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Arlington Personal Injury Lawyers

Tarrant County reported 189 fatal crashes and 201 traffic deaths in 2024, along with another 860 wrecks that left people seriously injured, according to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS). The county logged 28,074 reportable crashes overall, the third-highest county total in Texas behind only Harris and Dallas.

Arlington is the seventh-largest city in Texas with about 398,000 residents and the largest U.S. city that isn’t a county seat. It sits in Tarrant County, halfway between Dallas and Fort Worth, and has built its identity around an unusually concentrated entertainment district. AT&T Stadium hosts Dallas Cowboys home games, college football’s biggest bowl matchups, and concerts that draw tens of thousands. Across the street, Globe Life Field hosts Texas Rangers home games and hosted the entire 2020 World Series in a single venue (the first time since 1944) before the Rangers won the 2023 World Series there. Add Choctaw Stadium, College Park Center, the Esports Stadium Arlington, the Texas Live! entertainment district, the original Six Flags Over Texas (open since 1961), Hurricane Harbor, and the upcoming National Medal of Honor Museum, and Arlington draws several million visitors a year on top of its own residents.

It’s also home to the University of Texas at Arlington with more than 42,000 students, the General Motors Arlington Assembly plant (one of GM’s largest North American facilities, building full-size SUVs), the headquarters of Texas Health Resources and D.R. Horton, and the Region IV office of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That mix of pro sports, theme parks, manufacturing, university, and corporate operations produces a kind of injury caseload you don’t see anywhere else in Texas.

You shouldn’t have to take an insurance company’s first offer just because medical bills are piling up. You deserve an attorney who knows Tarrant County, knows the courts in Fort Worth where these cases get tried, and isn’t afraid to push back when an insurer won’t pay what your case is worth.

At DJC Law, our Arlington personal injury lawyers help accident victims and their families recover after serious injuries. If you were hurt in a wreck on I-30 or I-20, hit by a commercial truck on SH 360, struck on a sidewalk near AT&T Stadium or Globe Life Field, injured at work at the GM plant, or harmed in any other accident caused by someone else’s negligence, we can help.

We work on contingency. You pay nothing unless we win. Call us today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Hablamos español.

What Is Personal Injury Law?

Personal injury law lets people who’ve been hurt by someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct seek financial compensation for their losses. These are civil claims, separate from any criminal charges. They hold the responsible party accountable and help injured victims recover the money they need for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.

Most personal injury cases come down to negligence. To win a negligence claim, you have to prove four things: that the defendant owed you a duty of care, that they breached that duty, that the breach caused your injuries, and that you suffered actual damages.

That sounds simple enough on paper. In practice, insurance companies spend a lot of time and money working to deny, delay, and minimize claims. In Arlington, you may also be dealing with a national sports franchise, a major theme park operator, an automotive manufacturer, a national trucking carrier moving freight along the I-20 or I-30 corridors, a national bar or restaurant chain, or a property management firm with its own in-house legal department. Each comes with its own defense team. An experienced personal injury attorney can level the conversation and improve your chances of a fair recovery.

Why Choose DJC Law

Not every personal injury firm is the same. Here’s what sets DJC Law apart.

You Pay Nothing Unless We Win

We take personal injury cases on contingency. There are no upfront fees, and you owe us nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Our payment comes out of your settlement or verdict, so we only get paid when you do.

Personal Attention From Your Attorney

You won’t get handed off to a paralegal or left wondering what’s going on with your case. Our attorneys stay involved at every stage. We return calls. When you have a question, you’ll get an answer from the lawyer actually handling your case.

Bilingual Representation

Arlington is one of the most internationally diverse cities in Texas. About 25% of residents were born outside the United States, with significant Hispanic, Vietnamese, Indian, Nigerian, and other immigrant communities. Your attorney should never be a barrier to understanding your own case. Our team works in English and Spanish, so you can ask questions and make decisions in the language you’re most comfortable with.

Experience With Sports, Entertainment, and Event Defendants

Arlington produces a kind of case mix you don’t see in most Texas cities. A wreck near AT&T Stadium on a Cowboys game day. A pedestrian struck near Globe Life Field during a Rangers homestand. A slip and fall at Six Flags or Hurricane Harbor. A spectator injury at Choctaw Stadium or College Park Center. A bar or restaurant overserving incident in the Texas Live! district. A drunk-driver crash leaving a concert. Each of those cases comes with corporate defendants, layered insurance policies, dram shop liability questions, and experienced defense teams. We’re comfortable building cases that involve multiple potentially responsible parties (driver, employer, venue operator, concessionaire, bar, security contractor, property owner) rather than settling for the first or easiest target.

