • Libel
  • Slander

If you have been injured in an accident, such as a premises liability, pharmaceutical or nursing home abuse case, and would like to discuss your personal injury claim with an experienced Texas lawyer, please schedule a free, confidential consultation with Bailey & Galyen by calling 800-529-8008 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you to schedule a consultation.

Why You Want a Personal Injury Lawyer:

Typically, you only get one bite at the apple. That means you likely will only have one opportunity to make a claim for compensation after an accident. There are rules that must followed in making a claim, and a thorough understanding of the law is essential in maximizing your compensation.

The company or insurance company fighting your personal injury claim will have skilled lawyers and knowledgeable attorneys on their side trying to take advantage of the facts and laws to minimize or avoid paying you.

In addition, with all personal injury claims, there are strict time limits in which you must bring a claim. These time limits are known legally as "Statute of Limitations." If you fail to bring a claim within the prescribed period of time, you may be barred from bringing a claim forever. If you engage a lawyer to represent you, make sure your lawyer knows when the accident happened, so they can make sure they file the appropriate paperwork in a timely fashion.

There is a saying amongst lawyers that a lawyer who represents himself (or herself) has a fool for a client. Even lawyers, who are well versed in the law and civil procedure, know that representing themselves is not prudent. In a personal injury claim, knowledgeable attorneys understand that they need an advocate who is passionate, but not emotionally attached to the situation.

When you retain the services an experienced lawyer, you not only get the benefit of knowledgeable information and advice, but you get an advocate who is dedicated to representing your case passionately, but with a level head - a voice of reason when emotion clouds your judgment.

If you would like to retain an experienced Texas lawyer to discuss your personal injury claim, please schedule a free, confidential consultation with Bailey & Galyen by calling 800-529-8008 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you to schedule a consultation.

Why Insurance Companies Are Against You:

With most personal injury claims, you will be dealing with an insurance company. Insurance companies are against you because they answer to shareholders, not policy holders. The value of the insurance company to their shareholders increases if they can collect as much as possible in premiums and pay out as little as possible in claims.

Insurance companies understand that most accident victims have no idea how to properly evaluate their claim. They also retain skilled claims adjusters and savvy lawyers to assist them in avoiding or limiting the amount of compensation they pay out.

Furthermore, almost immediately after your accident, they have their people gathering evidence to assist them in their case against you. Claims adjusters will try to befriend you in an effort to gain your trust, but the bottom line is that they work for the insurance company, not you. You must realize they are going to protect the interests of the company that signs their checks, not yours.

Retaining a knowledgeable Texas lawyer will allow you to fight the insurance companies much more effectively. You need an advocate on your side who understands the way insurance companies work and how to properly value a claim. In addition, you should retain a Texas lawyer as soon as possible after an accident to gather evidence that will support your claim. With the passage of time, witnesses may not be able to be located or forget what happened, and skid marks or other evidence may disappear or not be found. In addition, the more time your attorney has to prepare your claim, the better chance you and your family have of receiving full and fair compensation for your injuries or loss.

If you have been injured in an accident and would like to discuss your personal injury claim with an experienced Texas lawyer, please schedule a free, confidential consultation with Bailey & Galyen by calling 800-529-8008 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you to schedule a consultation.

How Bailey & Galyen Helps Accident Victims with Their Personal Injury Claim:

Located in Texas, Bailey & Galyen represents accident victims throughout the state, including Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Weatherford, Harlingen and Brownsville. By providing you with quality representation, experienced advice and the highest level of personal service, Bailey & Galyen can give you leverage when dealing with insurance companies and handling your claim.

You can rely on the accuracy of the information we provide and the knowledge and experience behind the advice we offer. We are dedicated to obtaining the best possible results and committed to you as a client. We put ourselves in your shoes and treat you with the respect and compassion we would expect.

We understand how to deal with insurance companies and big business. When you retain Bailey & Galyen, you are telling the insurance companies that you mean business and will not be intimidated by them, nor will you take anything less than fair and just compensation for your injuries.

Moreover, we understand all the factors that come into play regarding your entitlement to compensation, including such factors as medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc. In addition, we work with your doctor and other medical experts to fully understand the extent of your injuries in order to be able to address your future needs and expenses,

If you have been injured in an accident and would like to discuss your personal injury claim with an experienced Texas lawyer, please schedule a free, confidential consultation with Bailey & Galyen by calling 800-529-8008 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you to schedule a consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Personal Injury:

Question: If I was partially responsible for the accident, can I still receive compensation?

Answer: The answer to this question depends on the state laws governing your claim. Some states have what is called "comparative fault." Comparative fault or comparative negligence can mean that you will be partially responsible for your injuries, and therefore may only receive a percentage, based upon your comparative fault, of an award. A skilled personal injury lawyer will be able to properly guide you through the legal process and advise regarding any settlement offers.

Question: What should I do if the insurance company asks me to make a statement or answer some questions?

Answer: It would be in your best interest to never make a statement or discuss your claim with the insurance company or any one else (except the police) without first seeking counsel from an experienced personal injury lawyer. Insurance companies are adept at making you provide them with statements that they can use against you when fighting your claim.

Question: My insurance claims adjuster told me that if I hired a lawyer, I would end up with even less money because the lawyer would take some of my money, is this true?

Answer: Most attorneys work on what is known as a "contingent fee" basis, which means if you don't receive any compensation, the personal injury attorney does not get anything. However, in return for their services, if they are successful, they do take a percentage of your recovery as their fee. Regarding the statement made by the claims adjuster, studies have shown that the vast majority of clients who engage an attorney receive substantially more compensation than the insurance company initially offered them prior to retaining an attorney, even after the attorney's fees are deducted.

Contact an Experienced Texas Personal Injury Lawyer

Our goal is to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions. We hope the information outlined above will give you a general understanding of personal injury law and some of the factors involved with handling a personal injury claim.

To schedule a free, confidential consultation to answer your questions or to discuss your claim with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer, please call 800-529-8008 or fill out our intake form and we will contact you to schedule a consultation.