If you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury in Weslaco due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another, an experienced personal injury lawyer can guide you through the process of recovering the compensation you are entitled to.
Led by expert Texas personal injury attorney Dr. Louis Patino, our law firm enjoys a strong reputation for obtaining successful outcomes in the Weslaco area and beyond.
Dr. Patino is a member of the Texas State Bar and American Bar Association and is qualified to represent clients in all state and Federal courts in Texas. Our firm’s dedication and commitment to our clients have seen us awarded several accolades, including Best Law Firm and Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers, Best Business of 2023 by Three Best Rated, and, most recently, the Best Trial Lawyer in America by The National Institute of Trial Lawyers.
We provide legal services in both Spanish and English and offer a free, no-obligation case review so that you can determine if you have a claim and understand the next steps in filing a claim and what to expect during the process.
To book your free review, you can always reach us 24/7 at 855-LAW-NINJA, submit a contact form, or visit us at one of our offices:
If getting to our office is a challenge, just let us know — we are happy to come to you or meet you at a more convenient location. Your safety and comfort are our main concerns.
Our Weslaco personal injury law firm also operates on a no-fee-until-we-win policy, so you’ll never have to worry about out-of-pocket expenses or surprise bills if your claim is unsuccessful, and you will always know exactly how much you can expect to pay once your case is successfully resolved.
Aside from legal expertise and a remarkable track record for securing compensation payouts that clients are thrilled with — including multiple seven-figure awards — you can expect a tailored approach to your case, fierce negotiation and advocacy skills, and dedication to securing the best possible outcome when you choose Patino Law Firm.
Unlike some attorneys who will urge you to settle quickly so they can move on to another case — or who might not prioritize your claim from the beginning — we will never mislead you. If you are entitled to more, and you have a strong case, we are not afraid to file a lawsuit and will clearly explain your options so you can make an informed decision you are happy with.
And to ensure you have the strongest possible case, we will conduct a thorough investigation of your accident to unearth critical evidence and tap into our network of experts, including accident reconstructionists, economic experts, medical professionals, law enforcement officers, and other specialists. We have built connections with these individuals over many years and know they are the best, providing credible, honest, and effective reports, testimony, and evidence to sway a case in your favor.
We pride ourselves on being your legal partner, and our aim is clear: to obtain not simply acceptable compensation but the maximum amount you deserve — an award capable of making a real difference in your and your loved one’s lives.
Our personal injury attorney has secured compensation for clients in Weslaco and the surrounding cities for all types of injuries. We know that every situation is unique — and pride ourselves on tailoring our service to every client’s exact needs and circumstances — but chances are that we’ve encountered a similar case in our decades of collective experience.
Read below to learn more about some of the most common claims we help with.
Living a normal, active life one day and coming to terms with a spinal cord injury the next is a dramatic shift that takes a heavy physical, emotional, and financial toll.
While commonly associated with heavy-impact crashes or accidents, spinal cord injuries can occur anywhere — even a minor fall can cause this life-changing injury.
The road to recovery is long and daunting, involving extensive rehabilitation, medication, and surgery. Some never recover full function and must adapt their home to regain independence doing daily tasks.
The accident that led to your spinal cord injury may have been caused by someone else’s negligence, such as a drunk driver crashing into you, a truck driver with a suspended license whose employer failed to conduct proper checks before allowing them to drive, or an establishment that did not maintain a safe environment. In these situations, you may be entitled to compensation. A personal injury claim can alleviate the financial burden, allowing you to pay for the physical therapy, hospital care, and other treatment you need. It can also cover lost wages if you cannot work and compensate you for your physical and emotional pain.
When a person loses their life due to the negligence or wrongdoing of another party, it is considered a wrongful death under the law.
A wrongful death can occur in many situations, including:
A wrongful death is a shattering experience for surviving family members, but a claim can provide justice and alleviate the financial costs associated with a loved one’s loss.