Trial-Ready Representation

Insurance companies and corporate defendants pay attention to which firms actually take cases to court. When they know we’re prepared to try a case, they’re a lot more willing to settle for a fair number. If they aren’t willing, we’re ready to put your case in front of a Tarrant County jury.

Local Knowledge, Local Commitment

We know the Tarrant County courts in Fort Worth, including the historic 1895 Tarrant County Courthouse downtown and the more modern courthouse complex where civil cases are heard. We know the federal courts in the Fort Worth Division of the Northern District of Texas at the Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse. We know the dangerous corridors. From the I-30 / SH 360 interchange to the I-20 / Matlock Road area, from the Cooper Street arterial to the Six Flags Drive entertainment corridor, we work cases here regularly.

Personal Injury in Arlington: By the Numbers

Arlington has roughly 398,000 residents and is the 7th-largest city in Texas, sitting entirely within Tarrant County. According to the Texas Department of Transportation and other public sources:

    • Tarrant County reported 189 fatal crashes and 201 traffic fatalities in 2024, along with 860 suspected serious injury crashes that left 983 people seriously hurt. The county logged 28,074 reportable crashes overall.
    • Arlington itself accounts for a major share of those numbers. The city covers about 96 square miles, has approximately 938 full-time law enforcement employees (including 736 sworn officers), and is patrolled by an Arlington Police Department that has been independently accredited since 1989.
    • About 25% of Arlington residents were born outside the United States (roughly 99,000 people), with significant Hispanic, Asian, and African immigrant communities. Hispanic residents make up a substantial share of the city’s population.
    • Arlington’s median household income is approximately $75,000, with a younger median age of about 33.7 years that reflects the city’s large university and entertainment-industry workforce.
    • Arlington is the home of the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium (a $1.3 billion venue completed in 2009 that hosted Super Bowl XLV in 2011 and the first College Football Playoff Championship in 2015), the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field (which hosted the entire 2020 World Series in a single venue, the first time since 1944, and where the Rangers won the 2023 World Series), the Dallas Wings at College Park Center, the UFL Arlington Renegades at Choctaw Stadium, and the Esports Stadium Arlington. AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field will host the first IndyCar Grand Prix of Arlington in 2026.
    • Arlington is also home to the original Six Flags Over Texas (the first Six Flags in the country, opened in 1961), Hurricane Harbor, the Texas Live! entertainment district, and the under-construction $150 million National Medal of Honor Museum.
    • The General Motors Arlington Assembly plant on East Abram Street builds GM’s full-size SUVs, including the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade. It is one of GM’s largest North American facilities and one of Arlington’s largest single private employers.
    • The University of Texas at Arlington enrolls more than 42,000 students and is one of the largest public urban research universities in the state. Texas Health Resources, D.R. Horton, and Mensa International are also headquartered in Arlington.
    • Arlington has Medical City Arlington, a 433-plus-bed acute care hospital that is the first and only Level II Trauma Center in Arlington, designated by the Texas Department of State Health Services. It is also the official hospital of the Texas Rangers. Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, a long-running community hospital opened in 1958, was designated a Level III Trauma Center by the Texas Department of State Health Services in April 2023.
    • For decades, Arlington was famous as the largest U.S. city without a traditional fixed-route public transit system. The city instead operates the Via rideshare-on-demand microtransit service across the city, supplemented by a TRE commuter rail station at CentrePort that connects Arlington to Dallas and Fort Worth.

