Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in McAllen
If you’re in an accident in McAllen, Texas, you shouldn’t have to settle for less than you deserve. Our personal injury lawyers in McAllen are highly experienced in handling many kinds of injuries resulting from accidents and getting big compensation payments for victims.
We are local personal injury lawyers who fight for our clients to get them the justice they deserve for their injuries — and we’re ready to help you too.
About Patino Law Firm
Patino Law Firm’s personal injury lawyers at our McAllen office can represent you in cases involving car accidents, slip and fall accidents, pedestrian accidents, and spinal cord injuries. We can also help you get compensation for truck accidents, burn injuries, and wrongful death.
Reach out and call us today at 855-LAW-NINJA, or send us a confidential message on our contact page.
Schedule Your Free Consultation With Our Experienced Injury Attorneys
Browse Our McAllen Personal Injury Practice Areas
- McAllen Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers
- McAllen Burn Injury Lawyer
- McAllen Car Accident Lawyer
- McAllen Truck Accident Lawyer
- McAllen Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
- McAllen Premises Liability Lawyer
- McAllen Spinal Cord Injury Lawyer
- McAllen Construction Accident Lawyer
- McAllen Wrongful Death Lawyer
- McAllen Auto Defect & Product Liability Lawyer
How Can Our Personal Injury Lawyers in McAllen Help You?
Dr. Louis Patino and his personal injury lawyers in McAllen specialize in helping you get justice following an accident or injury caused by another party’s negligent or reckless actions.
We are well-prepared to handle a variety of cases, including those involving:
Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury can hinder your quality of life, requiring you to alter your lifestyle and causing a frustrating loss of independence. Depending on the severity of your injury, it may prevent you from doing your previous job or even working ever again, affecting your ability to earn and your overall wellbeing.
While your injury may be treatable with extensive rehabilitation, this doesn’t come cheap. Compensation can help you manage your condition and provide some small financial comfort as you adjust to life with your injury.
Wrongful Death
If your loved one has tragically died in an accident, you may be able to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf. While no amount of money can ever fill the gap left by your loved one, it can help you cover funeral expenses and compensate you for your loss, allowing you to move forward and heal.
Construction Accidents
Construction site accidents injure thousands of Texas workers every year. You may be able to file a worker’s compensation claim, but Texas is unique in that — unlike other states — it does not mandate workers’ compensation insurance. This means that you might be able to file a personal injury claim if your employer has been negligent.
Pedestrian Accidents
Reckless motorists don’t just pose a risk to drivers on the road. A pedestrian accident can cause severe physical injury if a driver is intoxicated, distracted, or speeding. If you or a loved one has been hurt or fatally injured in a pedestrian accident, you may be able to pursue compensation.
Truck Accidents
Semi-truck drivers, companies, and manufacturers are held to a higher standard and heavily regulated because of the sheer size and weight of the vehicle. This means that many truck accidents cause severe, life-changing injuries, and many are even fatal.
If your accident was caused by negligence, whether due to an auto defect or irresponsible driving, you could be eligible for compensation.
Slip and Fall
Slips and falls are common injuries, but that doesn’t make them any less severe. A slip could result in a traumatic brain injury or spinal injury and cause a life-long disability, such as paralysis. If you’ve had a slip and fall accident at work or because a property owner has failed to maintain their property, you might be able to get compensation with a premises liability claim.
What’s the Process for Working with a Personal Injury Lawyer in McAllen?
Personal injury cases are often complex and require detailed evidence-taking, communication, and discussions with multiple parties. It’s not uncommon for personal injury claims to involve an endless back and forth with insurance companies, and sometimes, they result in a lengthy court case.
All this means it can be difficult, if not impossible, to handle your own personal injury case. Even if you do, you might not get the kind of compensation payment you’re entitled to. When you find our personal injury lawyers in McAllen, we will protect your rights under Texas law and fight to get you the justice and financial settlement you deserve.
