Llano Personal Injury Attorney
An injury can change your life in seconds. Once you’ve got over the initial shock, you’ll be wondering what to do next and how to get the compensation you deserve.
If you’ve suffered a personal injury in or around Llano, Texas, you’ve come to the right place. Shane Jennings, Llano personal injury lawyer, is here to help you.
Shane is licensed in Texas, and works out of Llano, the county seat of Llano County, famed for its status as the “Deer Capital of Texas”. While the beauty of nature is only a stone’s throw away, Llano is also a well-connected urban community, served by Texas Highway 16 and Texas Highway 29.
Shane is proud to serve Llano, Texas, offering his services to anyone affected by personal injury, whether that’s an auto accident, work injury, or even an animal attack.
Know that if you’ve been wronged, compensation is due so call in the services of your local personal injury lawyer in Llano, Shane Jennings, to help you get the justice you deserve.
I Was Injured in an Accident in Llano, Should I File a Lawsuit?
If you’ve been injured in an accident, you may feel confused about whether you should file a lawsuit or not. You may also be asking yourself whether you want to file a claim if you’re already feeling overwhelmed by the disruption the accident has caused.
The first thing to know is that enlisting the help of a personal injury attorney in Llano can help you see through your confusion. They will be right by your side, every step of the way.
Let’s understand the basic principles of personal injury. To be successful, a personal injury claim must be founded on the concept of negligence. This means that the person you are claiming against breached a duty of care, and this negligence resulted in your injury.
For example, in the case of auto accidents, anyone who drives a vehicle has a duty of care to obey traffic laws. If they drive drunk or in a dangerous manner resulting in your injury, they breach these laws and their duty of care to you.
In this type of case, you or Llano car accident lawyer W. Shane Jennings would show that the defendant breached their duty of care by breaking traffic laws and caused your injuries by negligence as documented in your medical records.
Of course, you cannot be expected to determine these circumstances on your own. That’s why you need to reach out to your Llano personal injury attorney, Shane Jennings.
The Basics of Negligence Laws in Texas
It’s time to drill down and understand more about negligence laws in Texas.
To be successful in a personal injury case, you will need to show the court that these five key areas are applicable:
- Duty: The defendant has a duty to you, the injured party. For instance, if you have suffered a work injury in Llano, Texas, your employer had a duty to keep your workplace safe.
- Breach of Duty: The defendant failed to carry out their duty. So, if you have been hit by a speeding vehicle, then the driver of that vehicle breached their duty to obey traffic laws.
- Cause in Fact: Your injury was “in fact” caused by the defendant breaching their duty of care. Here your evidence proves that the defendant was indeed responsible for your injuries. This is sometimes referred to as the “but for” test, meaning that the injuries would not have been caused “but for” the defendant’s actions.
- Proximate Cause: This means that it’s clear to any reasonable person that the defendant’s actions could result in the injury presented.
- Damages: You must show that harm has been done to you and that the legal system has the capacity to compensate for this harm.
You should also know about comparative negligence, alternatively referred to as proportionate responsibility. This means that if you are found to be partially at fault for the injuries, you will receive only a proportion of the damages.
So, if you are hit by a car when scrolling through your phone, it could be argued that you were not paying attention to your surroundings and you were partially at fault. This means that your damages will be reduced.
If your percentage of fault is more than 50%, then you may not receive any damages.
Cases We Handle at The Law Offices of W. Shane Jennings
Here at the law offices of W. Shane Jennings, we offer advice on a wide variety of personal injury claims. These are the main areas we cover:
- Auto Accidents. In 2021, over 19,000 people sustained a serious injury in motor vehicle crashes on busy roads in Texas such as Texas Highway 16 and Ranch Road 152. That’s one person injured every 2 minutes, 11 seconds. W. Shane Jennings handles a wide variety of personal injury cases relating to auto accidents, including drunk driving accidents, hit-and-run accidents, uninsured motorist accidents, and distracted driving accidents.
- 18-Wheeler and Truck Accidents. The trucking industry is a major part of life in Texas, with trucks traveling 8.1 billion miles on the Texas Highway Freight Network every year, which includes popular routes Texas Highway 16 and Texas Highway 29. While trucking is an essential part of the local economy, it also has a massive impact in terms of accidents and injuries. In 2020, thousands of serious injuries were sustained in accidents involving 18-wheelers and trucks of all kinds. That means thousands of lives affected every single year.
- Motorcycle Crashes. If you’re a motorcyclist headed out on some of the area’s busiest roads, such as Texas Highway 16 or Ranch Road 2323, you could be facing serious injury or even death. In 2020, over 1,800 motorcyclists were seriously injured on Texas roads and 500 were killed. Because you’re more vulnerable on a motorcycle, you are more likely to sustain serious injuries in the event of a crash, which could change your life forever.
