Personal Injury

Fasthoff Law Firm evaluates inquiries involving serious injuries and wrongful death in Texas. Appropriate cases are referred to lawyers at other firms who handle personal injury litigation.

Hank Fasthoff draws on 29 years of business and intellectual property litigation experience to evaluate the circumstances of an injury and the proposed representation. Before a referral, he explains which firm would handle the case, any continuing role he would have, and any proposed division of fees. You receive the terms of any fee sharing arrangement for your written consent before the referral.

A serious injury can affect your ability to earn a living, care for your family, and manage daily activities. When someone dies, the surviving family may face those financial consequences while grieving. Evaluating a claim requires attention to what happened, who bears legal responsibility, and how the injury or death has affected your family.

Inquiries include commercial truck and fleet crashes, vehicle collisions, and rideshare incidents involving serious injuries or death. They also include brain and spinal injuries, amputations, and severe burns resulting from those events. The evaluation considers potential claims against drivers, employers, and other responsible parties, together with applicable insurance coverage.

Insurance is one part of that evaluation. Available coverage depends on the policies, the people and vehicles insured, and the circumstances of the incident. A commercial vehicle or rideshare connection warrants investigation into additional coverage and potential defendants, but neither company involvement nor a policy limit establishes the amount you will recover.

Early investigation also helps identify and preserve evidence. Trucking records, vehicle data, camera footage, witness accounts, and medical records may explain how an incident occurred and what injuries resulted. The lawyers handling the case assess which records to request, what preservation measures are needed, and whether reconstruction or other expert analysis would assist.

The effects of a serious injury often extend beyond the medical bills already received. Medical and economic evidence helps assess future treatment, assistance with daily living, and reduced earning capacity. Depending on the claim and supporting evidence, recoverable damages may also include physical pain, mental anguish, and other losses recognized under Texas law.

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed within two years after the claim accrues. A wrongful death claim accrues at death and must be filed within two years after that date. Statutory exceptions and rules that suspend the limitation period affect the deadline in specific circumstances. A survival claim continuing the deceased person’s injury claim requires a separate deadline calculation. Texas limitation statutes.

For negligence claims governed by Texas proportionate responsibility law, an injured claimant found more than 50% responsible cannot recover damages. A finding of responsibility above zero and up to 50% reduces the claimant’s damages proportionately. An insurance adjuster’s assessment is a negotiating position, and the lawyers handling the claim evaluate whether the evidence supports it. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §§ 33.001 and 33.012.

You can contact Fasthoff Law Firm to request an evaluation of a serious injury or wrongful death inquiry. Hank reviews the circumstances to determine whether a referral is appropriate and discusses the proposed arrangement with you before proceeding.