Wrong-Way Auto Accidents

Please note, the Carabin Shaw Law Office will be moving to 875 E Ashby San Antonio, Texas 78212 in the 3rd quarter of 2023

This Blog was brought to you by the Carabin Shaw Law Firm, Principal Office in San Antonio

Wrong-Way Auto Accidents

When you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an auto accident, your first thoughts are not likely to be about finding an attorney. It is our Law Firm’s job to protect your rights and your interests, so, please take our first piece of advice.

Don’t delay contacting an attorney. The sooner you obtain legal advice, the better you can protect your rights.

The experienced personal injury and auto accident attorneys at our Law Firm know what type of assistance you need immediately after your accident and are known for bringing that assistance when you can’t come to their office. We will help you take care of your immediate needs, such as obtaining a rental car, so that you can concentrate on your medical care or other personal matters. More on this webpage
We arrange for an expert investigation of all the evidence. We advise you about what to say, how to say it, and what not to say so that your rights are protected while meeting legal obligations for reporting the accident to the police and your insurance company.

Wrong-Way Accident Causes

Wrong-way accidents occur on one-way roadways, such as divided highways, on and off ramps, and one-way streets.

Wrong-way accidents may be entirely the fault of the driver or might involve outside factors.

Improper or poorly visible signage, ineffective highway lighting, construction zone markings, or other highway factors often cause drivers to become confused about where they are supposed to drive.
Factors that can cause wrong way driving decisions include distractions like cell phones, programming GPS and other devices, changing CDs, multitasking, trying to figure out directions to a destination, eating or drinking and other activities.
The driver might have been intoxicated with drugs, alcohol, or prescription medications.
The driver might have had a medical condition that caused him to become confused, blurred his vision, or made him dizzy or faint. He might have been fatigued.
Occasionally a driver will choose to go the wrong way. Maybe they were looking for a shortcut because they had taken a wrong turn or were in a hurry. Maybe they wanted to avoid heavy traffic on the correct route. Maybe they were thrill-seeking or even suicidal.
Our job is to find out how and why your accident occurred and get a settlement that compensates you for your injuries and losses. We will investigate all possible causes and contributors to your accident, develop the most thorough estimate of present and future expenses, and fight diligently to obtain this award.

If you want the most personalized and compassionate legal representation for your Texas wrong-way accident claim, don’t hesitate to contact our law firm’s experienced Texas auto accident attorneys.

Red Cars And Traffic Tickets

This Blog was brought to you by the San Antonio Traffic Ticket Attorney Gordon Slade 210-820-3033

Red Cars And Traffic Tickets

Red cars attract the most attention on the road. Red sports cars are like a Matador’s cape to a bull. While we all like to floor it on an open stretch of road, you reduce your chances of having that much fun and not getting ticketed when driving a red car. The odds of getting a speeding ticket in the US are about 1 in 20. That’s an average number and isn’t designated by the make or color of the car. Revenue from speeding tickets accounts for approximately 6 billion (with a B) dollars a year. It’s a big (with a B) business, and that’s life in the fast lane. Speed can be incredibly tempting when stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle carrying a big load. With all the new construction, large trucks hauling gantry cranes have been slowing traffic on our roadway system lately. Passing these vehicles and their pilot car is tricky and can easily result in a speeding ticket.

One of my first cars was a red Austin-Healey 3000 MKII. I lived in a hilly township outside of town and loved to mess with the country cops. I don’t suggest doing anything unlawful and always driving safely, but it’s impossible to hold it all the time on back country roads while driving a little red sports car. When motoring home late into the evening, I often noticed a cop sitting in a treed cut-out along the side of a particular road. The terrain was hilly, and this is where the fun would come in. Knowing he was there, I’d drop my speed to about five mph over the limit. Sure enough, he would pull out and begin to follow me. As I crested a hill and dropped out of sight, I’d gun it and tear up the next quarter mile before he could crest it. I would immediately slow down to the speed limit once I was on his radar again. This would go on for several miles, and I never got tickets. He knew I was messing with him but didn’t have anything on me. It was just a little bit of harmless fun. There are nine ways to avoid getting a speeding ticket.