- Work Injuries. When you go to work, you expect your employer to keep you safe. Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Here in the office of W. Shane Jennings, we see a wide variety of work injuries, including those sustained in construction and 18-wheeler accidents and from exposure to harmful substances or environments. Shane can help you with a Llano third-party claim to help recover compensation for damages.
- Premises Liability. This covers a wide range of claims for injuries caused by the dangerous condition of someone else’s property. Slip and fall accidents in Llano, Texas, commonly cause injuries — for example, if you have entered a store where the owner has failed to clean up a liquid spill that results in you slipping and sustaining a fracture or other injury.
- Bicycle Accidents. Cyclists are vulnerable when it comes to road accidents, even at low speed. You may sustain serious injuries that have a major impact on your everyday life, so it’s essential that you get the compensation you deserve.
- Pedestrian Accidents. Being involved in an accident as a pedestrian can leave you shocked and shaken, in addition to nasty injuries such as broken bones, head or brain injuries, and emotional trauma.
- Dog Bites and Animal Attacks. If you’ve been attacked by an out-of-control animal, you’ll know how traumatic this can be. Not only will there be the emotional fallout to deal with, but you could sustain serious, disfiguring injuries that require surgery and prolonged treatment.
- Wrongful and Accidental Death. Wrongful death claims in Llano, Texas, are filed by the family and dependents of someone who has died as a result of someone else’s negligence — for example in a vehicle accident or because of poor maintenance of a premises. Even if the defendant has been found not guilty of a criminal charge, they may still be pursued in a personal injury case. By their very nature, wrongful death or accidental death claims are challenging for the family of the deceased, hence the need for an experienced personal injury attorney to guide them every step of the way.
How Much Is My Personal Injury Case in Texas Worth?
Every personal injury case is different and will depend on your unique circumstances. The sum you’ll receive will depend on several factors, including:
- How severe your injuries are
- Where the accident took place
- The details of the insurance policy
- Assessment of your non-economic damages
- Assessment of your economic damages
- Ongoing medical expenses
In Texas, you will also be subject to the comparative negligence rule, so your damages will be reduced if you are found partially at fault for the incident.
Proving Fault in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Llano, Texas
Proving fault is an essential part of winning a personal injury lawsuit. To do this, your personal injury lawyer needs to demonstrate evidence around liability and damages.
So, this means showing that the defendant was liable for the injuries you received and demonstrating the extent of your injuries and their impact to determine the level of damages.
This is the task of your personal injury attorney, who will have the knowledge and experience to prove these two essential factors in your case.
Can I Handle My Own Case or Do I Need a Lawyer?
In short, it’s possible to handle your case on your own, but this is unlikely to be the most straightforward or successful route to take.
First, consider the stress you have already endured as a result of your accident. To ease the emotional burden of pursuing a personal injury case, you should call in an experienced personal injury attorney.
They have the experience and expertise required to get the very best result for your case, based on their years of work in this demanding sector.
Why It Is Important to Act Quickly
It’s important to file your personal claim in a timely manner. If you don’t do it within a certain time period, then you will lose your right to do so.
This is thanks to the statute of limitations on personal injury cases, which is the period within which you can file your claim.
Here in Texas, for most claims, that’s two years from the date the injury occurs — although there are exceptions to this rule, which your Llano personal injury lawyer can advise you on.
That’s why it’s important to file your claim sooner rather than later, to have the best chance of getting the compensation you deserve.
Serving Llano, Texas
If you’ve found this article, chances are you have a connection to the vibrant community of Llano, Texas.
Nestling in the heart of Texas, it’s the proud county seat of Llano County and is also known as the “Deer Capital of Texas,” thanks to its population of white-tailed deer — the highest density in the United States.
You may also know it for its diverse attractions, including the Llano County Museum, which tells the story of Llano through its many fascinating exhibits.
There’s the Lantex Theater, established in 1927 and still going strong, where you can catch a movie, concert, or theatrical production.
Llano County Courthouse (www.co.llano.tx.us)
801 Ford St., Llano, TX 78643 (325) 247-7730
The Llano County Courthouse handles a wide range of legal matters, including district and county court cases. It serves as the venue for felony and misdemeanor criminal cases. It also handles all civil suits. For instant, family law disputes, property issues, and personal injury claims are some of the case types you might see at the courthouse.
Experienced Attorney in Llano, TX
If you’re seeking a personal injury lawyer in Llano, look no further than W. Shane Jennings.
Shane and his team have unrivaled experience when it comes to personal injury claims, with immaculate attention to detail and a warm and friendly manner to set you at ease.
Know that we offer a free consultation, so there’s nothing to lose if you need help deciding on the next steps.
We’re proud to say that we care about our clients and that getting you the compensation you deserve is our number goal — so reach out today for a helping hand in your time of need.
In addition to Llano, Texas, we also serve Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, Burnet, Brady, Buchanan Dam, Kingsland, Horseshoe Bay, Mason, and more.