Description

Automobile accident attorneys help Texas crash victims protect evidence, deal with insurers, and pursue compensation before the two-year filing deadline. This guide explains what they do, when to call, and how Texas fault and insurance rules shape a claim.

Automobile Accident Attorneys: What Texas Victims Need to Know

#TLDR
If another driver hurt you in Texas, you generally have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Texas is a fault state, so the at-fault driver’s liability coverage is the usual source of recovery, subject to policy limits and your share of fault. Texas law also bars recovery if you are more than 50 percent responsible. Automobile accident attorneys gather evidence, handle insurer contact, and value medical bills, lost wages, and pain before you sign a release. Feizy Law Office in Frisco offers free consultations at (214) 651-8686.

• What do automobile accident attorneys actually do?
• When should you call an automobile accident attorney?
• How long do you have to file a Texas car crash claim?
• How does Texas fault law affect your recovery?
• What insurance coverage can pay after a crash?
• What evidence should you preserve right away?
• What compensation can a Texas crash claim include?

A wreck on the Dallas North Tollway or I-35 can leave you with a damaged car, medical appointments, and calls from an adjuster who wants a recorded statement. Many people search for automobile accident attorneys at that point because they need someone who can protect the claim while they focus on treatment.

Nick Feizy has represented injured people across the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since 2000. The firm handles car, truck, motorcycle, pedestrian, and other injury claims from its Frisco office.

What do automobile accident attorneys actually do?

An automobile accident attorney represents the injured person, not the insurance company. The work usually starts with the facts of the collision and the available coverage, then moves into evidence, medical documentation, and negotiation.

Typical work includes:

• Identifying every potentially responsible driver, employer, or company
• Collecting the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3) and scene proof
• Coordinating medical records so the claim reflects the full course of care
• Handling contact with the other driver’s insurer so you are not answering questions that later get used against you
• Calculating economic losses and the human cost of the injuries
• Filing suit if the insurer will not resolve the claim on fair terms

The Texas Department of Insurance advises crash victims to be careful with the other driver’s insurer and to ask for denials in writing. See TDI’s guidance on dealing with the other driver’s insurance and what to do after a wreck.

Counsel also watches for gaps that an injured person can miss: a commercial policy on a work vehicle, uninsured motorist coverage on your own policy, or video that will be overwritten in days.

When should you call an automobile accident attorney?

Call sooner when the injuries are more than minor, fault is disputed, or an insurer is pushing for a quick statement or settlement. You do not have to wait until you finish treatment. Early contact can help preserve camera footage, witness names, and vehicle data.

Situations that often justify counsel:

• Emergency care, fractures, head injury, or ongoing pain
• A hit-and-run or an uninsured driver
• A commercial truck or company vehicle
• Multiple vehicles or conflicting stories about who caused the wreck
• Repeated calls asking you to accept a check and sign a release

You can still recover in many cases even if the other driver argues you share some blame. That is one reason an early statement can be dangerous. An offhand remark about speed, distraction, or “I’m fine” can later support a comparative-fault argument.

If you are already getting pressure from an insurer, read our guide on how to handle insurance pressure after a crash.

How long do you have to file a Texas car crash claim?

In most Texas personal injury cases, you must bring suit within two years. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 sets a two-year limitations period for injury to the person and for injury resulting in death. Texas Law Help also lists personal injury and property damage among the two-year claims.

The clock generally starts on the date of the crash. Some claims have different rules, including certain claims against government entities that require earlier notice. Do not assume you have two full years to “wait and see” if a city vehicle, a state roadway issue, or another special defendant is involved.

Insurance claims can move faster than lawsuits. An insurer may close a file or treat delay as a reason to question your injuries. Filing a claim is not the same as filing a lawsuit, and a settlement release can end your rights even if the two-year period has not run.

How does Texas fault law affect your recovery?

Texas uses proportionate responsibility. Under Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33, 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, your recovery can still be reduced by your share.

That rule is why insurers spend so much time on blame. A few percentage points can cut the value of medical bills, lost income, and pain. Photographs, independent witnesses, and video often matter more than the first version of events in a police narrative.

Texas is also a fault-based insurance state for auto crashes. The at-fault driver’s liability coverage is the usual target, not a no-fault personal injury protection system that replaces a liability claim.

What insurance coverage can pay after a crash?

The Texas Department of Insurance states that Texas law requires at least $30,000 of coverage for injuries per person, up to $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 of property damage coverage. That 30/60/25 minimum is explained in TDI’s auto insurance guide.

Minimum limits often fall short after a serious collision. Hospital care, surgery, time off work, and vehicle replacement can exceed $30,000 quickly. When they do, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, a household policy, or a commercial policy may become relevant.

Other coverage that can help with bills while the liability claim is pending:

• Health coverage (which may later seek reimbursement)
• Personal Injury Protection (PIP), unless it was declined in writing
• Medical Payments (MedPay) on some auto policies

An automobile accident attorney maps these sources so you are not left paying crash-related care out of pocket while the other insurer delays. For a closer look at bills after a wreck, see who pays crash bills after a Texas accident.

What evidence should you preserve right away?

Evidence disappears. Vehicles get repaired. Business cameras overwrite. Witnesses move.

Collect what you can at the scene if you are physically able, then follow up:

1. Photos of all vehicles, skid marks, debris, signals, and visible injuries
2. Names, numbers, and insurers for every driver
3. Witness names before they leave
4. The crash report through TxDOT’s Crash Report Online Purchase System
5. Nearby business, doorbell, or traffic video, requested in writing as soon as possible

Do not rely on the other driver’s insurer to gather proof that helps you. Their job is to resolve the claim for as little as the file will support.

What compensation can a Texas crash claim include?

A liability claim can seek more than the ER bill. Depending on the facts, damages may include:

• Past and future medical care
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Vehicle repair or total-loss value and related out-of-pocket costs
• Pain, physical impairment, and mental anguish
• In a fatal crash, losses available to eligible family members under Texas wrongful death law

The first offer often covers only part of the medical file that exists that week. It rarely accounts for injections, physical therapy, or work restrictions that appear later. Once you sign a release, you typically cannot reopen the claim because symptoms worsened.

Valuation is case-specific. Similar crashes can produce very different results based on injury, coverage, and proof of fault.

How Feizy Law Office helps North Texas crash victims

Feizy Law Office represents people hurt in automobile collisions throughout Frisco, Plano, Dallas, Irving, and the wider DFW area. The firm’s work covers car accident claims, truck wrecks, motorcycle crashes, pedestrian injuries, slip and fall cases, and wrongful death.

If you need automobile accident attorneys who will deal with the insurer while you recover, call (214) 651-8686. Consultations are free. You can also reach the office at nick@feizylaw.com or visit 8668 John Hickman Parkway, Suite 902, Frisco, TX 75034.

This article is general information about Texas injury claims. It is not legal advice for your specific crash. Deadlines and coverage depend on the facts.

Conclusion

Texas crash victims face a two-year filing deadline, a 51-percent fault bar, and insurance minimums that often cannot cover serious injuries. Automobile accident attorneys exist to preserve proof, push back on early settlement pressure, and pursue the coverage that actually applies. If you were hurt in a North Texas collision, contact Feizy Law Office at (214) 651-8686 for a free consultation before you give a recorded statement or sign a release.