Evaluating Your Case
Your McAllen personal injury lawyer will start by evaluating your case — including how much compensation you could receive — and determine the likelihood that your claim will succeed. They will also help by negotiating a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
You may be surprised, but one of the duties of our personal injury lawyers in Texas is to make sure our clients get the best medical care for their injuries. We will discuss your case with your doctor and, if necessary, can refer you to a specialist for expert treatment. This will also give us a better picture of your injuries and the financial compensation you may be entitled to for your accident.
Collecting Evidence
Evidence is the cornerstone of any personal injury case in McAllen, and the burden is on the victim to provide it. If there’s insufficient evidence, or if it hasn’t been properly collected, if at all, your case may fail despite your injuries. You must have an expert personal injury lawyer in McAllen who knows what kind of evidence you need to support your case and how to gather it.
Litigation
Not all personal injury cases go to trial, and they’re often settled out of court, but if yours does, you need the best legal minds you can get. Our personal injury lawyers in McAllen have a wealth of experience in Texas courtrooms. They will carry out pre-litigation research and discovery, file a complaint and pre-trial motions, and prepare for your day in court. They will also file an appeal if the case doesn’t succeed so that you have another chance at compensation.
Protect your rights under Texas law and get justice and compensation for injuries sustained in an accident by hiring the best personal injuries lawyers in McAllen. You won’t pay a cent unless we win your case for you, so contact us today for a free, no-obligation review.
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Frequently Asked Questions Our Personal Injury Lawyers in McAllen Receive
These are answers to questions we commonly receive about personal injury lawyers in McAllen.
Our McAllen personal injury lawyers handle various cases, ranging from car accidents and burn injuries to truck accidents, premises liability, and wrongful death. Every injury and its related circumstances might differ, but the legal requirements to recover compensation from a personal injury are often the same.
Whatever the cause of your accident or injury, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention. Above all else, you need to ensure that you receive proper medical care to resolve any issues — even if you feel fine — as they could become more serious.
If you have been in an accident and haven’t sought medical care, you should document the accident as thoroughly as possible. Take photos and videos, jot down names and contact information of witnesses, and contact the police to file a report. It’s vital that you do not admit fault or make any deals with the other party without first speaking to a personal injury lawyer in McAllen.
You should consult a personal injury lawyer to determine if you have a case. Often, evaluating a claim on your own is difficult. As a layman, you will likely spend an excessive amount of time conducting legal research and surveying complex case law that’s challenging to interpret correctly on your own. Our personal injury lawyers in McAllen know the relevant law and where to find information on your case’s specific facts.
Your attorney can also compare your case to previous cases to determine the likelihood of success for recovering compensation, how much you might recover, and whether you should proceed with a claim.
At Patino Law Firm, we offer a free consultation to determine whether you have a viable case. Our personal injury lawyers can provide a general evaluation of your case and advise you on your next steps.
When you should file your case will vary based on the specifics of your claim. It may be more strategic to file a lawsuit earlier than later, but this is not always the case. Most importantly, you must ensure that you file your claim before the statute of limitations expires. If you wait too long, you waive your ability to bring a lawsuit and recover compensation for your incurred damages. You typically need to file a personal injury claim within two years from the accident date in Texas, although there are exceptions.
Contact a personal injury lawyer in McAllen to evaluate your case and determine whether you can still file a claim.
Personal injury attorneys can help secure the following types of financial compensation to cover your damages:
- Compensation for actual expenses, including medical expenses; future medical expenses, such as surgeries, follow-up appointments, and medication; and property damage or replacement of lost property
- Compensation for lost wages, including future lost wages and loss of earning potential
- Compensation for pain and suffering, including physical and emotional suffering
- Compensation for loss of a body part or other disfigurement (for example, scarring)
- Compensation for loss of companionship or consortium
- Compensation for wrongful death
- Monetary punitive damages.
It’s difficult to predict precisely how much compensation you can or will receive for your injuries. Every personal injury case is unique and requires a case-by-case examination to determine proper compensation. The best way to estimate how much you might recover is to contact a personal injury lawyer in McAllen.
At Patino Law Firm, we offer a free consultation to help evaluate your case. Our personal injury lawyers in McAllen have successfully filed many personal injury lawsuits and can help determine your likelihood of success and what it might involve. We can advise on what types of damages you can reasonably recover and answer any other questions you might have about the viability of your claim.
