Liability Coverage
What if the accident is my fault? Your insurance company is required to defend you in any lawsuit and pay damages up to the amount of your liability limits in the event you are involved in an accident and someone claims that it was your fault. You have the obligation to assist in the defense of the claim by making yourself reasonably available and telling the truth about the circumstances of the accident. Your company has the obligation to represent you in a reasonable fashion, advise you of the first offer to settle the claim, advise you when the claim is finally settled, and to not put their interests above yours in trying to get the case resolved.
You should remember that the most expensive insurance which you can purchase the first $30,000.00 of coverage, or your "minimum limits." You will find that raising your policy limits to a much higher level is remarkably inexpensive and you should consider this option. Also, you can have Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage limits as high as your liability limits. This provides a lot of protection at little cost to you.
This is by no means a comprehensive review of the "standard" Texas Personal Automobile Policy. Indeed, Texas really doesn't have a "standard" Automobile Insurance policy any longer. The Texas Legislature now allows insurance companies to write their own policies. As you might imagine, they may not be writing them in your best interest. There are any number of exclusions and endorsements which apply to every policy and which may change or alter the manner in which the coverage will apply to your personal situation. In the event you have any questions in this area, please feel free to call us for a personal consultation. There is no charge for an initial consultation. Call us at (325) 653-6866 or 1-800-727-4529.
Premises Liability
If I am injured at someone's home or place of business, do I have a way to get my medical bills paid? What if I am unable to work? Can I be compensated for my time off work; for my pain and suffering? What is the law that covers this sort of thing?
Whenever you are injured on someone else's premises, you must first determine the reason you were there. Under Texas law, there are three class of persons when it comes to "premise liability" claims. Read More
Personal Automobile Policies in Texas
When you are involved in an automobile accident, do you know what your insurance policy says? For many years, Texas had a "standard Texas Personal Automobile policy" which for the most part was written by the State Board of Insurance. As a result, the kind of coverage available to you was relatively easy to determine. However, recently, the Texas Legislature allowed the insurance companies to write their own policies, making it very important that you carefully review the terms of your policy with your agent.
If you are injured in an accident, before you worry about whether it was someone else's fault, you should look to your own policy. What coverages did you purchase? What coverages were available to you? Read More
Product Liability "Reform"
The business lobby continuously makes efforts to relieve businesses from their responsibility to compensate victims when bad judgment and greed leads to injury and death of consumers. For years, business has attempted to convince the public that product liability dramatically drives up the cost of products. This argument is patently untrue. Read More
Texas Tort Claims Act
In the event you are injured as a result of the negligence of someone working for the state or some political subdivision, you should seek legal counsel at once. There are rights which you may lose if you hesitate or delay. For further information, contact our law firm for a free initial consultation. Read More
Medicaid and Ahlborn
If you are covered by Medicaid when you are injured, the law says you have "assigned" a part of your claim to the State of Texas. Sometimes this recovery by the State is referred to as subrogation. That means that you may have to pay back part of what you recover to the State of Texas to compensate the State for what it has paid in medical bills. Until recently, the State got first money back, regardless of whether there was enough money to truly compensate you for your losses. Read More
What does the jury get to hear?
Most people think if you are in an accident and the insurance company does not pay for your injuries, then you can sue the insurance company. Read More
Subrogation in Texas
Subrogation is the taking on of the legal rights of someone whose debts or expenses have been paid by another. Subrogation most commonly occurs when an insurance company that has paid you then takes the legal rights you have against a third party and takes the recovery from a third party to pay it back for what it has paid to its claimant. Read More
Oilfield Accidents
If you or someone you love works in the oilfields, you know that it can be a dangerous place. If a tragic accident has brought that fact home to you, it is important that you have competent counsel to direct you through the legal complications sure to follow. Even if you think that Workers Compensation is your only remedy, someone should look into the question on your behalf. Read More
