With the national spread of COVID-19 still on the rise, chances are that protective government measures have significantly impacted your personal life—including your ability to resolve your personal injury claim.

On Tuesday, March 27th, a stay at home order was issued for the Golden Triangle. This measure among, other things, restricted access to the Courthouse, and postponed jury trials for the upcoming months. Courts, however are still conducting hearings and mediations are still going forward using technology such as Zoom, Skype and the telephone. If you were recently a victim of a personal injury, we know that you need the compensation from your claim more than ever, given this time of so much uncertainty. And it’s also crucial that your legal team works quickly to gather evidence, while it’s still available, to prove your case. You need a legal team that is equipped to continue thriving during this unprecedented crisis.

Portner Bond, PLLC is more than ready to continue handling existing and new personal injury claims at this time. If you or your loved one need to file a claim, the time to take action is now. At Portner Bond, PLLC, our doors remain open.

Why Is Portner Bond, PLLC More Prepared Than Other Firms to Handle My Case During the COVID-19 Outbreak?

Portner Bond, PLLC is ahead of the curve in several ways:

• Paperless Collection, Storage, and Submission of Documents. Before the outbreak even started, Portner Bond, PLLC made the progressive decision to transfer all of our paperwork to a digital format. This forward-thinking decision allows us to continue to take on cases, collaborate, collect evidence, and even file claims during this time of shutdown—all remotely. Although many things have changed since the shelter-in-place order, our hardworking team didn’t skip a beat. We continue business as usual.
• Eight Collective Decades of Experience. With 80+ years and thousands of successful cases behind us, our team at Portner Bond, PLLC has proven ourselves competent defenders of the citizens of Beaumont. Chris Portner and Trent Bond are both members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and the Multi-Million Advocates Forum, which are some of the most highly respected attorney forums in the nation. Tom Kiehnhoff and Trent Bond were rated as a Martindale-Hubbard AV Preeminent Attorney, the highest peer-rated standard awarded. Trent Bond has also been recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Super Lawyers magazine on numerous occasions.
• Aggressive Representation. Social distancing measures won’t keep us from persistently pursuing a settlement. Through remote procedures, we will continue putting pressure on defendants to settle your case before making the decision to take your case to trial.

How Could the COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Order Affect My Personal Injury Claim in Beaumont?

The longer you wait to file your personal injury claim, the harder it can be to prove your case and receive the settlement you deserve. Some evidence will be harder to recover with time, and testimonies from eyewitnesses become less clear with time, as well.

In addition, receiving prompt medical attention will be more difficult in the coming months, and your case might lose value if you can’t get official documentation of your injuries. Medical records are one of the most important pieces of evidence your attorneys use when backing up your claim of injury. If you wait to get treated by a medical professional, it sends a message to the defendants and to the jury that your injuries weren’t severe. Some manifestations of injuries might change over time, as well.

Furthermore, unemployment rates are skyrocketing, which means some people will stop paying their insurance premiums. This means that if you are injured by an uninsured person, it is less likely that they will be able to repay your damages. In turn, since fewer people are paying premiums, and more people are filing insurance claims at this time, insurance companies are going to be fighting harder than ever to pay you fewer damages.

Don’t let these facts dissuade you from taking legal action, though—there is still much within your control that you can do to increase the compensation for your case!

What Should I Do to Move My Case Forward During the COVID-19 Outbreak?

Don’t wait to file your personal injury claim with a competent team of lawyers. The longer you wait, the less likely your lawyer can secure valuable evidence needed to settle your claim for the amount you deserve. And don’t hand your case over to just anyone. No one will defend you like Portner Bond, PLLC can, and few other firms are prepared to act swiftly during this time of crisis. Call us at (409) 838-4444 to set up a risk-free consultation today. Remember, if you don’t win your case, we don’t get paid.

Do not talk to an insurance representative until after you meet with an attorney. You might say something that could compromise the worth of your claim. An attorney will advise you on this interaction or handle the communication for you.

Don’t wait to get medical attention after the incident. Due to a high volume of incoming patients into hospitals and a strain on the healthcare system, it might take you longer than normal to get medical care, but be persistent. You might lose a precious opportunity to collect critical evidence for your case if you neglect to get medical documentation of your injuries.

Collect as much evidence as you can.

• Take photos to document people, injuries, the weather, the scene, and any other important aspects of the incident.
• Write down names, phone numbers, and insurance information of all the individuals involved.
• Request and obtain a copy of the police report.

Our attorneys won’t hesitate to thoroughly investigate your claim, hiring accident reconstruction experts and professional medical experts to develop a strong case, and negotiating firmly on your behalf for the settlement you deserve.

Contact a Personal Injury Attorney in Beaumont

During this time of uncertainty, you need help from people you can trust. At Portner Bond, PLLC, we’re prepared to offer you the help you need. While we’re all trying to figure out how to move forward in new situations, you can trust that we will give you the best legal assistance available. Your financial and emotional well-being are on the line, and we are determined to do all we can to help your life return to normal.

Discover why we are rated one of the best firms in Beaumont—set up your risk-free (remote) appointment with us today at (409) 838-4444 and start your path to recovery.

(Port Neches, TX) – An explosion at 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning at a TPC plant in Port Neches sent two employees and one contractor to the hospital with injuries. According to the Nederland Fire Department, the cause of the explosion is still unknown and the extent of the damage still needs to be assessed. Those living ten miles away from the plant reported that windows were blown out from the explosion.

The accident occurred at the plant, located at 2102 TX-136 Spur (off Highway 366 near Merriman). The injured workers were transported to the Medical Center and Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston for treatment.

ABC13 and the refinery accident lawyers of Portner Bond, PLLC are closely watching this story and will report any additional developments on this blog. Our thoughts are with the workers who were hurt and their families. We wish them a speedy recovery. Our team will continue to watch this developing story and will update when details are available.