Friendswood Personal Injury Lawyer

What Is Considered a Personal Injury?

A personal injury occurs when someone suffers physical, emotional, or psychological harm due to another party's negligence, recklessness, or intentional actions. The term covers a broad range of incidents, from car crashes and workplace accidents to medical errors and dangerous property conditions.

To have a valid personal injury claim in Texas, you generally need to establish four elements:

1. Duty of care: The other party had a responsibility to act reasonably to prevent harm. Drivers must follow traffic laws. Property owners must maintain safe conditions. Medical professionals must meet accepted standards of care.
2. Breach of duty: The other party failed to meet that responsibility. A driver ran a red light. A store owner ignored a spill for hours. A doctor misread test results.
3. Causation: The breach directly caused your injury. There must be a clear connection between what the other party did (or failed to do) and the harm you suffered.
4. Damages: You experienced actual losses as a result, whether medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, or other measurable harm.

If these elements exist in your situation, you may be entitled to compensation under Texas law.

What Types of Cases Do Friendswood Personal Injury Attorneys Take?

Our personal injury lawyers serving Friendswood represent injured parties and surviving family members of fatal accident victims in many types of cases, including:

Motor Vehicle Accidents

• Car accidents at intersections, on highways, and in parking lots;
• Motorcycle accidents, where riders face serious injuries due to limited protection;
• Commercial truck accidents involving 18-wheelers, delivery vehicles, and other large trucks;
• Distracted driving accidents caused by texting, phone use, or other diversions;
• DUI accidents involving drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs;
• Uber and rideshare accidents, where liability may involve multiple parties;
• Bicycle accidents on Friendswood roadways and trails; and
• Pedestrian accidents in crosswalks, parking lots, and residential areas.

Workplace and Industrial Accidents

• Industrial accidents in manufacturing plants, warehouses, and construction sites;
• Oilfield accidents involving drilling equipment, explosions, or chemical exposure; and
• Maritime accidents.

Medical and Institutional Negligence

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

Other Personal Injury Claims

• Slip and fall accidents caused by wet floors, uneven surfaces, or poor lighting; and
• Wrongful death claims when negligence results in the loss of a loved one.

Each type of case involves specific legal requirements, but they share a common thread: someone else's carelessness caused harm to you or your family member.

Injuries That Lead to Personal Injury Claims

Personal injury claims typically involve harm serious enough to require medical treatment, time away from work, or long-term changes to how you live.

Head and Brain

• Traumatic brain injuries that affect memory, concentration, mood, and personality;
• Concussions with symptoms that persist for months after the initial impact; and
• Eye injuries that result in partial or complete vision loss.

Spine and Back

• Spinal cord damage leading to partial or complete paralysis;
• Herniated discs that cause chronic pain and limit mobility; and
• Back injuries requiring surgery or ongoing physical therapy.

Limbs and Joints

• Broken bones and fractures needing surgical repair and rehabilitation;
• Knee injuries, including torn ligaments that may require reconstruction;
• Amputations from traumatic accidents or surgical necessity; and
• Crushing injuries common in industrial and oilfield settings.

Other Serious Injuries

• Burns from fires, explosions, chemicals, or electrical sources;
• Nerve damage causing numbness, weakness, or chronic pain;
• Chest injuries, including broken ribs and internal organ damage; and
• Soft tissue injuries that take months to heal.

What matters in a personal injury case is how the injury has affected your life: the medical treatment you need, the work you've missed, and the pain you live with. Our attorneys evaluate all of these factors when pursuing compensation on your behalf.

Pierce Skrabanek has helped Texans recover over $500 million after serious accidents. Let our trusted Friendswood personal injury lawyers fight for you next. Contact us today at (832) 690-7000.

How Do Texas Laws Affect My Friendswood Personal Injury Claim?

Two Texas laws directly affect personal injury cases: the modified comparative fault rule and the statute of limitations.

Modified Comparative Fault

Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001. This means you can recover compensation as long as you are not more than 50% responsible for the accident. If you share some fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility.