Wrongful death claims are complex, as you must prove negligence and establish the liability of the at-fault party. Meeting this burden while coping with your grief and being a pillar of strength for your loved ones can feel like an impossible task.
Our personal injury lawyer in Weslaco will seek to recover maximum compensation for you and your family. We will go at your pace and make you feel as comfortable as possible. We want you to know your wrongful death claim is in the best hands and will take as much off your plate as possible so that you can focus on what’s important.
Occurring from direct impact such as a violent blow or through a shaking motion where the brain rapidly moves back and forth within the skull, traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) can have lasting cognitive, physical, and behavioral effects.
TBIs can stem from auto accidents, falls, sports injuries, or a physical attack and are sadly prominent in Weslaco and the wider Hidalgo County.
The path to recovery is often a long one, comprising expensive medical treatment and rehabilitation. If your injury occurred in an accident caused by someone’s negligence — whether a person or a representative of a company, such as an employer or manufacturer — you may be able to claim compensation.
A personal injury claim can cover your medical expenses — including for treatment you’ll need in the future — pay your wages and future income, and compensate you for pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment, and loss of consortium or companionship for the impact of your injury on your relationship with your partner or loved ones.
A Weslaco personal injury lawyer can determine who is at fault, explore your options, and secure the best result for you.
Truck accidents are a common yet devastating occurrence in Weslaco, capable of causing catastrophic injuries such as head trauma, broken bones, burns, and more.
Crashes are often the fault of a driver, such as a trucker driving while fatigued, intoxicated, or speeding, but other parties can be liable, too. If a truck accident is caused by a mechanical defect or malfunction, a manufacturer might be responsible, while a truck company can be held accountable if they negligently hired the employee who crashed into you.
Truck accidents are complex, but a seasoned Weslaco personal injury attorney can identify the best party to claim compensation from so you secure the maximum amount you are entitled to. Truck accident compensation can be a lifeline for those severely injured in these devastating accidents, helping you pay for the best medical care to aid your recovery, providing for you and your family when you cannot work, and even providing the means for you to set up your own business if your injury affects your livelihood.
While less common than car accidents, motorcycle crashes are one of the most dangerous types of accidents, capable of causing devastating and even fatal injuries.
Motorcyclists do not enjoy the protection a truck cab or passenger car provides. Often, the only protective gear they have is the clothes they are wearing and perhaps a helmet, although some may not even wear head protection.
Motorcyclists are commonly thrown from their vehicles during a crash, leading to severe bodily injuries, burns from skidding across the road at full speed, and facial trauma resulting in disfigurement and scarring. What’s more, these accidents are often high speed and high impact, as motorcycles can get caught in larger vehicles’ blind spots. A driver may not even know there is a motorcycle in its path until it is too late.
If there is any positive to be taken after a devastating motorcycle crash, it’s that you could be entitled to file a personal injury claim. A personal injury lawyer can secure the financial award you deserve, compensating you not just for your physical injuries but also for the substantial emotional impact visible injuries like burns can have on your confidence.
Car crashes are by far the most common type of accident in Weslaco, and sadly, they are also the most avoidable.
If more drivers followed traffic laws and were mindful of the impact actions like speeding or driving while distracted have, Texas roads would be far safer, and many lives would be saved.
Unfortunately, that is not the current reality, and many Weslaco residents are hurt in car accidents that are not their fault, suffering injuries including bruises, cuts, whiplash, and internal bleeding.
Injuries affect everyone differently, and even minor harm can worsen over time, requiring surgery and lengthy rehabilitation. For those who have sustained catastrophic injuries, life after a collision may never be the same.
A personal injury claim can provide some small comfort by alleviating the financial burden and allowing you to receive top-quality medical care to give yourself the best chance of recovering and getting back to enjoying your life.
