Item: Law Office of Doug Goyen
Rating: 5
Author: Socorro V.

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Dallas Personal Injury Lawyer

Car Accidents

What Can You Recover in an Injury Case?

Loss of Part of Body or Mental and Intellectual Function

Attorney Doug Goyen In personal injury cases, loss of a body part or loss of mental and intellectual function are separate elements of damages. The fact patterns that allow for the collection of these elements of damage are limited but demonstrable. If you believe your case may involve one of these elements of damage, call our auto accident lawyer, Doug Goyen, at (972) 599 4100.

Call For A Free Case Review (972) 599 4100

LOSS OF BODY PART (AS LONG AS IT DOESN’T OVERLAP PHYSICAL IMPAIRMENT)

In some cases, Texas courts have allowed recovery for the element of loss of a body part. To avoid appeal issues, you must be careful not to overlap the damages you are requesting, such as requesting loss of a body part but only providing evidence of how this causes “physical impairment.” If you recover for physical impairment and then for loss of a body part, the Defendant (or his insurance company) may be able to have the award overturned on appeal for giving the same money under two different names (double recovery).

Loss of Teeth: The Texas Supreme Court has recognized tooth loss as a distinct element of damage in Houston Transit Co. v. Felder, 208 S.W.2d 880 (Tex. 1948).

Loss of Hearing: The Tyler court of appeals approved a separate element of damage for hearing loss in City of Houston v. Riggins, 568 S.W.2d 188 (Tex.Civ.App.—Tyler 1978, writ ref’d n.r.e.).

Loss of Mental and Intellectual Function (Cases are listed below. – possibly only when the Plaintiff’s brain damage is so severe that he or she can no longer perceive mental anguish or pain and suffering):

A Dallas case involved catastrophic injuries so severe, including severe brain damage, that the Defendant questioned whether the Plaintiff could even feel pain or experience mental anguish – because his brain damage had left him in such a state that it was questioned whether the injured Plaintiff could even perceive pain or mental anguish. The court ruled that the loss of mental and intellectual function, which precludes such “appreciation,” is a separate element of damages in and of itself. Western Union Tel. Co. v. Tweed, 138 S.W. 1155 (Tex.Civ.App—Dallas 1911), rev’d on other grounds, 166 S.W. 696 (Tex.Civ.App—Dallas 1911). (Tex. 1914). Instead of mental suffering, loss of mental function (mind destruction) is a component of damages.

BUT, in a case where a person did suffer brain damage, but not to the extent that they could not perceive mental anguish or pain and suffering, the courts have ruled that submitting “loss of mental and intellectual function” is improper, because that part of the damage (loss of mental and intellectual function) can be properly included in the pain and suffering and mental anguish. Johnson v. King, 821 S.W.2d 425 (Tex.App.—Fort Worth 1991, writ denied).

Contact our personal injury attorney if you have a case involving the loss of a body part or the loss of mental and intellectual function and need assistance with your case. The Law Office of Doug Goyen will assist you in fighting the insurance company and ensuring that the insurance company cannot avoid paying what it owes. To discuss your case, call (972) 599 4100.

Call For A Free Case Review (972) 599 4100

WHAT COMPENSATION CAN I EXPECT FROM A CAR ACCIDENT CLAIM?

The amount of compensation you can expect after a car accident is determined by a number of factors, including how the accident occurred, the parties’ auto insurance coverage, and who was involved in the accident. If the person who caused the car accident does not have auto insurance, suing them will only result in compensation if they have assets that can be used to pay off the debt. An auto accident involving a commercial vehicle, on the other hand, can be a completely different story, as the company has an obligation not to endanger other drivers.

FREE CASE REVIEWS

If you are looking for a personal injury lawyer, call (972) 599 4100. We offer free phone consultations. We also provide a free strategy session. The strategy session includes a summary of your case, legal issues involved, and legal issues we identify as being critical to maximizing the compensation owed.

THERE IS NO FEE IF WE DO NOT WIN

You owe us nothing if we are unable to recover. We charge a contingency fee structured to take a percentage of what we recover. As a performance-based contract, the better we do for you, the better we do for ourselves. This aligns our interests in the case with our client’s interests.

DIRECTIONS TO OUR OFFICE

Law Office of Doug Goyen
15851 Dallas Pkwy #605
Addison, Texas 75001
(972) 599 4100 phone
(972) 398 2629 fax

Directions to our office: We are on the southbound side of the service road to the Tollway. Stay on the Dallas North Tollway until you come to the Keller Springs exit. Take the Keller Spring exit. Stay on the service road on the southbound side and go just past Keller Springs. Our office is the 2nd building south of Keller Springs, located on the service road to the North Dallas Tollway in the Madison Business Center on the 6th floor.

By Doug Goyen, douggoyen@goyenlaw.com

Call For A Free Case Review (972) 599 4100

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★★★★★

You want a great lawyer who keeps you informed on whats going on speaks with you personally and gets the job done call Doug Goyen. He is excellent & very professional you wont go wrong choosing him!! Thanks again for all your help Mr. Goyen! Socorro V.

Very efficient staff. I am VERY pleased with this firm. Gina W.

Very professional job handling my accident claim. I had some ER bills, and some visits to my ortho after (and various other bills that kept coming in). I was afraid I was going to get stuck owing money, but Doug Goyen took care of the case and had everything paid, including compensating me for the injury. Great lawyer IMO. I felt like my case was taken care of very well. Thx!! Bernard M.

Doug is a great attorney. He took care of my auto accident claim promptly, and answered any questions I had. I also had one of my hospital bills go into collections for non-payment. I was able to contact Doug a year after the accident, and received a copy of the check the hospital claimed they didn’t receive. I highly recommend this guy. David J.

The Law Office of Doug Goyen helped me recovery every bit I was owed on my claim. Very happy I used them. They knew what they were doing, and kept me informed. I felt taken care of the whole way. You wont go wrong using them. Arthur H.

Mr. Goyen helped me take on my own insurance company, the great and mighty Allstate. My prior firm basically dumped me, with a permanent injury because the case didn’t meet their financial guidelines for a settlement. I was a bicycle rider hit by a car driver at an intersection, and Allstate was the company on BOTH SIDES OF THE CLAIM. My own insurance company tried to throw me under the bus to limit their payout! Without Mr. Goyen’s help, I would have been left with NOTHING! I had thousands of dollars in unpaid medical bills, unable to receive treatment to correct the issue. He was unafraid and helped me get the best settlement I could … I am tremendously thankful! Pamala M.

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