Abilene Personal Injury & Wrongful Death Lawyers

Taylor County, TX Accident Law Firm with Billions Recovered

In the aftermath of a catastrophic injury or wrongful death, there is nothing more important than honest legal counsel. The legal system can be the surest way to a just resolution, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a complex, confusing system. You need someone on your side who can help guide you through it—working with you to file a lawsuit and demand the compensation you need to rebuild your life. You deserve to work with the best attorney for the job, and that's the level of counsel we strive for at Arnold & Itkin. Our record-setting results prove it.

Our firm has been there to help people in Abilene who've not only sustained serious injuries but who lost someone they love. We handle lawsuits of all kinds, and we have earned a reputation for passionate, creative representation. If you or someone you love has been injured, reach out to our top-rated Abilene injury attorneys today.

Take the first step toward recovery by calling (888) 493-1629 or filling out our online form for your free consultation.

Abilene Attorneys Handling Catastrophic Injury Lawsuits

Although all injuries are serious, there are some that can be defined as truly catastrophic. In ancient Greece, the word catastrophe was used to describe sudden and tragic change. Today, we’ve use the word to describe life-altering injuries.

In the legal world, catastrophic injuries have a specific definition. Injuries that fall into this category often affect the brain, spinal cord, nerves, or other components of the body that play a vital role in thinking and moving. Injuries like this permanently inhibits a person’s mobility or cognitive function, necessitating dramatic adjustments for survivors and their families. They will not heal in just a few short weeks. Instead, these are injuries that will require extensive medical care and rehabilitation. In some cases, these are injuries that will forever change the life of the victim, causing them to require around-the-clock medical care and drastic lifestyle changes.

If you have suffered from a catastrophic injury, the attorneys at Arnold & Itkin are ready to fight for you. We are here to help those individuals and families who are facing situations such as this. Regardless of whether the injury was from a workplace accident, car accident, or other incident, we are the law firm that you can trust to help.

What Counts as a Catastrophic Injury?

Catastrophic injuries can happen anywhere. However, some injuries occur with more frequency than others.

These injuries include the following:

• Burn Injuries
  These injuries require an intense period of medical care. Third-degree burns don’t just harm the skin—they can cause lasting damage to the tissues beneath the skin. Common long-term effects of third-degree burns include scarring, respiratory problems, and disfigurement. Victims of burns often have trouble comfortably moving areas of their bodies that have been injured.
• Blunt Force Trauma
  Blunt force trauma describes a forceful impact to a specific part of the body. If the head is subjected to blunt force trauma, the result can be a catastrophic loss of brain function.
• Vision Loss
  Vision loss is devastating as it forces survivors to completely change how they interact with the world.
• Spinal Cord Injuries
  The spinal column houses a crucial collection of nerves that control the body’s ability to move. Trauma to this part of the body can cause loss of mobility or, in the most severe cases, complete paralysis.
• Acoustic Trauma
  Like the loss of vision, damage to a person’s ability to hear results in a drastic change in their life.

Abilene Wrongful Death Lawyers: Helping Grieving Families

There is nothing more difficult than losing a loved one. Losing them because of someone else’s negligence can leave people not only grieving, but feeling traumatized and helpless. If you have lost someone you love because of someone else’s careless actions, it is imperative that you contact an Abilene wrongful death lawyer as quickly as possible. Although money won’t relieve the pain of losing your loved one, you have the right to seek compensation for your loss. Wrongful death claims force at-fault parties to face the people they hurt, holding them accountable to you in a way that the criminal court system may not do. Not only will you hold at-fault parties responsible for their actions, but you can also fight for the financial security you need.

What Is a Wrongful Death Claim?

A wrongful death claim can be filed when a third party is responsible for the death of another person negligently or through intentional harm—the responsible parties can be held liable under common jurisdiction. When a family loses a loved one because of another person’s carelessness, they are entitled to receive monetary compensation. Even if the person responsible for the death of a loved one has been prosecuted under criminal proceedings, there is still a chance to file a civil lawsuit involving a wrongful death claim. If a company rather than an individual caused the fatality, the only way to hold them accountable is to present a wrongful death claim.