Dangerous Roads and Locations in Arlington

If your wreck happened on one of these corridors, you’re not alone. They show up in TxDOT crash data, Arlington Police Department reports, and local crash analyses year after year:

    • Interstate 30: The major east-west freeway across north Arlington, connecting Dallas and Fort Worth and running directly past AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field. I-30 carries some of the heaviest commuter and event traffic in Texas, and Arlington police regularly investigate fatal late-night and early-morning crashes on the freeway. The I-30 / SH 360 / Great Southwest Parkway interchange in particular has been the site of repeated multi-vehicle crashes, fatal collisions, and vehicle fires. The I-30 / North Collins Street interchange recorded 29 reported crashes in 2023 alone.
    • Interstate 20: The major east-west freeway across south Arlington, with The Parks Mall, USMD Hospital Arlington, UT Arlington, and major shopping corridors all clustered along its frontage. The I-20 / Matlock Road interchange in south Arlington saw 44 reported crashes in 2023, the highest single-intersection count in the city.
    • State Highway 360 (Watson Road / Six Flags Drive corridor): The major north-south freeway connecting Grand Prairie, Arlington, Mansfield, and points south to DFW International Airport on the north end. SH 360 has tolled and non-tolled sections, runs directly past Six Flags Over Texas and the entertainment district, and produces a steady stream of high-speed crashes. The SH 360 / Six Flags Drive area, the SH 360 / Abram Street area, the SH 360 / Randol Mill Road interchange, and the SH 360 / New York Avenue tolled section have all been the site of fatal wrecks in recent years.
    • Cooper Street (FM 157 / TX 157): The major north-south arterial running through the heart of Arlington, past UT Arlington, The Parks Mall, and dense retail corridors. Cooper Street appears repeatedly in city crash analyses, including the Cooper Street / Arkansas Lane intersection.
    • Collins Street and Lamar Boulevard: Major arterials running through the entertainment district and central Arlington. Lamar Boulevard near Six Flags and the Collins Street area both show up in serious-crash reports, including a recent fatal wreck on Lamar Boulevard near Six Flags involving a young couple.
    • The AT&T Stadium / Globe Life Field / Texas Live! event corridor: Cowboys events, Rangers homestands, college football bowl games, concerts, NCAA tournament games, and major conventions all generate predictable surges of game-day traffic. Roads around Randol Mill Road, AT&T Way, Stadium Drive, Cowboys Way, and Nolan Ryan Expressway (and the parking lots, garages, and pedestrian areas around them) see regular pedestrian, rideshare, and rear-end collisions tied to event entry and exit, plus alcohol-related crashes during and after games.
    • The Six Flags Over Texas / Hurricane Harbor area: The original Six Flags theme park, Hurricane Harbor water park, and the surrounding hotel and retail corridor draw heavy seasonal and weekend visitor traffic, including out-of-state drivers unfamiliar with Arlington’s road network. Pedestrian and rideshare incidents are common in the parking lots and on the access roads.
    • The UT Arlington campus area and surrounding apartment corridors: Cooper Street, Mitchell Street, UTA Boulevard, Center Street, and the Highlander apartment district produce regular pedestrian, rideshare, and student-driver wrecks during the academic year.
    • Spur 408 and the Arlington / Grand Prairie border: The connector road between SH 360 and the Dallas County line carries heavy commuter and freight traffic with limited shoulders.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Our Arlington personal injury attorneys take on a wide range of cases. If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, we can help.

Car accidents are the single most common cause of serious injury in Arlington. Distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, and fatigue cause thousands of crashes in Tarrant County every year. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) identifies all four as leading contributors to fatal crashes nationwide. [internal-link: car-accidents]

Truck accidents involving 18-wheelers, tanker trucks, car haulers serving the GM Assembly plant, and other commercial vehicles are a regular part of our practice. The I-20, I-30, and SH 360 corridors through Arlington carry significant freight volume between Dallas, Fort Worth, the GM plant, and the Alliance Texas logistics hub to the north. These cases are governed in part by federal regulations enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), including hours-of-service rules, drug and alcohol testing, hazmat handling rules, and maintenance standards. There are usually multiple parties who can be held liable, including the driver, the motor carrier, brokers, shippers, and maintenance providers. [internal-link: truck-accidents]

Motorcycle accidents tend to leave riders with severe injuries because they don’t have the protection of an enclosed vehicle. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has long reported that motorcyclists are killed at far higher rates than passenger-vehicle occupants per mile traveled. SH 360 in particular has been the site of recurring fatal motorcycle crashes in Arlington. Insurance companies often try to use that risk against riders, and we push back hard. [internal-link: motorcycle-accidents]

Pedestrian accidents are a major concern in Arlington, especially around the entertainment district during games and events, around UT Arlington during the academic year, and along major arterials like Cooper Street and Collins Street where pedestrians cross multilane roads with limited safe crossings. Drivers have a duty to watch for pedestrians, and we hold them responsible when they don’t. [internal-link: pedestrian-accidents]