The length of time a case takes varies and depends on many factors, including:
- The type of injury
- The amount of evidence you need to gather
- The size of the court’s docket
- The judge’s preference on which cases they will hear first
- The strength of a plaintiff’s claim
- Whether the parties prefer to settle.
In many cases, parties can agree to settle relatively quickly. In others, the parties may prolong the lawsuit (for example, the plaintiff might want to litigate the case to receive maximum financial compensation, or the defendant might dispute that they’re at fault). Often, cases that settle early in the litigation stage occur within a few months. In other instances, though, cases may take years to litigate fully.
A personal injury lawyer helps you get maximum compensation if you have suffered from an injury that was not your fault. An experienced personal injury lawyer will protect your legal rights, negotiate with the demands of the opposing party and prepare for settlement/trial.
Dealing with a personal injury claim can be stressful, which is the last thing you need if you’re recovering from an injury. Another advantage of working with a personal injury lawyer is that they can notify opposing parties that all communications must go through them rather than you, significantly reducing stress.
Personal injury lawyers at Patino Law Firm work on a “no fee until we win” basis. This means we will only take a fee if and when you are paid. When it comes to a successful settlement or trial, we will recover damages from the opposing party according to their ability to pay. This is typically paid out over time under a structured settlement method. Less commonly, it is paid out in full through a lump sum.
Personal injury lawyers at Patino Law Firm work on a “no fee until we win” basis. This means we will only take a fee if and when you are paid. When it comes to a successful settlement or trial, we will recover damages from the opposing party according to their ability to pay. This is typically paid out over time under a structured settlement method. Less commonly, it is paid out in full through a lump sum.
If you have suffered an injury and think someone else might be at fault, it’s best to speak to a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to see if you are entitled to compensation.
This is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, a lawyer can advise you on steps you can take now to maximize your chances of winning, such as preserving evidence. Secondly, it’s because personal injury claims in Texas generally have a statute of limitations of two years from the time of the injury. By calling a personal injury lawyer and getting your case moving, you can reduce the risk of being time-barred.
Finding a personal injury lawyer is not too difficult, but deciding which personal injury to go with can be tricky. For a start, it’s a good idea to understand a personal injury lawyer’s fees. If you’re currently paying for heavy medical expenses, it might be best to go with a personal injury lawyer that operates on a “no win, no fee” basis.
Next, it’s worth talking to your personal injury lawyer and asking about their experience with similar cases. Are they experienced in working with your specific injuries, such as a spinal cord injury or a traumatic brain injury? What about the method of injury? Are they familiar with car accidents, truck accidents, and slip-and-fall injuries? Finding a personal injury lawyer whose skill set matches your specific situation is best.
Lastly, confirming that your personal injury lawyer is fully qualified and has excellent reviews from clients is essential. You can check out online platforms like Google Reviews and read about the experiences others had with your chosen law firm before you go forward.
You can settle a personal injury claim without an attorney, but we don’t recommend it. If the opposing party has made an offer and seems keen for you to settle, take a moment to think about it. Might you be entitled to more compensation? How do you know if the amount you are being offered is fair?
If you don’t have an attorney, you will most likely be communicating with the opposing party yourself. The opposing party may have an attorney who may ask leading questions so that you admit to being at fault or minimize the extent of your injuries. By having an attorney, you can route all communications through them and reduce the risks associated with direct contact.
Getting an experienced car accident lawyer for serious car accidents is well worth it. This is because a car accident can leave you with serious injuries, such as a traumatic brain injury or a spinal cord injury. The medical costs associated with something like a spinal cord injury are very high. A lawyer could help you earn the maximum compensation if you were not at fault for the car accident.
A car accident lawyer can help you recover the full amount you are entitled to under the law, including economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive or exemplary damages.
An experienced personal injury lawyer is essential, especially if you have a complicated case. This is because an experienced personal injury lawyer understands the law and the amount you are entitled to.
