North Mississippi Car Accident Attorneys

Oxford Car Accident Lawyers Serving Clients Throughout Mississippi

The Mississippi car accident lawyers at Roberts Wilson, P.A. have earned a reputation for helping injured Mississippians recover the full and fair compensation they deserve after a serious wreck. Our attorneys represent injured Mississippians in claims involving negligent drivers, insurance companies, and serious injuries caused by car accidents throughout North Mississippi and across the state.

Our attorneys represent injured people in Oxford, Holly Springs, Batesville, Pontotoc and communities throughout North Mississippi and across the state. We work diligently to hold negligent drivers and insurance companies accountable and to pursue the full compensation our clients deserve.

No recovery, no attorney’s fee. We handle car accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, which means you do not pay us an attorney’s fee or owe expenses unless we recover compensation for you. When you contact Roberts Wilson, P.A. for a free case review, we will listen to your story, evaluate your claim, and explain your legal rights and options.

There is no obligation to hire our firm after speaking with us. You risk nothing by contacting our office today.

Do I Need a Car Accident Lawyer?

It is usually in your best interest to contact an attorney after any wreck in which you suffer injuries. While some collisions are simply inconvenient fender benders, other car wrecks can change peoples’ lives forever, causing catastrophic injuries and financial hardships.

After a serious crash, a life can be turned upside down. A car accident lawyer will protect your rights and fight for the full value of your losses so you can focus on healing.

An attorney is an invaluable resource for you when seeking justice after an accident. Your lawyer can assist with a variety of issues that you may be unable or unprepared to handle, such as:

• Serious injury cases: The more serious your injuries are, the more important it is to seek experienced legal counsel. A serious injury can cause significant physical pain and emotional distress, while rehabilitation, future medical treatment, and long-term care can place your financial well-being at risk. An experienced personal injury attorney can evaluate how the injury has affected your life, identify your future needs and losses, and pursue the full value of your claim.
• Complex fault & liability cases: Although fault may be relatively straightforward in some car accident cases, determining liability can be much more complicated in others. Depending on the circumstances of the crash, multiple parties may share responsibility for your injuries. These could include a bar or restaurant that served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated driver, a manufacturer that produced a defective vehicle or auto part, a government entity responsible for unsafe road conditions or missing signs, or an employer whose employee caused a wreck while acting within the course and scope of employment.
• Cases involving extensive damages: After a serious car accident, medical bills, lost income, future treatment costs, and other losses can quickly reach hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of dollars. When the financial stakes are high, it is especially important to understand the full value of your claim before accepting an insurance settlement. Insurance companies may dispute liability, challenge the extent of your injuries, or attempt to minimize the amount they pay. An experienced car accident attorney can evaluate the full scope of your damages, negotiate with the insurance company, and, when necessary, pursue the compensation you deserve in court.

Mississippi car accident lawyer Roberts Wilson will guide you through every step of the legal process and work to protect your rights along the way. Our attorneys are prepared to stand up to insurance companies and their legal teams, and we do not back down when a case requires a fight.

Why Do I Need an Attorney After a Car Accident?

No one expects to be seriously injured in a car accident. In an instant, you may be dealing with physical pain, disability, mounting medical bills, emotional distress, and time away from work that you and your family cannot afford. Most car accident victims have little experience dealing with insurance companies or navigating the legal process after a wreck. Understandably, many are uncertain about what to do next and concerned about their physical and financial future.

Insurance adjusters, on the other hand, handle claims every day. They understand the claims process, know how to evaluate cases, and often look for ways to limit what the insurance company must pay, or ways to not pay at all! That can create a significant imbalance because the injured person is often the least experienced participant in the process while having the most at stake.

If you were injured in a car accident in Mississippi, obtaining fair compensation may be an important part of rebuilding your life. A settlement should account for more than your immediate medical bills. Depending on the circumstances, your claim may also include lost wages, future medical expenses, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, permanent impairment, and other losses caused by the wreck.

