Plano Car Accident Lawyer: Your Complete Guide to Protecting Your Rights After a Crash
Description
Injured in a car accident in Plano, TX? Learn your legal rights, what steps to take, how Texas law protects you, and why hiring a Plano car accident lawyer matters. Free consultation available.
Plano Car Accident Lawyer: Your Complete Guide to Protecting Your Rights After a Crash
A car accident in Plano can change your life in an instant. Whether it happened on the Dallas North Tollway during rush hour, at a Legacy Drive intersection, or along US-75 northbound, the minutes, days, and weeks after a crash are critical. The decisions you make early on directly affect the compensation you can recover.
At Feizy Law Office, we have represented accident victims across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro since 2000. Attorney Nick Feizy and our team know how to build strong cases, deal with aggressive insurance adjusters, and fight for every dollar you deserve. If you were hurt in a Plano car accident, call us today at (214) 651-8686.
This guide answers the most common questions we hear from Plano accident victims — including what to do at the scene, how Texas law works, and what your claim may be worth.
Table of Contents
- What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Plano?
- Where Do Most Car Accidents Happen in Plano?
- What Compensation Can I Recover After a Plano Crash?
- Can I Still Recover Damages If I Was Partially at Fault?
- How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Texas?
- How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take in Texas?
- How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost in Texas?
- Why Choose Feizy Law Office for Your Plano Car Accident Case?
What Should I Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Plano? {#what-to-do}
Your actions at the scene establish the foundation of your legal claim. Follow these steps as closely as possible.
1. Check for Injuries and Call 911
Your first priority is safety. Check yourself and all passengers for injuries. Call 911 immediately — even if the crash seems minor. A police report is a vital document for any insurance claim or lawsuit.
2. Move to Safety If Possible
If your vehicle is operable and no one is seriously hurt, move it to the shoulder or a nearby parking area to prevent secondary collisions. Turn on your hazard lights.
3. Document Everything at the Scene
Use your phone to photograph:
- All vehicle damage from multiple angles
- The intersection or road conditions
- Any visible injuries
- Skid marks, debris, or road hazards
- The other driver's license plate, insurance card, and driver's license
4. Collect Witness Information
Get names and phone numbers from any bystanders who saw the crash. Independent eyewitness testimony often proves decisive when fault is disputed.
5. Do Not Admit Fault
Even a simple "I'm sorry" can be used against you later. Do not discuss fault, the details of what happened, or the severity of your injuries with the other driver or their insurance company at the scene.
6. Seek Medical Attention Right Away
Even if you feel fine, see a doctor within 24 hours. Injuries like whiplash, concussions, and internal bleeding often have delayed symptoms. A gap in medical treatment gives insurers ammunition to minimize your claim.
7. Contact a Plano Car Accident Lawyer
Before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company, speak with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to use your own words to reduce your payout. A lawyer protects you from that tactic from day one.
Where Do Most Car Accidents Happen in Plano? {#dangerous-roads}
Plano's rapid growth has strained its road network. Several corridors see disproportionately high crash rates, and knowing them can help you understand your case context.
High-crash corridors in Plano:
- Legacy Drive at the Dallas North Tollway service road — tied for the most dangerous intersection in Plano based on multi-year crash data compiled by the Plano Police Department, with 47 crashes recorded in one three-year period alone.
- Coit Road at the President George Bush Turnpike service road — tied with Legacy Drive in Plano PD crash reports as the city's top collision hotspot.
- US-75 (Central Expressway) — one of the busiest corridors in North Texas, where rear-end crashes and lane-change collisions are common, especially during morning and evening commutes.
- Preston Road — heavy retail traffic, frequent left-turn conflicts, and congestion make this road consistently dangerous, particularly between Spring Creek Parkway and Park Boulevard.
- Spring Creek Parkway — high-speed cross traffic and limited sight lines contribute to T-bone accidents at several intersections.
If you were hurt at one of these locations, your attorney can subpoena crash records, TxDOT data, and city engineering reports that may establish a pattern — useful evidence in a negligence claim.
What Compensation Can I Recover After a Plano Car Accident? {#compensation}
Texas law allows injury victims to pursue two broad categories of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
These are calculable financial losses with documentary support:
- Medical expenses — emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, prescription medications, and future medical treatment related to your injuries
- Lost wages — income you could not earn while you recovered
- Reduced earning capacity — if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous job or working at the same level
- Property damage — repair or replacement value of your vehicle
- Out-of-pocket costs — transportation to appointments, assistive equipment, home care
Non-Economic Damages
These are harder to quantify but real:
- Pain and suffering — the physical discomfort and chronic pain resulting from your injuries
- Mental anguish — anxiety, depression, PTSD, and emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life — inability to participate in hobbies, activities, or family events
- Disfigurement — scarring or permanent physical changes
- Loss of consortium — impact on relationships with your spouse or family
Punitive Damages
In cases involving gross negligence — such as a drunk driver or a commercial carrier with a documented safety record of violations — Texas courts may award exemplary (punitive) damages on top of compensatory ones.
