Houston Car Accident Lawyer

What to do after a car accident in Houston

1. Get checked by a doctor. Adrenaline masks injuries. Neck, back, and head injuries often surface days later — and a gap in treatment is the first thing an insurer uses to discount your claim.
2. Call the police and get the report number. The Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report is central evidence: it records the scene, the vehicles, citations, and the officer's view of contributing factors.
3. Photograph everything. Both vehicles, positions, skid marks, the intersection, traffic controls, and your injuries.
4. Get names. The other driver's insurance information, plus any witnesses — they become impossible to find later.
5. Don't accept a quick settlement. Early offers usually arrive before anyone knows the full extent of your injuries. Once you sign, the claim is closed for good.

How fault works in Texas

Texas uses proportionate responsibility, sometimes called modified comparative fault. Each party is assigned a percentage of blame, and your recovery is reduced by your share. The critical threshold: if you are found more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing.

This is exactly why insurers work so hard to pin part of the blame on you — every percentage point they shift reduces what they pay. It is also why the evidence gathered in the first days matters so much.

What a claim can include

• Medical bills — past and future treatment
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity
• Physical pain and mental anguish
• Physical impairment and disfigurement
• Property damage and diminished value of your vehicle

If the other driver has no insurance

Texas requires liability coverage, but a significant share of drivers on Houston roads carry none. If you were hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver, your own UM/UIM coverage may cover your injuries — many people carry it without realizing it. We review your policy as part of any case.

The deadline

Most Texas injury claims must be filed within two years of the crash. Claims against a city, county, or other governmental entity can require formal written notice in as little as six months — sometimes far sooner under a city charter. If a government vehicle was involved, time is not on your side.

Working with our firm

You deal with one attorney, not a case-file number. We explain each step before it happens, in English, Arabic, or Spanish — and you pay no attorney's fee unless we recover for you. See our full personal-injury overview or read common questions.