Although no attorney can guarantee the outcome of a car accident claim, having an experienced lawyer on your side can help ensure that your claim is properly investigated, documented, valued, and presented to the insurance company. An attorney can:

• Investigate how the accident happened
• Gather and preserve evidence supporting your claim
• Identify all potentially responsible parties and available insurance coverage
• Determine the full value of your economic and non-economic damages
• Negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf
• File a lawsuit and take your case to court when a fair settlement cannot be reached

It is important not to settle a serious car accident claim before you understand the full extent of your injuries and losses. Once you accept a settlement and release your claim, you generally cannot go back and ask for additional compensation if your condition worsens or your expenses are greater than expected.

Mississippi car accident lawyer Roberts Wilson and the attorneys at Roberts Wilson, P.A. will work to protect your rights and pursue the full and fair compensation available under the law.

---

Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer After a Car Accident?

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim After an Accident in Mississippi?

Mississippi law gives you a maximum of 3 years to make a personal injury claim after a car accident. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations. The Mississippi Code section 15-1-49 states that:

All actions for which no other period of limitation is prescribed shall be commenced within three (3) years next after the cause of such action accrued, and not after.

Effectively, this is a “catch-all” three-year statute of limitations that applies to virtually all lawsuits arising from an accident or other incident where one person’s carelessness caused another person’s injuries or other losses. But this catch-all does not apply to every situation.

Every case must be carefully analyzed to determine its statute of limitations. Mississippi has three different statutes of limitations:

• One (1) year for state and municipal governmental entities
• Two (2) years for cases against the United States of America (like postal carriers)
• Three (3) years for private vs. private person or entity.

If you miss the window to file a claim for your injuries, you will likely also miss your chance to recover damages for your losses. Because of this, you should not wait to speak to a car accident attorney. Evidence must be gathered and legal steps must be taken promptly to ensure that you exercise your rights before the statute of limitations expires.

Additionally, it takes time to negotiate a car accident settlement. If you prolong the settlement process, you may be left with not enough time to file a lawsuit.

At Roberts Wilson, P.A., our car accident attorneys have extensive knowledge of the time limits that apply to car accident claims. We will file your claim promptly, negotiate with the insurance company, and (if necessary) file a lawsuit and take your case to court.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Mississippi

Auto accidents can be caused by any number of issues. At our Mississippi auto accident practice, some of the most common causes of crashes we see are related to:

• Distracted driving: Many car wrecks are caused by driver distractions. According to the Mississippi Department of Health, three-quarters of adult drivers report that they have spoken on a mobile phone while behind the wheel and one-third admit to having read, written, or sent a text message while driving.
• Speeding: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that an average of 76 people die every year in Mississippi because of speeding.
• Impaired driving: Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs can impair a person’s vision, judgment, and reaction time. According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation, 18% of all traffic deaths in the state were linked to drunk driving in one recent year.
• Innatentiveness: Accidents often occur when someone pulls onto a road without paying attention to oncoming traffic. This is extremely dangerous and can lead to catastrophic outcomes. It’s also one of the ways in which rear-end accidents can be blamed on the driver who was rear-ended as opposed to the other way around.
• Defective vehicle parts: Faulty equipment is another cause of accidents we often see. For instance, a person’s tail lights might not be working or a tire might fail and cause the person to leave the road and hit a tree. Faulty equipment can also play a role in wrecks when it is raining. It is extremely important to make sure your tires are not “bald” when you are driving in the rain because it is far easier to hydroplane with bad tires than it is with good ones. Hydroplaning can also be avoided by simply slowing down.
• Aggressive driving: While speeding is the most common form of aggressive driving, any dangerous driving habit can constitute aggressive driving, whether due to a disregard for safety or deliberately and with ill intention. Aggressive driving can include tailgating, erratic lane changes, failing to obey traffic signals, making improper turns, and much more. In some cases, aggressive driving escalates to the point of road rage.

While there are numerous causes of car accidents in Mississippi, the end results often have one thing in common: Good people find themselves in situations they didn’t cause and don’t deserve. An Oxford car accident lawyer can help you pursue the compensation you deserve and hold those responsible for your losses accountable for their actions.

