Even minor car accidents can turn into a huge headache. There is a police report to file, statements to give to insurance companies, and now your vehicle needs to be repaired. When you are injured and have medical bills to pay, the aftermath of the crash is even more complicated. Navigating the compensation process alone while recovering from a serious injury is extremely challenging. Even worse, some car insurance companies may try to take advantage of injured crash victims who try to do so. Whether the responsible driver’s insurance company acknowledges liability or not, there are many reasons you may want to be represented by counsel before you speak to insurance agents. 

What Tactics Do Insurance Companies Use to Take Advantage of Unrepresented Parties?

Car accidents happen every day, but they do not happen to you every day. The less familiar you are with the process of calculating how much you are owed and filing a claim, the easier it is for an insurance company to use your lack of experience against you. Look out for these tactics: 

• Low offers - After you have given your statement, you will probably receive a settlement offer. Usually, the amount offered will sound high. Insurance companies hope that people will see the dollar amount and instantly accept it. However, when you begin factoring in not just the cost of medical bills, but lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional damages, and other damages, the amount in the initial offer rarely comes close to covering everything. 

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 Brake failure can cause devastating car or truck crashes. Frequently, brakes fail with no notice, leaving the helpless driver trying to crash in the least harmful way possible. However, in some cases, the driver may have had enough notice that her brakes were faulty that she should have gotten them fixed and avoided the wreck. The liability for a brake failure accident depends largely on which of those scenarios occurred. If you were injured when the brakes on a vehicle failed, you will want to speak to an experienced attorney as soon as possible to get you on the path to recovering compensation. 

What Are the Two Types of Liability After a Brake Failure Crash? 

Depending on the facts of your case, there are a handful of parties who could ultimately be responsible for the crash - and liable for damages. After your attorney investigates and has a better understanding of what caused the brakes to fail, he or she may bring your claim under either a products liability theory, negligence theory, or both. It is also possible to file a claim against - and recover compensation from - more than one party, if some combination of a defective product and a person’s negligence contributed to the crash. 

Driver negligence can contribute to or cause brake failure if the driver knew that her brakes were faulty, but failed to make repairs. If there was no defect with the brakes and they were simply worn down and overdue for replacement, the driver might be completely responsible under negligence law. A mechanic could also be liable under a negligence theory if they carelessly installed or repaired the brakes, and that caused them to fail 

Working in the oil or gas industry is dangerous no matter what, but appropriate safety precautions can prevent accidental injuries and deaths in the oil fields or on oil rigs. When you are working in an already dangerous career, it is doubly important that your employer takes all the necessary safety measures to protect the lives and health of everyone on the job site. When they do not, fires and explosions can result and workers can be seriously injured or killed. If you were hurt by a fire or explosion in an oil field, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible to find out if you may be entitled to compensation. 

What Are the Common Causes of Fires and Explosions in the Oil and Gas Industries? 

Fires and explosions are two of the biggest dangers in the oil and gas industries. They can happen very suddenly and be devastating. Common causes include: 

• Low Ventilation - When people are working with flammable gases, a job site must have adequate ventilation in good working order to prevent that gas from building up and potentially combusting. 

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If you were in a car accident caused by a mechanical failure or unsafe vehicle, you may be wondering whether a mechanic or auto shop could be responsible. In Texas, if a mechanic’s negligence made a vehicle unsafe to drive, which resulted in an accident, the mechanic may be liable for injuries resulting from that crash. If you were hurt in a car accident that you believe was a result of a mechanical defect, contact an attorney as soon as you can after the accident. Crashes that involve a mechanical failure require prompt investigation to preserve evidence. 

What Types of Negligence by a Mechanic Can Result in a Car Accident? 

Mechanics and auto shops have a duty to either make sure your vehicle is safe to drive before they return it to you, or warn you that it is not safe to drive. Auto shop customers can reasonably expect that their mechanic has safely repaired their vehicle before returning it. Unfortunately, sometimes mechanics or their staff members make mistakes or even act in a manner that shows disregard for the safety of their customers. 

Here are some situations where negligence on the part of a mechanic or auto body shop could cause a car accident: 

Most of the time, car accidents take place because one or more drivers act negligently, such as by committing traffic violations, behaving aggressively, or failing to follow the correct safety precautions while behind the wheel. Victims of car wrecks, who may suffer serious injuries and extensive property damage, may take steps to pursue financial compensation from a negligent driver who caused a collision. Distracted driving is one of the most common forms of driver negligence, and it can significantly increase the chances that a driver will collide with other vehicles or strike a pedestrian or bicyclist.

Dangers of Distracted Driving

There are many different distractions that can affect drivers. Some of these distractions are well-known, and many states have passed laws meant to prevent these types of behaviors. For example, Texas law states that texting or sending electronic messages while driving is illegal. A person who uses a cell phone or another device to read or send messages may be charged with a misdemeanor offense, and they may face fines or other penalties.

There are multiple other issues that can cause distractions for a driver, and anything that causes a person to look away from the road or divert their attention from driving can be very dangerous. These distractions may include eating and drinking, looking in a mirror to adjust makeup or hair, shaving, making adjustments to a vehicle’s radio or other controls, talking with passengers, reaching for objects on a car’s seats or floor, turning around to deal with children in the vehicle, or even talking on the phone while using a hands-free device.