A car crash in Texas can turn your life upside down, leaving you with injuries, a wrecked vehicle, and emotional scars. For victims navigating the aftermath, understanding the damages you can claim is essential to securing fair compensation. Texas law allows those harmed in collisions to pursue specific damages to cover their losses. This article explores the key categories of damages available, including medical expenses, vehicle repairs, lost earnings, and emotional trauma, tailored to the unique challenges of Texas roads.

Medical Expenses: Reclaiming Your Health Costs

Texas car crashes often result in injuries ranging from whiplash to severe conditions like spinal damage or concussions. In Texas, you can claim all medical costs tied to the crash, ensuring you’re not left paying for someone else’s negligence. These include:

• Emergency services: Ambulance rides, ER visits, and urgent treatments.
• Hospital and surgical care: Inpatient stays, operations, and specialist consultations.
• Rehabilitation: Physical therapy, chiropractic care, medications, and ongoing doctor visits.
• Future care: Compensation for anticipated needs, like pain management or corrective surgeries for permanent injuries.

Keep meticulous records—bills, prescriptions, and medical reports—to prove the financial toll of your injuries and build a strong claim.

Vehicle Repairs: Restoring Your Ride

From fender-benders on I-35 to pileups on Houston’s freeways, Texas crashes often leave vehicles mangled. You can claim property damages to address:

• Repair costs: Expenses for fixing your car, truck, or motorcycle, including labor and parts. Get detailed estimates from trusted mechanics.
• Totaled vehicles: If repairs cost more than your vehicle’s worth, you can claim its market value pre-crash.
• Rental vehicles: Costs for a temporary ride while your vehicle is in the shop or replaced.
• Personal items: Damaged goods inside your vehicle, like laptops or cargo.

Document the damage with photos and save all receipts to ensure your claim covers every cent.

Lost Earnings: Getting Back Your Financial Footing

Injuries can keep you from work, especially in Texas’s demanding industries like oil, construction, or healthcare. Texas law lets you claim lost earnings, including:

• Missed wages: Income lost from time off for recovery or medical visits.
• Reduced earning power: If injuries limit your ability to work long-term—say, a mechanic can no longer handle tools—you can claim future income losses.
• Career setbacks: Missed raises, contracts, or gigs due to the crash.

Back your claim with pay stubs, W-2s, or employer letters to verify your income and time away from work.

Emotional Trauma: Valuing Your Mental Toll

Texas highways, from Dallas’s urban sprawl to rural FM roads, can leave crash victims grappling with more than physical pain. Emotional trauma—like PTSD, anxiety, or nightmares—can linger long after the wreck. Texas allows claims for non-economic damages, such as:

• Pain and suffering: Physical agony from injuries, like chronic back pain or migraines.
• Mental anguish: Emotional fallout, including fear of driving or depression.
• Loss of lifestyle: If injuries stop you from enjoying Texas traditions—think tailgating at Longhorn games or fishing on the Gulf—you can seek compensation.

While emotional claims are harder to quantify, therapy records, psychiatric evaluations, and personal accounts can substantiate your suffering.

Fighting for Your Rights in Texas

Texas’s fault-based system pins damages on the at-fault driver’s insurance, but its 51% comparative negligence rule can reduce your payout if you’re partly to blame. You can’t recover anything if you’re over 50% at fault. Claims can be filed through the at-fault driver’s insurer, your own policy (if applicable), or a lawsuit. An experienced Austin car accident attorney can navigate Texas’s car crash laws, gather evidence, and counter insurance adjusters’ tactics to minimize payouts.

Taking Action After a Texas Crash

If a Texas car crash has left you with medical bills, a totaled vehicle, lost wages, or emotional scars, you may be entitled to substantial damages. Thorough documentation and legal guidance are critical to securing what you’re owed. Joe Lopez Law is committed to fighting for Central Texas crash victims, ensuring they get justice and fair compensation. Contact Joe Lopez Law today to review your case and start rebuilding your life.