Common Injuries After a Car Accident

A car accident can have long-term, even permanent, consequences. Some of the most common injuries sustained in a Mississippi car accident include:

• Brain injuries: Traumatic brain injuries can affect a person’s ability to think and perform daily tasks. Brain injuries can cause mood and sleep disorders and result in lifelong disabilities.
• Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can result in full or partial loss of sensation, mobility, and function in multiple areas of the body. A spinal cord injury can prevent someone from earning a wage and enjoying the quality of life to which they were accustomed.
• Scarring and disfigurement: Facial injuries and scars can alter a person’s appearance. While reconstructive and plastic surgery may be able to help some car crash victims, others suffer permanent disfigurement. In addition to possibly affecting a person’s employment prospects, severe scars can cause long-term depression and anxiety. 
• Burn injuries: These types of injuries can be among the most painful and disfiguring injuries car accident victims can experience. In extreme cases, burns can penetrate underlying fat, muscle, and bone and lead to amputation or even death.

Serious injuries can occur in any vehicle collision, even low-speed crashes. At Roberts Wilson P.A., we know that every case – just like every client – is different. We thoroughly investigate the unique facts in every situation and never take a one-size-fits-all approach to client care.

Mississippi Car Accident Law

Like all states, Mississippi has its own set of rules and regulations regarding auto accidents and how they are handled before and after they go to court. At our office, we generally always give the insurance company an opportunity to settle a claim before filing a lawsuit. However, knowing the law and how it pertains to your case is of utmost importance. Many insurance adjusters do their best to pay accident victims as little as possible, prioritizing their bottom line over your best interests.

Mississippi car accident law involves a number of important considerations, such as: 

Insurance requirements

There are two important insurance rules that can have a considerable impact on your financial recovery after a car accident:

• Individuals must carry at least $25,000 in liability coverage.
• In Mississippi, a person can “stack” their applicable uninsured motorist coverage. This means that you may have more uninsured motorist coverage than you or the adjuster thinks you have. This determination requires careful analysis of your damages and your insurance policies by an attorney.
• Failure to comply with uninsured motorist coverage policy requirements can cause you to be denied. Careful analysis by an attorney can help you avoid this mistake.

Mississippi is a Comparative-fault state

Under Miss. Code § 11-7-15, the amount of compensation you can recover after an accident is related to your percentage of fault in the wreck. For example, if your damages are $100,000 and you were found to be 20% responsible for the collision, you would be entitled to recover $80,000 is damages.

Unlike other states, in Mississippi, you can still recover damages even if you were 99 percent responsible for the crash and the other driver is one percent liable.

How Long Does a Car Accident Claim Take?

Every car accident case is different, so there is no reliable way to predict exactly how long a particular claim will take to resolve. At Roberts Wilson, P.A., we work to resolve most Mississippi car crash claims within 12 months of being hired, although some cases settle much sooner and others may take longer depending on the facts, the severity of the injuries, the available insurance coverage, and whether a lawsuit is necessary.

While resolving a car wreck claim quickly can have advantages, settling too soon can be a costly mistake. Before accepting a settlement, it is important to understand how the crash happened, identify all available insurance coverage, and determine the full extent of your injuries, medical expenses, lost income, future treatment needs, and other damages. Once a car accident claim is settled, you generally cannot go back and ask for additional compensation if your injuries turn out to be more serious than expected.

How Much Compensation Can I get After a Car Accident Claim?

The amount of compensation available after a car accident in or around Oxford, Mississippi depends on the specific facts of the case. The value of a Mississippi car accident claim may be affected by factors such as whether the at-fault driver was speeding, driving under the influence, distracted, or otherwise driving recklessly. The nature and severity of the victim’s injuries are also important considerations when determining the value of a personal injury claim. Compensation may include medical expenses, lost wages, future medical care, pain and suffering, and other losses caused by the wreck. An experienced Mississippi car accident lawyer can evaluate the circumstances of the crash, the available insurance coverage, and the full extent of the injured person’s damages.