Bicycle accidents can cause serious harm to cyclists who share the road with much larger vehicles. We represent injured cyclists and pursue full compensation under Texas law. [internal-link: bicycle-accidents]

Bus accidents, including crashes involving Via on-demand vehicles, the Trinity Metro TRE commuter rail and connecting buses at CentrePort, UT Arlington campus shuttles, school buses, charter buses for major events at the stadiums, and tour operators, come with their own complications. Public transit and university transit cases can run into governmental immunity issues and shorter notice deadlines, and bus operators are held to a higher common-carrier duty of care. [internal-link: bus-accidents]

Rideshare accidents involving Uber, Lyft, and other transportation network companies are particularly common in Arlington because the city has limited fixed-route transit. Rideshare volume around AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field on game days, around Six Flags during peak season, around UT Arlington, and along the Texas Live! entertainment district is among the heaviest in north Texas. These cases can involve overlapping insurance coverage that depends on whether the driver was logged into the app, en route to a passenger, or actively transporting one. We help injured riders, drivers, and third parties figure out which policy applies and pursue full recovery. [internal-link: rideshare-accidents]

Premises liability cases come up when a dangerous condition on someone else’s property causes an injury. That includes slip and falls at retail stores, restaurants, hotels, apartment complexes, and gas stations, plus inadequate security at bars, clubs, and parking garages, swimming pool incidents, theme park ride malfunctions and slip-and-falls at Six Flags Over Texas and Hurricane Harbor, and spectator injuries at AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Choctaw Stadium, and College Park Center. Arlington’s combination of theme parks, stadiums, hotels, malls, and large student-housing inventory generates a steady stream of premises liability claims. Texas premises liability law is governed in part by Chapter 95 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code for certain property owners, along with case law that draws distinctions between invitees, licensees, and trespassers. [internal-link: premises-liability]

Construction and workplace accidents happen across Arlington’s busy industrial and entertainment base. The GM Arlington Assembly plant, the ongoing build-out at Texas Live! and the entertainment district, the planned IndyCar Grand Prix temporary infrastructure, the National Medal of Honor Museum construction site, and the routine commercial and residential construction across north and south Arlington all generate workplace and motorist injuries. Many of these cases involve violations of OSHA workplace safety standards, third-party contractor liability under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 95, and equipment manufacturer claims. [internal-link: construction-accidents]

Dog bites can cause serious physical injuries and lasting emotional trauma. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs each year in the United States, with hundreds of thousands needing emergency care. We help victims pursue full compensation under Texas dog bite law. [internal-link: dog-bites]

Product liability cases involve injuries caused by defective or dangerous products. That includes vehicle defects (which can sometimes be tracked through NHTSA’s recall database), defective industrial equipment, and dangerous consumer goods regulated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. [internal-link: product-liability]

Wrongful death claims allow surviving family members to seek compensation when a loved one is killed because of another party’s negligence or misconduct. These claims are governed by Chapter 71 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. [internal-link: wrongful-death]

If your situation isn’t on this list, call us anyway. Personal injury law covers a lot of ground, and we’d rather hear about your case and tell you straight whether we can help.

Common Injuries in Personal Injury Cases

Accidents can cause anything from temporary pain to permanent disability. We represent clients who have suffered:

    • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
    • Broken bones and fractures
    • Back, neck, and whiplash injuries
    • Herniated discs and soft tissue damage
    • Internal organ damage
    • Burns and scarring
    • Amputation and loss of limbs
    • Knee, shoulder, and joint injuries
    • Cuts, lacerations, and disfigurement
    • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other psychological injuries

Some injuries are obvious right away. Others, like concussions, internal bleeding, and soft tissue damage, can take days or even weeks to fully show up. That’s why getting medical attention as soon as possible after an accident matters. It protects your health, and it documents your injuries early. Medical City Arlington, a 433-bed acute care hospital in south Arlington, is the only Level II Trauma Center in the city. Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital on West Randol Mill Road, about a mile south of I-30, is a 369-bed full-service hospital that earned its Level III Trauma Center designation in April 2023, with a Level III NICU, Level III Maternal designation, Cycle III Chest Pain Center, and Primary Stroke Center accreditation. Patients with the most severe and complex traumatic injuries may be transferred to a Level I trauma center, with John Peter Smith Hospital (Tarrant County’s Level I) in Fort Worth or Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas being typical destinations.

