Description

A Plano car accident lawyer can protect your rights after a crash in Collin County. This guide covers Texas filing deadlines, fault rules, insurance coverage, crash reports, and what to do before you speak with an insurer.

Plano Car Accident Lawyer: What Injured Drivers Should Know

A crash on the Dallas North Tollway, US 75, or a neighborhood street in Plano can leave you with pain, a damaged car, and a stack of insurance calls. A Plano car accident lawyer steps in so you can focus on treatment while someone else handles the evidence, the insurers, and the deadlines.

This article answers the questions people ask after a Plano wreck. It is legal information, not legal advice for your specific facts.

TLDR

• Texas generally gives you two years from the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. See Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003.
• If you are found more than 50 percent at fault, Texas law bars recovery. See § 33.001.
• Plano crash reports are available through the City of Plano and policereports.plano.gov.
• Texas minimum auto liability is 30/60/25. PIP and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage are offered on Texas policies. See the Texas Department of Insurance auto guide.
• Get medical care first, document the scene, and avoid a recorded statement until you understand your rights.
• Feizy Law Office represents injured people across DFW. Call (214) 651-8686 for a free consultation.

Questions This Guide Answers

• Do I need a Plano car accident lawyer after a wreck?
• How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Texas?
• What if the other driver says I caused the crash?
• How do I get a Plano crash report?
• What insurance covers a Plano car accident?
• What compensation can I pursue after a crash?
• What should I do in the first 48 hours?

Do I Need a Plano Car Accident Lawyer After a Wreck?

Not every fender-bender needs a lawsuit. You should speak with a Plano car accident lawyer when injuries need medical care, fault is disputed, a commercial vehicle is involved, or an insurer pushes a quick release.

Insurers work for the company that pays them. Their first job is to close the file at the lowest cost they can defend. A lawyer’s job is to gather proof, value the full loss, and refuse a settlement that ignores future care or time away from work.

Feizy Law Office has represented injured Texans since 2000. If you were hurt in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, or elsewhere in DFW, call (214) 651-8686.

Related reading: understanding comparative fault in Texas car accidents.

How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Texas?

Texas sets a two-year limitations period for most personal injury suits. Section 16.003 states that a person must bring suit for personal injury “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues.” For a typical car crash, that clock usually starts on the date of the collision.

A claim for injury resulting in death also has a two-year period. Under the same statute, that cause of action accrues on the death of the injured person.

Deadlines can change if a claimant is under 18 or of unsound mind when the claim arises. Section 16.001 explains those disability rules. Do not assume extra time applies to your case without a lawyer reviewing the facts.

Insurance claim deadlines inside a policy can be shorter than the lawsuit deadline. Notice requirements and proof-of-loss forms still matter even when two years remain on the statute.

Waiting also costs evidence. Video from nearby businesses and traffic cameras can be overwritten. Witnesses move. Vehicles get repaired. Filing later can still be legally possible and practically much harder.

More on timing: car accident injury claim time limit in Texas.

What If the Other Driver Says I Caused the Crash?

Texas uses proportionate responsibility. Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001 says a claimant may not recover damages if that person’s percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.

If you are 50 percent or less at fault, you may still recover, but the award can be reduced by your share of fault. Insurers know this rule. They often argue you were speeding, changing lanes unsafely, or using a phone, because even a small shift in percentage can cut what they pay, and a finding over 50 percent can wipe out the claim.

A police report is useful. It is not the last word. Officers write what they see and hear at the scene. Later video, vehicle data, and witness accounts can change the picture.

A Plano car accident lawyer tests those blame arguments with photos, scene measurements, phone records when available, and statements that hold up. Do not accept an adjuster’s percentage as a legal conclusion.

How Do I Get a Plano Crash Report?

If Plano Police investigated the collision, you can request the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report through the city. The City of Plano crash reports page explains that officers complete a report when apparent damage is $1,000 or more, or when someone is injured. The city also states that online or in-person copies from Plano Police have a $6 fee, and you typically need a report number or the last name of at least one driver.