Depending on the facts of the case, compensation after a Mississippi car accident may include::

• Hospital bills and other medical expenses
• Future medical treatment and rehabilitation costsLost wages and income
• Loss of future earning capacity
• Time missed from work
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment and quality of life
• Permanent injury, impairment, or disability
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of consortium
• Wrongful death damages
• Punitive damages, when permitted by Mississippi law
• Other harms, losses, and damages caused by the wreck

Can I Still be Compensated if I was Partially at Fault?

Yes, you can! As discussed above, Mississippi is a “comparative fault” state which means that a victim can still recover from the other party if they are partially at fault.

Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s Offer after a Car Accident?

At our office, we advise clients and potential clients to make NO decisions and provide NO statements to an insurance company until consulting an attorney.

Please keep in mind that there are many instances where an accident victim will have a “duty to cooperate” with an insurance company. Because of this, it is crucial that you seek advice very quickly after a car wreck. Your case may depend on obtaining proper guidance from an experienced car wreck attorney.

Generally speaking, insurance companies are in the business of making money and want to pay as little as possible on personal injury claims. On the other hand, a car accident lawyer is committed to protecting the rights and best interests of his or her client. At Roberts Wilson, P.A., we place your recovery and well-being over everything. That’s why we offer free initial consultations and handle car wreck cases on a contingency basis, meaning we don’t get paid unless we achieve a successful outcome in your case. 

A Mississippi car accident lawyer can help to prepare your statement and choose your words to convey the real facts in your case. Accident victims are regular people who often speak informally and may use terms they do not fully understand. These honest mistakes can harm your case and put your recovery and future in jeopardy. Under no circumstances should you tell a lie after a wreck. Your best option is to speak with a Mississippi auto accident attorney as soon as possible.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

We know how intimidating the legal process can be, and many victims avoid talking to an attorney because they are afraid it will be too expensive and result in obtaining less compensation for their losses. This is not true.

Not only do the vast majority of car accident victims obtain higher settlements and verdicts with an attorney, but you risk nothing by discussing your case with a lawyer. At Roberts Wilson, P.A. we proudly offer our clients peace of mind through our:

• Contingency Fee Agreement: We do not get paid unless we are successful at settling or winning your case at the courthouse.
• No upfront costs: We advance all expenses which do not have to be paid back unless there is a recovery. Some examples of the expenses we advance are below.
  • Medical record costs
  • Fees for crash report
  • Filing Fees
  • Deposition costs
  • Accident Reconstruction costs
  • Expert witness fees

Benefits of Hiring Roberts Wilson to Handle Your Car Accident Claim

At Roberts Wilson, P.A., handling accident and injury claims is almost all we do. All day, every day, our attorneys and staff help accident victims pursue justice against careless drivers and their insurance companies. Because this is all we do, we have extensive experience in these matters and we are good at what we do.

Another important factor about our practice is that we are local. With all the attorney advertising on television and other platforms, it can be hard to tell whether or not a lawyer is from your community or from out of state. Our attorneys are licensed in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. However, our primary geographical area of practice is right here in North Mississippi. Based in Oxford, we are centrally located to serve our North Mississippi community. Our primary service area includes but is not limited to the following areas:

• Oxford
• Holly Springs
• Water Valley
• Batesville
• Pontotoc
• Sardis
• Senatobia
• Ripley
• Byhalia

Benefits of Hiring a Local Attorney

Here are just some of the benefits of hiring a local attorney at Robert Wilson, P.A.:

• A local attorney will be more accessible
• You can ask your friends about us
• We know the value of your case in your community
• We have a working relationship with local claims adjusters
• We can more easily investigate local accidents because we are here
• We can more easily file a lawsuit when it is necessary

Talk to a Mississippi Car Accident Lawyer for FREE

If you were hurt in a car accident, you may be facing high medical bills, disability, and time away from work that you and your family cannot afford. It is important to talk to a Mississippi car accident lawyer at Roberts Wilson, P.A. as soon as possible. Your future could depend on it.

Our results speak for themselves.

Don’t face your injuries alone. Contact Roberts Wilson, P.A. today online or at (662) 533-9111 for a FREE case evaluation. Our firm serves clients in Oxford, Holly Springs, Batesville, Pontotoc, Desoto & Tate counties, and other areas throughout Mississippi and beyond.