The actual value of your claim depends on the severity of your injuries, how liability is allocated, and the limits of the at-fault driver's insurance policy. An attorney can give you a realistic range after reviewing your medical records and the facts of your accident.
Can I Still Recover Damages If I Was Partially at Fault? {#partial-fault}
Yes, in most cases. Texas follows modified comparative negligence, sometimes called the 51% Bar Rule.
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, you can still recover compensation even if you share some blame for the accident — as long as your percentage of fault is 50% or less. Your damages are simply reduced by your share of responsibility.
Example: If a jury finds you were 25% at fault and awards $100,000 in damages, you receive $75,000. If you were 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing.
Insurance adjusters use this rule strategically. They routinely try to assign more fault to the injured party to reduce or eliminate their payout. An experienced car accident lawyer investigates the crash independently, preserves evidence, and pushes back against inflated fault percentages before they cost you money.
Do not accept a fault assignment from an insurance company without legal review. Call Feizy Law Office at (214) 651-8686 for a free consultation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Texas? {#statute-of-limitations}
Texas law gives most car accident victims two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003.
Miss that deadline, and the court will almost certainly dismiss your case — regardless of how strong the evidence is.
Exceptions That Can Extend the Deadline
- Minor victims — the two-year clock does not start until the victim turns 18
- Mental incapacity — the period may be tolled while a victim is legally incapacitated
- Government vehicle accidents — claims against a Texas municipality or state agency require a formal notice of claim within six months under the Texas Tort Claims Act, making early legal action critical
Why You Should Act Well Before the Deadline
Two years sounds like plenty of time. It rarely is. Evidence disappears quickly: surveillance footage gets overwritten, vehicles get repaired, witnesses move away, and memories fade. Medical records and accident reconstruction take time to compile.
Starting your claim early puts your lawyer in a stronger position to negotiate and, if necessary, litigate. The sooner you call, the better.
How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take in Texas? {#settlement-timeline}
There is no universal answer, but here is a practical framework based on case type:
| Case Type | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|
| Minor injuries, clear liability | 3 to 6 months |
| Moderate injuries, some dispute | 6 to 12 months |
| Serious injuries, contested liability | 12 to 24 months |
| Cases going to trial | 2 to 3+ years |
The factors that most affect your timeline:
- Severity of injuries — you generally should not settle until you have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), meaning your doctors can project your total future medical costs. Settling too early often leaves money on the table.
- Liability disputes — when the other driver or their insurer contests fault, additional investigation and negotiation are required.
- Multiple parties — commercial truck accidents, rideshare accidents, or multi-vehicle crashes involve multiple insurers and more complex negotiations.
- Insurance company tactics — insurers routinely delay, underpay, or deny valid claims to protect their bottom line. An attorney who litigates cases (not just settles them) often secures faster and larger payouts because insurers know they cannot stall indefinitely.
At Feizy Law Office, we keep clients informed throughout the process and never pressure a quick settlement that undervalues your claim.
How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost in Texas? {#lawyer-cost}
At Feizy Law Office, we work on a contingency fee basis — meaning you pay nothing upfront and nothing unless we win.
Most Texas personal injury attorneys charge a contingency fee of 33% to 40% of the final settlement or verdict, with the higher end applying if the case goes to full litigation. Under this arrangement:
- No upfront retainer required
- No hourly fees
- No payment of any kind unless you recover money
This model exists precisely so that accident victims can access high-quality legal representation regardless of their financial situation. Insurance companies have entire legal departments working to minimize your claim. You deserve equivalent firepower.
All case expenses — including filing fees, expert witness fees, and investigation costs — are advanced by the firm and recovered from the settlement, not billed to you while your case is ongoing.
Why Choose Feizy Law Office for Your Plano Car Accident Case? {#why-feizy}
Attorney Nick Feizy has practiced personal injury law in North Texas since 2000. Feizy Law Office is based in Frisco, just minutes from Plano, and represents clients across the entire DFW metro.
What sets us apart:
- Over 25 years of personal injury experience — we have handled thousands of car accident, truck accident, motorcycle, and pedestrian injury cases in Collin County and Dallas County courts
- Local knowledge — we know Plano's roads, the local judiciary, and how DFW-area insurers operate
- Direct attorney involvement — Nick Feizy is personally involved in your case from intake to resolution. You do not get handed off to a paralegal
- No win, no fee — your financial recovery is our only compensation
- Bilingual service — we serve Spanish-speaking clients across the DFW area
Ready to Talk? Call Feizy Law Office Today
If you or someone you love was hurt in a car accident in Plano or anywhere in the DFW area, do not wait to get legal help. Insurance companies start building their defense immediately. You need an experienced advocate in your corner just as fast.
Call (214) 651-8686 for a free, no-obligation consultation with Attorney Nick Feizy. We are available by phone, online, or in person at our Frisco office. There is no cost to speak with us, and you pay nothing unless we win your case.
Feizy Law Office — Frisco/Dallas, TX | feizylaw.com | (214) 651-8686
This article is for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Contact a licensed Texas personal injury attorney for advice specific to your situation.
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