Baytown Personal Injury Lawyer

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle for Baytown Residents

Motor Vehicle Accidents

Highway 146, Garth Road, the Fred Hartman Bridge, and the I-10 through Baytown see heavy traffic every day. Collisions along these routes frequently involve commercial vehicles, distracted drivers, and high speeds. Our firm represents people injured in:

• Car accidents;
• Motorcycle accidents;
• Commercial truck and 18-wheeler accidents;
• Distracted driving accidents;
• DUI accidents;
• Uber and rideshare accidents;
• Bicycle accidents; and
• Pedestrian accidents.

We achieved a $117 million verdict for a mother seriously hurt in a vehicle collision, ensuring her lifelong medical care.

Workplace and Industrial Accidents

Refinery workers, plant operators, and construction crews in Baytown face hazards most people never encounter on the job, including chemical burns, toxic inhalation, equipment malfunctions, and falls from height. We advocate for workers hurt in:

• Industrial accidents at plants, warehouses, and construction sites;
• Oilfield accidents involving explosions, equipment failures, or toxic exposure; and
• Maritime accidents.

We recovered $11.6 million for a worker who sustained vision loss in one eye due to a workplace injury.

Medical and Institutional Negligence

Baytown families trust local hospitals, surgical centers, and care facilities with their health. When a provider fails to meet accepted medical standards, the resulting injuries often require years of additional treatment and recovery. We take on cases involving:

• Medical malpractice, including surgical errors, misdiagnosis, and medication mistakes; and
• Nursing home abuse and neglect.

Our firm secured a confidential settlement in a medical malpractice case involving the placement of a feeding tube. The case resolved before trial.

Other Personal Injury Claims

We also handle claims involving:

• Slip and fall accidents caused by wet floors, uneven surfaces, or poor lighting;
• Dog bites and animal attacks;
• Defective or dangerous consumer products; and
• Wrongful death claims when negligence results in the loss of a loved one.

We obtained $350,000 for a client who was injured in a stair fall and $250,000 for a client who was injured at a recreational facility.

Common Injuries in Baytown Personal Injury Cases

The injuries listed below are the most common in the cases we handle for Baytown residents.

Head and Brain

• Traumatic brain injuries affecting memory, mood, concentration, and personality;
• Concussions with symptoms that linger for months; and
• Eye injuries resulting in partial or total vision loss.

Spine and Back

• Spinal cord damage causing partial or complete paralysis;
• Herniated discs that limit mobility and cause chronic pain; and
• Back injuries requiring surgery or long-term physical therapy.

Limbs and Joints

• Fractures and broken bones needing surgical repair;
• Torn ligaments requiring reconstruction;
• Amputations; and
• Crushing injuries, particularly in refinery and industrial settings.

Burns, Nerve Damage, and Soft Tissue

• Burns from fires, chemical exposure, explosions, or electrical contact;
• Nerve damage causing numbness, weakness, or ongoing pain; and
• Soft tissue injuries that take months to resolve.

What matters in a personal injury case is how your injury has changed your life: the treatment you need, the work you've missed, and the pain you carry every day. Our attorneys look at all of these factors when building your claim.

How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?

The value of a personal injury case depends on the severity of your injuries, the treatment you've needed, the income you've lost, and how the injury has changed your daily life. No two cases are worth the same amount because no two injuries affect a person the same way.

A herniated disc from a rear-end collision on I-10 that requires months of physical therapy and keeps you away from work carries a different value than a traumatic brain injury from a fall at a Baytown retail store that permanently affects your ability to hold a job or care for your family.

Our attorneys evaluate every aspect of how the injury has affected you when building your claim.

Types of Compensation Available

A personal injury claim allows you to pursue compensation for the ways the accident has affected your life.

Medical and Income Losses

Injury-related costs add up quickly and often continue for months or years:

• Emergency room care, ambulance transport, surgery, and hospital stays;
• Medication, physical therapy, and follow-up visits;
• Future treatment or procedures your doctors have recommended;
• Wages lost during your recovery;
• Missed bonuses, commissions, or career opportunities; and
• Reduced earning potential when your injury limits what kind of work you can do going forward.

Personal Losses

Texas also allows you to recover compensation for the ways the injury has affected you personally:

• Physical pain during treatment and recovery;
• Anxiety, depression, and emotional trauma connected to the accident;
• Hobbies, activities, and time with family that your injury has taken away;
• Scarring or disfigurement; and
• The toll on your closest relationships.

What Do I Have to Prove to Win My Personal Injury Case?

