When you suffer an injury in La Porte because someone else acted carelessly, your life changes in an instant. Medical bills start piling up, you miss work, and you worry about how your family will get by. In this stressful moment, working with an experienced La Porte personal injury attorney helps you protect your rights and pursue the compensation you need to move forward.
At Joe I. Zaid & Associates, we focus on helping injured people and their families throughout La Porte and the greater Houston area. We stand between you and the insurance companies, build a strong case, and push for the maximum compensation the law allows.
Why You Need a La Porte Personal Injury Attorney After an Accident
After a serious accident, you face many problems at once:
- Emergency room and hospital bills
- Ongoing treatment, therapy, and medication
- Time away from work and lost paychecks
- Pain, stress, and disruption to your family life
Insurance adjusters act friendly, but their job is to pay as little as possible. They may:
- Pressure you to give a recorded statement
- Ask for broad medical releases
- Push a quick, low settlement before you know the true extent of your injuries
When you work with a personal injury attorney in La Porte, we:
- Investigate what happened
- Collect and preserve crucial evidence
- Deal directly with the insurance companies for you
- Calculate the full value of your losses, including future needs
- Fight for a fair settlement or take your case to court if needed
You focus on healing. We handle the legal battle.
Common Personal Injury Cases We Handle in La Porte
Serious injuries in La Porte, Texas, happen in many ways. Our firm routinely represents clients in cases involving:
- Car accidents and other auto collisions
- Truck accidents and commercial vehicle crashes
- Motorcycle accidents and roadway injuries to riders
- Slip and fall accidents in stores, parking lots, and other properties
- Dog bites and other animal attacks
- Work-related injuries caused by third parties
- Wrongful death claims for grieving families
The Texas Department of Transportation maintains a statewide crash database and publishes annual crash statistics showing hundreds of thousands of motor vehicle crashes statewide each year, leading to many deaths and injuries. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, unintentional injuries (including car crashes and falls) are the leading cause of death for Texans ages 1–44, with an average of 58 Texans dying from injuries and violence each day between 2020 and 2023.
These numbers show that you are not alone—and that you deserve a strong legal advocate on your side.
How Texas Personal Injury Law Works in La Porte
Most La Porte personal injury cases rest on one main idea: negligence. To win your case, we generally must show:
- Duty of care – The at‑fault party had a legal duty to act with reasonable care.
- Example: Drivers must follow traffic laws and pay attention to the road.
- Property owners must fix hazards or warn visitors.
- Breach of duty – That person broke that duty.
- Speeding, texting while driving, ignoring spills on a store floor, or failing to maintain equipment can all be breaches.
- Causation – The breach directly caused your injuries.
- Damages – You suffered losses, such as medical bills, pain, and lost income.
Texas’s 51% Comparative Negligence Rule
Texas uses a modified comparative negligence system. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, you cannot recover damages if you are more than 50% at fault for the accident.
If you are 50% or less at fault, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. For example:
- If a jury finds you 20% at fault and your total damages are $100,000, your recovery becomes $80,000.
Insurance companies often try to blame you to reduce what they pay. A skilled La Porte personal injury attorney can challenge unfair fault arguments and present evidence that supports your side of the story.
Important Deadlines: Texas Statute of Limitations
You do not have unlimited time to bring a claim. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, most personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits must be filed within two years of the date of the accident (or date of death in wrongful death cases).
If you miss this deadline:
- The court can dismiss your case
- You lose your right to seek compensation in court
Certain situations involve different or shorter deadlines, especially if a government entity is involved. Because of these strict limits, it is critical to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible after your injury so evidence does not disappear and your time to file does not run out.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a La Porte Injury?
In a Texas personal injury case, you may recover both economic and non‑economic damages, including:
Economic damages (financial losses)
- Past and future medical expenses
- Hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and medications
- Lost wages from missed work
- Reduced earning capacity if you cannot return to your prior job
- Property damage (vehicle repairs or replacement, damaged items)
Non‑economic damages (human losses)
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Physical impairment or disfigurement
- Loss of companionship in serious cases
We review your medical records, talk with your doctors, and, when needed, consult experts to show the full impact of your injuries on your life and your family.
What To Do After an Accident in La Porte, Texas
Your actions in the hours and days after an accident can shape your case. Here are key steps to protect yourself:
- Get medical care immediately. Even if you feel “okay,” get checked out. Some injuries show up hours or days later.
- Call law enforcement or report the incident. For vehicle crashes, report the accident so an official report exists. For on‑the‑job or premises injuries, make sure the incident is documented.
- Gather evidence at the scene if you can.
- Photos or videos of the vehicles, hazards, and your injuries
- Names and contact information for witnesses
- Insurance and contact information for the other driver or property owner
- Do not admit fault or guess about what happened. Stick to the facts. Even a simple “I’m sorry” can be twisted against you later.
- Avoid posting about the accident on social media. Insurance companies often look for posts that they can misinterpret.
- Talk with a La Porte personal injury attorney quickly. The sooner we get involved, the better we can preserve evidence and shield you from insurance tactics.
Common mistakes to avoid include signing broad releases, giving recorded statements without legal advice, and waiting too long to seek treatment.