What Qualifies as a Wrongful Death Claim?

Although a wrongful death claim can be filed for most accidents that cause the death of another, it does not cover every kind of incident. Wrongful death claims need to prove that a person or company caused or could have prevented a person's death and that the death left family members with economic or emotional losses.

For example, the following could qualify for a wrongful death claim:

• Car accidents caused by drunk driving, texting, or other careless distractions
• Work accidents caused by lack of training or supervision
• Assaults, attacks, or other criminal actions that led to the death of another
• Malpractice by a doctor failed to identify or treat an ailment correctly
• Drowning accidents due to property damage/premises liability
• Defective products or drugs that caused the user to suffer death

Who can file a Wrongful Death Claim in Abilene?

Although laws vary from state to state regarding the eligibility of the person who can file a wrongful death claim, close family members of the victims are usually the ones who have the right to bring forth wrongful death claims.

Eligible beneficiaries of a wrongful death claim in Texas include:

• Children
• Spouses or life partners
• Siblings
• Parents
• Parents of unmarried children
• Any other dependents

Children and spouses are given the primary right to file a wrongful death claim, so a parent, sibling, or another relative will likely not be able to file a claim if a child or spouse is pursuing one. To determine if you are eligible to file a wrongful death claim, you should consult with an attorney. There is a statute of limitation on wrongful death claims: you have two years to file a wrongful death claim from the day of death before it is too late to file.

To learn more about wrongful death, visit Sec. 71 of the Civil Practice & remedies Code.

What Damages Are Recoverable in a Wrongful Death Claim?

We know no monetary compensation will bring back your loved one. It can, however, help you and your family move forward and heal without the stress of finding a new job or providing for yourselves. You have the right to recover compensation for three general types of damages, depending on the circumstances of the accident.

The damages you may be able to claim include the following:

• Economic Damages – You can receive compensation for financial damages on funeral and medical expenses related to the death, loss of the decedent's future earnings and benefits, and other financial losses associated with their death.
• Non-Economic Damages – This includes damages such as pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of inheritance, and loss of consortium.
• Punitive Damages – There are cases where you can be awarded in addition to economic and non-economic damages as a way of punishing the responsible parties for willful negligent acts.

Injured on the Job? Call Abilene Work Accident Lawyers Now.

One of the types of cases we handle the most often are those involving workplace accidents. From oilfields to plants to construction sites, we have been there to assist our clients in recovering from West Texas work accidents. We've seen all too often how employers won't take care of their employees—not only failing to protect them from the accident occurring in the first place but then refusing to be there to help them during the recovery process.

Our Abilene work injury and death attorneys handle cases involving the following:

• Construction accidents
• Crane accidents
• Forklift accidents
• Gas truck accidents
• Oilfield accidents
• Plant and refinery accidents
• Plant and refinery explosions
• Scaffolding accidents

Helping Abilene Motor Vehicle Accident Survivors Recover & Rebuild

Hurt in a serious motor vehicle accident? Unsure of where to turn? If so, get in touch with the Abilene car accident lawyers from our firm. We've earned a reputation of being unafraid of the courtroom—earning massive victories on behalf of those injured in serious collisions. These cases range from car accidents to motorcycle crashes.

In addition, we help those injured in an accident involving an emergency vehicle. For example, we once won a record-setting $117 million verdict for the victim of an ambulance accident. We also handle serious accidents involving commercial vehicles, such as truck accidents, bus accidents, and more.

No matter the circumstances of your accident, we’re here to listen to your story. Call (888) 493-1629 to schedule a free consultation with Abilene motor vehicle accident attorneys.

Personal Injury FAQ

Take the First Step Toward Recovery: Call (888) 493-1629

In the time after a serious accident or injury, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn. At our firm, we want you to know the next step can be simple: give us a call. Once you hire our firm, we can help take over the legal complexities. Let us worry about all of the red tape, insurance companies, and more. We take over all of that so you and your family can spend more time focusing on what’s actually important: recovering.

Contact Arnold & Itkin’s Abilene personal injury lawyers for a free consultation today at (888) 493-1629.