On the opposing side, insurance companies never have your best interests at heart. They win by paying out as little as possible. Personal injury lawyers often work on a “no win, no fee” basis, meaning they only benefit if they help you win your case. This also means they’ll work hard to recover the maximum amount you are entitled to. Why not speak to a personal injury lawyer in McAllen yourself by calling 956-631-3535?
Whether your case settles depends on many factors. Most importantly, both the defendant and plaintiff must agree on a settlement amount and its terms. There are many reasons why parties might want to settle. Often, trials are uncertain, while a settlement guarantees a satisfactory result for all. Parties might also wish to settle a case to avoid an unreasonably low or high payout. However, your settlement must be fair, especially if your injury has had a life-changing impact. Our McAllen personal injury lawyers can advise whether you should settle or pursue litigation to receive a more substantial payout.
If your employer has workers’ compensation insurance, you’ll be able to file a workers’ compensation claim if you’re in an accident at work. A successful workers’ compensation suit will cover any medical bills, a portion of lost wages, vocational rehabilitation assistance if needed, or a lump sum for specific injuries. Arguably, workers’ compensation suits are easier to win because you do not need to prove negligence — only that the accident happened at work — but the trade-off is that there are fewer opportunities to recover all incurred damages, such as pain and suffering.
However, Texas is the only state in the U.S. where workers’ compensation insurance is not mandatory for employers. This means that if you can prove your employer was negligent and caused your injury, you may be able to file a traditional personal injury claim and receive more compensation.
Several complex and complicated statutory and common laws (i.e., laws created through judges’ past case decisions) determine whether a government might be accountable for negligence. For example, the Federal Tort Claims Act provides liability in some circumstances when a federal employee acts negligently. The Act essentially waived the federal government’s sovereign immunity, which would otherwise bar all lawsuits, for some claims.
Patino Law Firm can help evaluate whether your lawsuit against a government will likely succeed. If a negligent or reckless government employee injured you in McAllen, you can contact us today for a free consultation about your legal case.
Different states take different approaches to determine whether you can recover compensation if you contribute to an accident. Texas uses the modified comparative fault model. Comparative negligence divides the blame for an accident by assigning a proportionate share of responsibility, which means you might still be able to claim even if you were partially responsible for your accident.
If you or multiple individuals contributed to an accident, you should contact a personal injury lawyer in McAllen for an evaluation of your case.
Yes, and especially when substantial injuries involve more facts and complex laws. Additionally, if the at-fault party seeks to contest liability or you are suing for a large amount, you should hire a personal injury lawyer in McAllen to advocate on your behalf.
Personal injury attorneys are knowledgeable about personal injury laws, and they’re also professionals trained to handle these types of confrontations. Personal injury lawyers specialize in seeking compensation for their clients and can substantially increase your chances of bringing a successful lawsuit compared to going it alone.
At Patino Law Firm, we have helped many victims recover from past injuries. We offer a free consultation to ask questions about your case, answer your questions, and provide our advice on your case’s viability.
The plaintiff bears the burden to prove “by a preponderance of evidence” that the defendant is legally liable for their injury, which means it must be more likely than not that the defendant is responsible for your injuries. This high standard often requires a substantial amount of corroborating evidence. Your personal injury lawyer in McAllen will seek to collect a wide range of evidence, such as medical records, expert testimony (for example, from a medical doctor), video or photographic evidence, eyewitness testimony, and written or oral communications.
Some attorneys require payment upfront for taking on your case, but our personal injury lawyers in McAllen operate on a contingency fee basis. This means that we will offer to take on your case at no initial charge and instead receive a percentage of any settlement or judgment obtained. You will only ever pay if we win your case.
If you’ve been in an accident in McAllen, your McAllen Law Ninja can help.
We will start with a free consultation and case evaluation to help you determine your next step. If we feel you have a good legal claim and you decide we’re the best personal injury law firm in McAllen for you, we’ll start investigating your case right away and work to secure you the best settlement or judgment allowed by the law.
We promise you’ll never pay a fee unless we win.
Call us today on 855-LAW-NINJA or write to us through our confidential contact page.
You can reach us 24/7.