1. As stealthy as I was, don’t speed if you are the only car on the road.
2. Stay in the middle of the traffic. If other cars around you are speeding, you won’t be singled out.
3. Don’t use the far left lane except for passing; move right back into the middle or right streets.
4. Avoid weaving in and out like you’re on a track.
5. If following another speeder – a “rabbit,” let him be the first to show up on the radar and use his brake lights to signal you when he spots a cop.
6. Staying under ten mph over the stated speed limit will usually give you a pass. Anything at eight or more miles per hour over, and it’s going to get attention – and you’re going to get a ticket.
7. If you can bear to trade in your re-conditioned Super Sport for a Toyota sedan, you are less likely to be targeted.
8. Get a radar detector. Not all states allow them, so check this out first.
9. Drive responsibly. This goes without saying, but never put you or others at risk.

So you can add to the 6 billion dollar revenue from speeders across the land, or you can pick your times and places wisely and avoid the fine. With the average ticket cost being $150 and the increase in insurance, you would be wise to keep the pedal from pressing the metal whenever you’re in the car.

Construction Defect Law – We Are Trial Ready

The Philosophy of Our Law Firm

Our approach to a lawsuit can be summed up in two words: trial-ready.

We understand the reality of civil litigation: most suits are settled. Certainly, there are many cases that should be settled, instances in which a settlement is fair to all parties and the most cost-effective for our client. But even in those cases, negotiations can break down. New facts may come to light and an evaluation can change in an instant. Your attorneys must be able to shift their preparations from settlement to trial just as quickly.

We defend a broad range of businesses – from restaurants to transportation to retail to manufacturing – in a broad range of business litigation. Our choice not to specialize in any one aspect of a business’s legal issues allows us to be more responsive to our clients.

But it’s how we do business that separates us from other defense and business litigation firms. We provide personal service and establish personal relationships with our clients. When they bring a lawsuit to our firm, they know the people who will work on their case. Throughout the litigation process, our clients have access to their legal team by phone, by email, or in person.

We don’t hire investigators to do witness interviews or site inspections – we do them ourselves. We accompany experts to inspections, and we go to the site of accidents, and we interview witnesses in person to gauge their reactions. That first-hand experience makes us better able to represent our clients.

Because, ultimately, it’s not just your case. It’s your money. And we treat your money as frugally as our own.

Car Accident Attorneys Claim Procedures

Car Accident Attorneys Claim Procedures

We will now discuss the no fees if you don’t win a contingency agreement that most auto accident attorneys build into their agreement with you and how it works. It simply means that if your car accident lawyer takes your case, he/she is highly confident that they have a winnable case therefore, they only get paid if they win the case for you, and therefore you won’t have to worry about paying them any legal fees if they lose the case. But this does not mean that you will pay nothing! Below you will see the common fees and costs charged by car accident lawyers. Attorneys’ fees and costs there are 3 essential components of lawyer fees: More on this website

Base fees: this is the hourly rate charged by law firms. This rate varies from law firm to law firm. However, most are very similar within the area.
Success fee: this is a percentage of the damages the court will award you if you win the case. This will vary from 10% to 33%, depending on the law firm or the size and reputation of the law firm. Some attorneys fix the auto accident fees to 15%, but some will go higher.

Nevertheless, you should know that this fee is negotiable, and most car accident lawyers expect some negotiation of the fee. Disbursements are money your lawyer or law firm incurs to further your claim. Examples are payments to hospitals for medical records, court costs, and witness costs and fees. What happens if you lose the court case? Generally, the base and success fees are not paid. However, the disbursement costs are payable by you. But no fear, these are usually the lowest fees, ranging from $50 to a few hundred dollars. Despite this, some lawyers will protect you from paying court costs as they can add up quickly. This cost item can also be negotiated before you decide to hire this attorney. Some auto accident attorneys may also discuss insurance with you. If insurance is taken out before the court proceedings, they will cover the disbursement costs if you lose the case. If the policy is self-insuring, it will also cover the cost of the premium, so at the end of the day, you will pay nothing if you lose.