Reports are also available at policereports.plano.gov.

If you disagree with how the officer described the crash, the city’s police FAQs address how to provide your side. A statement you file later should be accurate and limited to facts you know. Guessing about speed or distance can hurt you later.

Keep the report number, officer name, and any citation numbers with your medical records and photos.

What Insurance Covers a Plano Car Accident?

Texas requires drivers to show they can pay for crashes they cause. Most people do that with liability insurance. The Texas Department of Insurance states that Texas law requires at least $30,000 for injuries per person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage (30/60/25). Those minimums often fall short in a multi-car wreck or a serious injury.

Other coverages that come up after a Plano crash:

• Personal injury protection (PIP). TDI explains that Texas auto policies include PIP unless you reject it in writing. PIP can pay medical bills and some lost wages for you and your passengers, regardless of fault.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM). Companies must offer this coverage. You must reject it in writing if you do not want it. It can apply when the at-fault driver has no insurance, too little insurance, or in a hit-and-run.
• Medical payments. Pays medical bills for you and passengers, with limits set by the policy.
• Collision. Pays to repair or replace your vehicle, subject to your deductible.

TDI also notes that you do not pay a deductible when you make a claim against another driver’s insurance. You do pay a deductible on your own collision or UM property-damage claim in many policies.

If the at-fault driver only carries 30/60/25 and your medical bills exceed those limits, your UIM coverage may become the next source of recovery. A lawyer reviews every policy that might apply: yours, the other driver’s, and any employer or rideshare policy if a commercial vehicle was involved.

What Compensation Can I Pursue After a Crash?

Texas personal injury damages can include medical expenses, future care, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, property damage, physical pain, and mental anguish. The mix depends on the injury, the proof, and available coverage.

There is no honest statewide “average settlement.” Two wrecks on the same Plano intersection can produce very different results because one person walks away with a sprain and another needs surgery. Early offers often cover only the bills already in hand. They rarely account for physical therapy still ahead or work you cannot yet return to.

Document every related cost: ER visits, imaging, prescriptions, mileage to appointments, time off, and out-of-pocket items. Keep copies of every letter and email from an insurer.

For a broader damages overview, see what damages you can recover after an injury.

What Should I Do in the First 48 Hours?

1. Get medical care, even if you feel “just sore.” Adrenaline hides injuries.
2. Call police when someone is hurt or damage is more than a scratch. Ask for the report number.
3. Photograph vehicles, license plates, skid marks, traffic signals, and visible injuries.
4. Collect names and numbers of witnesses.
5. Notify your insurer that a crash occurred. You can report the fact of the wreck without giving a long recorded statement about fault.
6. Do not post about the crash on social media.
7. Call a Plano car accident lawyer before you sign a release.

If you already gave a recorded statement, tell your attorney. The conversation still matters, and later medical records can correct an early “I’m fine.”

How Feizy Law Office Handles Plano Crash Claims

Nick Feizy has practiced since 2000. The firm handles car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, slip-and-fall, and insurance disputes for people in Frisco, Plano, Dallas, and the rest of DFW.

The work usually includes:

• Preserving video and vehicle evidence
• Obtaining the crash report and medical records
• Identifying every insurance policy that may apply
• Handling adjuster calls so you can focus on treatment
• Valuing future care and wage loss, not only the first hospital bill
• Filing suit when the insurer will not treat the claim fairly

You do not pay a consultation fee to find out where you stand.

Conclusion

A Plano car accident lawyer exists to keep the other side from writing the story of your crash. Texas gives you a two-year lawsuit window in most injury cases, cuts off recovery if you are more than 50 percent at fault, and expects you to prove both the wreck and the harm. Evidence fades faster than that two-year clock.

If you were hurt in a Plano or DFW collision, Feizy Law Office can review what happened and explain your options. Call (214) 651-8686. Consultations are free.