Accidents can happen anywhere — a machinery-ridden construction site, a hazardous oilfield, a bustling shopping center, or even using an appliance in your own home. When the cause is negligence, you could be entitled to compensation, and the right legal support can make all the difference.
Our Weslaco personal injury law firm can explain your rights and provide dedicated representation to secure a payout that fairly compensates you for your damages.
When you hire our Weslaco personal injury attorney, you benefit from having a dedicated partner who will relentlessly fight for your rights. Navigating a personal injury claim can be challenging and overwhelming, especially when you are dealing with the physical and emotional trauma of your accident.
We bring our knowledge and experience to every case. We will manage everything on your behalf, from investigating your accident and gathering evidence to handling all communications with insurance companies, negotiating a fair settlement, filing a lawsuit, and representing you in court if needed.
Your Weslaco personal injury lawyer will start by evaluating your case to determine how much compensation you might be entitled to and your chances of success.
We can also help you get medical treatment for your injuries, referring you for expert care and delaying payment until you receive a settlement.
Evidence is vital for any personal injury claim to succeed. Our personal injury lawyers know what you need to bolster your case, and we can advise on which documents you should keep and source witness testimony, accident reconstructions, crash reports, and more.
Your Weslaco, Texas, personal injury attorney will begin the negotiation process by drafting a demand letter outlining the facts of your accident, your injuries and their impact, and the compensation you seek. We understand insurance company tactics to minimize liability and reduce your settlement. We will fight for a payout that fairly compensates you for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Most personal injury claims do not reach the trial stage. However, if your losses exceed the at-fault party’s insurance coverage, the insurance company denies your claim, or negotiations fail, you might consider filing a lawsuit. During this process, your dedicated attorney will build a persuasive case and negotiate further with the defendant. These negotiations often result in a settlement agreement — sometimes just days before your court date — but you must be prepared for a potential trial.
Weslaco personal injury lawyer, Dr. Louis Patino, is a fierce and experienced trial advocate, named a Litigator of the Year (2023) by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers.
While you don’t strictly need to hire a lawyer to recover compensation, a personal injury attorney’s expertise can be invaluable in navigating complex legalities and formal procedures and ensuring you get the maximum compensation available.
Choosing representation by a personal injury lawyer means you avoid dealing with insurance companies that will try to lowball you with unfair settlement offers that will not adequately cover your expenses (let alone compensate you for your pain and suffering) and employ delay tactics to prevent you from filing a lawsuit.
An often-overlooked benefit of hiring a personal injury lawyer is the emotional burden they help alleviate. Accidents have a profound physical and emotional impact, and successfully recovering compensation requires significant evidence. It is vital to take action as soon as possible after an accident while witness recollections are still fresh, evidence is easily obtainable, and the deadline to file a lawsuit hasn’t yet passed, but this is also the most important time for your health. Hiring an attorney gives you the space to rest and prevents you from being taken advantage of by those whose only goal is to minimize or dismiss your claim.
Pinning down your claim’s value is hard right out of the gate, as it depends on several factors, including your injury severity and prognosis, whether you can return to work and the duties you will and won’t be able to do, the cost of your medical expenses and future treatment needed, the impact of your injury on your quality of life, who is at fault for your accident and whether you contributed, and the insurance coverage of the liable party.
Determining the value of your claim is a key responsibility of your Weslaco personal injury lawyer. We will seek professional opinions from medical practitioners, economic experts, and investigators to maximize your claim. Hence, you get the financial support you deserve as you navigate the aftermath of your accident.
We have built a personal injury calculator you can use to get a rough idea of the value of your claim, but this is not guaranteed and does not consider the specific details that can drastically alter the outcome of a claim. Our personal injury attorney can provide an accurate ballpark figure after discovering more about your case.
However, it can be helpful to understand how compensation is calculated and the various damages you could be entitled to.
Damages are split into two categories: compensatory and punitive (or exemplary) damages.