What happens if you win your claim?

You only pay your fees if you win. And even that, you will not have to pay for all of them. You pay the success fee. The defendant will be responsible for paying the base costs and disbursements. So, for example, during the initial attorney consultation, if you agreed to pay a 30% success fee and won a $1 million settlement, you would have to pay your lawyer a $330,0000.00 success fee. Given this fact, it is very important to negotiate the lowest success fee possible during the initial consultation; this is where your negotiation skills will be tested and where you will reap the benefits if you negotiate the lowest success fee possible. Don’t accept the attorney’s argument that their fee is a fixed fee firm-wide. The fees are always negotiable, thanks to competition between hundreds of car accident lawyers.

Questions to ask auto accident attorneys during the initial consultation

Given that you now know the details of the case, what is the probability of success? (all personal injury attorneys need to give a probability of success to their insurers before they take you on as a client, so demand that they give this percentage. Would you consider lowering your success fee percentage to 10%? (this is a good starting point for negotiations)what is your policy on disbursements? Is upfront payment required? Who in your firm will do the majority of the work on my case? What are his/her qualifications?

You may have your initial consultation with the managing partner, but that does not mean he/she will handle your case. Conclusion contingency agreement is exactly what the name suggests; if you lose your case, won’t pay legal fees. However, suppose your attorney successfully wins the case for you. In that case, you reap the lion’s share of the court settlement after you pay disbursements, but only if your lawyer neglected to take out insurance to cover this eventuality.

What is Workers’ Comp?

What is Workers’ Comp?

Workers’ comp, short for workers’ compensation, is a system of workplace insurance coverage that protects workers who suffer injuries or illnesses because of their jobs. Every state, as well as the federal government, has its own workers’ compensation system, though all of them operate in essentially the same way. If you sustain an injury while on the job or are injured or become ill because of your work, you can file a workers’ compensation claim.workers comp

No-Fault Protection

Workers’ compensation programs operate under a “no-fault” principle. This means that workers can receive compensation for their on-the-job injuries regardless of who or what caused those injuries. It isn’t necessary, for example, for someone who suffers an on-the-job injury to prove or show that someone else caused the injury, or that it resulted from the employer’s negligence.

Coverage Requirements

Workers’ compensation doesn’t apply in every situation where someone suffers an injury while on the job. Even though state rules differ significantly about who is covered under workers’ compensation programs, it doesn’t cover every worker in the state. For example, many seasonal workers, contract or freelance workers, and domestic workers are not covered under state workers’ compensation laws.

Additionally, not every employer in the state is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. For example, while most states require that every company with at least one full or part-time employee must carry workers’ compensation insurance, other states say that such coverage doesn’t apply unless the company has at least three workers, or the total sum of the salaries the company pays its employees exceeds a specific amount.

On-The-Job or Job-Related?

A lot of people talk about workers’ compensation as applying to “on-the-job” injuries. This term is a little inaccurate. Workers’ compensation coverage applies to any illness or injury that is job-related. This means that you don’t have to suffer your illness or injury at your place of employment in order for workers’ compensation to apply.

For example, let’s say you work as a software developer and spend almost all of your time in your company’s office. However, once or twice a year you have to take a business trip to attend a software development conference. If you suffer an injury while traveling, this is usually covered by workers’ compensation.construction accident attorneys

Lawsuits

Even if you work for an employer who has workers’ compensation insurance and you suffer a job-related injury or illness, you might still be able to file a lawsuit. When an employee suffers an injury because the employer was reckless or intentionally caused the injury, the worker can typically take the employer to court. In addition to suing for medical damages and lost wages, these lawsuits also involve the possibility of punitive damages, damages for the pain and suffering the worker suffered, as well as any mental anguish associated with the injury.

Of course, determining whether workers’ compensation is right for you or whether you can file a lawsuit against your employer is not something most people can do on their own. You should talk to a personal injury or workers’ compensation attorney for advice if you’ve suffered an injury while on the job.