For example, if a jury awards you $100,000 but finds you 20% at fault, your recovery would be reduced to $80,000. However, if you are found 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover anything.

Defense attorneys will look for ways to shift blame onto injured parties to reduce what they owe. Having an experienced Friendswood personal injury lawyer helps ensure that fault is fairly assigned based on the evidence.

Statute of Limitations

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline typically bars you from pursuing compensation, regardless of how strong your case may be.

Certain circumstances can affect this timeline. Claims against government entities have shorter deadlines. Cases involving minors or injuries that weren't immediately discovered may have different rules. Speaking with a Friendswood personal injury attorney promptly after your injury helps protect your right to file a claim.

What Kind of Compensation Is Available in a Friendswood Personal Injury Lawsuit?

A personal injury claim accounts for everything the accident has cost you, both financially and personally.

Your Financial Losses

After a serious injury, the bills start arriving before you've had time to recover. Emergency room visits, ambulance transport, surgery, medication, physical therapy, and follow-up appointments add up quickly. If your injury requires ongoing care or future procedures, those costs factor into your claim as well.

Then there's the income you've lost. Days, weeks, or months away from work create financial strain. If your injury prevents you from returning to your previous job or limits your ability to earn what you did before, that lost earning capacity becomes part of what you can recover.

Property damage, medical equipment, home modifications, and travel expenses for treatment are also recoverable.

Your Personal Losses

Texas law recognizes that injuries take a toll beyond dollars and cents. Physical pain from the injury and the recovery process. Mental anguish from trauma, anxiety, or depression. The activities and relationships you can no longer enjoy the way you did before. Changes to your appearance from scarring or disfigurement. The strain on your marriage or partnership.

These losses are harder to quantify, but they are real, and Texas courts allow compensation for them.

When Conduct Is Especially Reckless

In cases involving gross negligence or intentional wrongdoing, Texas courts may award exemplary damages. These go beyond compensating you for your losses and serve to punish the wrongdoer and discourage similar conduct.

Our Personal Injury Attorneys Fight for Justice

When Pierce Skrabanek represents you, our goal is to secure maximum compensation for your damages. Here are examples of results we've achieved:

• $117 million verdict for a 21-year-old mother severely injured when an ambulance driver rear-ended a cane truck. This record-setting result reflects our commitment to holding negligent parties accountable.
• $11.6 million verdict for a worker who suffered a catastrophic eye injury, losing most vision in one eye.

A Martindale-Nolo survey found that injured people with legal representation recovered nearly three times as much as those without attorneys. An experienced lawyer knows how to value a claim properly, gather the right evidence, and push back when the other side undervalues your injuries.

To discuss what compensation may be available in your case, contact our Friendswood personal injury lawyers for a free case review.

Local Resources for Friendswood Injury Victims

After an accident in Friendswood, getting prompt medical attention protects both your health and your potential legal claim. The area offers several options for emergency and urgent care:

Urgent Care and Emergency Facilities

Friendswood residents have access to Care Now Urgent Care, HCA Houston ER 24/7, Memorial Hermann Urgent Care, Neighbors Emergency Center, and Twin Oaks Urgent Care. For life-threatening injuries, call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room.

Local Emergency Services

The Friendswood Fire Department and Friendswood Police Department serve the city directly. Depending on your location, the Galveston County Sheriff's Office or the Harris County Sheriff's Office may also respond to incidents.

Once you've received medical care, consider speaking with a Friendswood personal injury attorney about your legal options.

Why Should I Hire a Friendswood Personal Injury Attorney?

Handling a personal injury claim on your own puts you at a disadvantage. The parties responsible for your injuries have legal teams working to minimize what they pay. You deserve someone fighting just as hard on your side.

At Pierce Skrabanek, we bring decades of experience to every case. Our attorneys have secured over $500 million for clients in Texas and across the country, including record-setting verdicts in personal injury cases. We prepare every case for trial from day one, which strengthens our position whether we're negotiating a settlement or presenting your case to a jury.

Video: What Makes Pierce Skrabanek Different?