People are injured or killed in car crashes every day in Texas and across the country. The numbers are shocking. In 2020, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• • There were an estimated 5,215,071 non-fatal crashes on U.S. roads.
  • An estimated 2,282,015 people were injured in car accidents.
  • Traffic crashes took the lives of 38,824 lives nationwide.
  • Car accidents killed 3,874 people in Texas and 398 people in New Mexico.

We all know why car accidents happen because we see examples of irresponsible driver behavior almost every time we get behind the wheel. From the driver who fails to stop at a light to one staring at their phone to one going 30 miles over the speed limit to those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, there are countless ways reckless or aggressive driving cause pain and loss every day.

Some car crashes involve only one vehicle, such as a car spinning out and hitting an object or going off the road. But even single-car accidents can be caused by another driver’s negligence, such as when a swerving vehicle or sudden lane change forces another driver to make a sudden correction or lose control.

But most car accidents involve multiple drivers and vehicles. At Glasheen, Valles & Inderman Injury Lawyers, our car accident lawyers represent victims involved in every type of car crash, including:

• • Drunk Driving and DUI Car Accidents
  • Head-on Collisions
  • Hit and Run Accidents
  • Pedestrian Accidents
  • Rear-end Collisions
  • Ride-share Accidents

Regardless of the cause, auto accidents can result in a wide range of catastrophic injuries, many of which permanently limit a person’s mobility, ability to earn a living, and capacity to enjoy life as they once did.

Some of the most frequent injuries arising from car accidents include:

• • Head and neck injuries
  • Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Paralysis
  • Burns
  • Broken bones
  • Chest injuries
  • Disfigurement
  • Loss of limbs

Of course, many car accidents take the lives of drivers and passengers. For the families left behind, the sudden and needless loss of a loved one causes pain, injury, and scars of a different kind—the loss of a breadwinner, a son or daughter’s young and promising life cut short, a lifetime of companionship and love ended in an instant.

These families need support, justice, and compensation for these losses just as injury victims do. We fight tirelessly to get it for them, standing by their sides and helping them through a tragic and awful time.

In most car accident cases, the other driver’s insurance company will handle the claim on their insured driver’s behalf. Insurance companies spend millions on TV ads telling you they are “on your side,” are a “good neighbor,” or that you’ll “be in good hands” with them. When negotiating with car insurance companies after an accident, none of this is true.

Car insurance companies are in the business of making money. Every penny they pay out in claims reduces the millions of dollars in profits they earn from premiums. Their goal with every claim is to pay nothing. Short of that, they will try to settle claims as quickly and cheaply as possible. They will try every possible approach to either deny your claim outright or get you to accept the lowest possible sum of money.

Insurers know injury victims need money as soon as possible. They also know claimants may not fully understand their rights. They will manipulate injury victims and convince them they don’t have a valid claim or it is worth pennies. They may ask you to give them a statement or get you to make an admission which could hurt any auto accident injury suit you would file later. They’ll question the legitimacy or severity of your injuries or try to blame them on prior incidents or preexisting conditions.

And they will take advantage of your vulnerabilities to significantly shortchange you and get you to agree to a settlement that may be substantially less than you deserve.