Personal injury law protects people who are harmed by another person's negligence. The harm can be physical, emotional, or psychological. Car wrecks, workplace incidents, medical errors, and unsafe conditions on someone else's property are all grounds for a claim.

To bring a personal injury case in Baytown, you need to prove four things:

• Duty of care. The other party had a responsibility to act reasonably. Drivers must follow traffic laws, businesses must keep their premises reasonably safe, and doctors must meet accepted medical standards.
• Breach of duty. The other party failed to meet that responsibility. This could mean running a red light, leaving a store floor slippery, or making a mistake during a medical procedure.
• Causation. This failure directly caused your injury.
• Damages. You suffered losses such as medical bills, lost wages, pain, and changes to your life due to the injury.

Not sure whether your situation meets these requirements? That's exactly what a free consultation is for. Call (832) 690-7000, and our Baytown personal injury attorneys will review the details with you.

How to Deal With Insurance Companies in Baytown

An insurance adjuster may reach out within days of your accident to request a recorded statement. You are not required to give one. Speaking with a Baytown personal injury attorney before responding protects your position.

Adjusters are trained to ask questions that seem casual but serve a specific purpose:

• "How are you feeling?" invites a response that can be used to downplay your injuries.
• "Can you describe what happened?" asks you to commit to a version of events before you have the full picture.
• "Have you seen a doctor yet?" can set up an argument that you delayed treatment.

Pierce Skrabanek handles all insurer communication on your behalf, so nothing you say can be used against you.

Other missteps to avoid after an injury:

• Signing broad authorization forms. Requests for your medical or employment history may go far beyond what the adjuster needs. Have an attorney review any paperwork before you sign.
• Posting on social media. A photo of you smiling at a birthday party or walking your dog can be pulled out of context and used to argue your injuries aren't that bad. Defense teams actively monitor these accounts.
• Accepting a quick settlement offer. Early offers tend to leave out future medical costs, ongoing limitations, and lost earning potential. Once you sign a release, that number is final.

Two Laws Can Affect Your Baytown Personal Injury Claim

Two Texas laws play a direct role in personal injury cases: the modified comparative fault rule and the statute of limitations. Both can affect how much you recover and whether you're able to file a claim at all.

Modified Comparative Fault

Texas law allows you to recover compensation as long as you are not 51% or more at fault for the accident. Your compensation is reduced by whatever percentage of responsibility the jury assigns to you.

A jury that awards $100,000 but assigns you 20% fault would reduce your recovery to $80,000. At 51% or higher, you lose the right to recover anything.

Defense teams use this rule aggressively. They may argue you were:

• Going a few miles over the speed limit before the collision;
• Crossing a street outside a marked crosswalk; or
• Working without required protective equipment.

An experienced Baytown injury lawyer ensures that fault is assigned based on the full picture of what happened, not on selective arguments designed to minimize your recovery.

Statute of Limitations

In Texas, you have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. This window may seem like enough time, but medical treatment, investigation, and case preparation take months. The earlier you contact an attorney, the stronger position your case will be in when it's time to negotiate or file.

Certain circumstances can change the timeline:

• Government-related incidents carry accelerated timelines. Falls on city property or crashes involving municipal vehicles may require formal notice within six months.
• Delayed injury discovery can shift the starting date. If a complication surfaces months later, the clock may start from the date of diagnosis.
• Minors and incapacitated individuals may qualify for extended deadlines under Texas law.

Consulting a Baytown personal injury attorney promptly helps protect your right to file.

Steps Involved in the Personal Injury Claim Process

Step 1: Free Consultation and Case Review

Your case begins with a free consultation at Pierce Skrabanek. We review the details of your situation, answer your questions, and explain your legal options. There's no cost and no obligation.

Step 2: Investigation

Once you hire us, our team gets to work immediately. We investigate the accident, identify every party at fault, and collect and preserve surveillance footage, police reports, photos, and witness statements before they disappear.

Step 3: Medical Documentation

We work with your medical providers to make sure your injuries are thoroughly recorded. Complete and accurate medical records are critical to proving the full extent of your harm.

Step 4: Claim Valuation

Our attorneys determine the full value of your Baytown personal injury claim, including losses you may not have considered, such as future treatment, reduced earning potential, and the personal toll the injury has taken on your life.

Step 5: Negotiation

We handle every conversation with insurance adjusters and negotiate aggressively on your behalf. Research from Martindale-Nolo found that injured people who hired attorneys recovered roughly three times what unrepresented individuals received.

Step 6: Trial (If Necessary)

When the other side won't offer a fair result, we take your case to trial. Pierce Skrabanek prepares every case with that possibility in mind from day one.

What Makes Our Personal Injury Law Firm Different?