Compensatory Damages
Compensatory damages comprise economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are the tangible expenses associated with your accident and include past and future medical bills (including surgery, hospital stays, rehabilitation, and home adaptations), lost wages, lost earning capacity, and property damage. These are fairly easy to determine if you have bills and receipts, although future costs are more subjective and open to interpretation.
Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, mental anguish or emotional distress, loss of companionship or consortium, and loss of enjoyment. While economic damages represent the financial burden of your accident, non-economic damages primarily concern how your injury impacts you personally.l
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages, also called exemplary damages in Texas, serve as a deterrent and punish the person or party responsible for your accident. They are typically awarded when the actions that caused your injury were especially egregious, such as if somebody intentionally drives at you head-on or gets behind the wheel after a night of heavy drinking.
Punitive damages are less common, primarily because they can only be awarded in a personal injury lawsuit, and most cases are resolved out of court in a settlement agreement between parties to maintain privacy and avoid a lengthy, costly, and uncertain trial.
The best way to see how much your claim could be worth is to speak to a Weslaco personal injury lawyer.
With thousands of personal injury attorneys serving Weslaco, finding a lawyer to potentially represent you isn’t difficult. The daunting part comes with deciding who to hire. Your claim could take months, even years to resolve, so it’s a relationship you shouldn’t rush into, even if you want to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.
Knowing all of this, how do you make the right decision and ensure the firm you select to represent you is qualified, experienced, approachable, and has your best interests in mind?
The best advice we can give is this: do your research. You can begin by asking for recommendations from friends or loved ones or conduct a search online, but you should remember that hiring a personal injury lawyer is a personal choice and your needs and values may differ from those whose initial opinions you seek.
Reading reviews can give you valuable insight into how an attorney approaches a case and how they treat their clients. Were past clients able to easily contact their lawyer when they had a question or concern? Did their attorney put them at ease, or did it feel like their case wasn’t a priority? Bear in mind that when meeting an attorney, their goal is to evaluate your case and sell you the benefits of hiring them if you have a claim, so the picture they paint of what it will be like to work with them may not line up with the reality once you agree to representation. When evaluating testimonials, prioritize ones left on Google and independent review sites versus those typed up on a law firm’s website.
You should also consider a law firm’s area of expertise. Many firms offer multiple services spanning different areas of law, from personal injury to family law and criminal defense. This does not necessarily mean an attorney is not a specialist in your type of claim, but you should verify their experience with cases similar to yours and ask about their results. For example, if you have been injured in a truck accident in Weslaco, a personal injury lawyer who primarily handles medical malpractice cases may not be the best fit.
Once you’ve narrowed down your search, your next step is to meet with an attorney. Many firms offer free consultations where you can explore your options for compensation. This is your opportunity to get a first impression of a law firm. The best Weslaco personal injury lawyer will be empathetic and upfront about your chance of securing compensation, give you confidence in their abilities by explaining the potential issues they foresee based on their experience, and clearly explain the next steps and what you can expect during the process. Be wary of an attorney who gives you the “hard sell” and guarantees a specific amount of money. An experienced personal injury lawyer will highlight the compensation amounts they have secured for clients with similar circumstances to you. They can offer a ballpark based on what they learn about your accident during your consultation. Still, it is impossible to make an exact determination without a thorough investigation, and even then, the outcome of your claim can quickly change based on the strength of evidence and the willingness of parties to settle.
If you have sustained injuries in an accident in Weslaco, Law Ninja Louis Patino can help.
The aftermath of an accident can have a significant financial impact, but when you choose the Patino Law Firm, you get the peace of mind that you will not owe us any legal fees unless and until we successfully recover compensation for you.
We offer a free, no-obligation consultation so you can see if you have a case and ensure we are the right personal injury law firm for you. We want you to be confident in our ability to secure the compensation you deserve, so we will never make false promises or pressure you.
If you are happy to proceed, we will investigate your case immediately, working to reach the best settlement or judgment allowed by law.
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