Compensation Available in a Texas Personal Injury Case

Texas law lets injured victims recover both economic and non-economic damages. Depending on the case, punitive damages may also be available.

Economic Damages

These are the financial losses you can document with bills, pay stubs, and receipts:

    • Medical expenses: Past and future treatment, hospital stays, surgeries, medication, rehab, and home care
    • Lost wages: Income you couldn’t earn while recovering
    • Loss of earning capacity: Reduced ability to earn in the future because of permanent impairments
    • Property damage: Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other damaged belongings
    • Out-of-pocket expenses: Transportation to medical appointments, home modifications, and other accident-related costs

Non-Economic Damages

These are losses that don’t come with a receipt but are just as real:

    • Pain and suffering: Physical pain caused by your injuries and their treatment
    • Mental anguish: Emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma
    • Disfigurement: Permanent scarring or physical changes to your appearance
    • Loss of enjoyment of life: Inability to take part in activities and hobbies you used to enjoy
    • Loss of consortium: The impact your injuries have had on your relationship with your spouse
    • Physical impairment: Limitations on your physical abilities and daily activities

In cases that involve gross negligence or intentional misconduct, you may also be entitled to exemplary (punitive) damages under Chapter 41 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. These are meant to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar conduct. Texas caps them in most cases at the greater of (1) two times economic damages plus non-economic damages up to $750,000, or (2) $200,000.

How Texas Negligence Law Works

Understanding the basics of Texas negligence law helps you understand your case. Here are the key ideas.

Proving Negligence

To win a personal injury case, you have to prove four things:

Duty of care. The defendant had a legal obligation to act reasonably to avoid causing harm. Drivers have to operate their vehicles safely. Property owners have to keep their property in safe condition. Manufacturers have to produce safe products.

Breach of duty. The defendant didn’t live up to that duty. Running a red light, texting while driving (which is prohibited statewide under Texas Transportation Code § 545.4251), or ignoring a known hazard are all examples of a breach.

Causation. The breach actually caused your injuries. There has to be a clear connection between what the defendant did wrong and the harm you suffered.

Damages. You suffered real losses as a result. That can mean medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and other categories of harm.

Modified Comparative Negligence (the 51% Bar Rule)

Texas follows what’s called “modified comparative negligence,” set out in Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. In plain terms, you can still recover compensation if you were partially at fault for the accident, as long as your share of responsibility is 50% or less.

If you’re found partly at fault, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. For example, if you’re 20% at fault and your damages total $100,000, you’d recover $80,000.

If you’re found more than 50% responsible, you don’t recover anything. That’s why insurance companies work so hard to push fault onto victims. Even a few percentage points can knock you across that 51% line. Our attorneys fight to keep that from happening.

The Personal Injury Claims Process

Every case is a little different, but most personal injury claims follow a similar path.

Investigation and evidence gathering. We dig into how the accident happened. That includes police reports (Arlington Police Department crash reports can be requested through the Records Services Division at the Ott Cribbs Public Safety Building, 620 West Division Street, by phone at 817-274-4444, or directly from the TxDOT C.R.I.S. portal), medical records, witness statements, photographs, and any other evidence that supports your claim. Crashes on I-30, I-20, and SH 360 often involve TxDOT highway camera footage and incident management logs that can be lost in days if no one preserves them. Wrecks at AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Choctaw Stadium, College Park Center, Six Flags, or the Texas Live! district may have private security camera coverage from venue operators or surrounding businesses, which has its own short retention windows.

Medical treatment documentation. We work to make sure your injuries are fully documented by medical professionals. Solid documentation is what proves the value of your damages later.

Demand and negotiation. Once we know the full extent of your damages, we send a demand to the insurance company and negotiate for fair compensation.

Filing a lawsuit. If the insurer won’t make a fair offer, we file suit. Most personal injury cases involving Arlington residents are filed in the Tarrant County District Courts in Fort Worth, with the Tarrant County District Clerk’s Office (Thomas A. Wilder) handling civil filings at the courthouse complex on Weatherford Street. The historic 1895 Tarrant County Courthouse downtown still hosts certain civil proceedings as well. Federal cases involving Arlington residents are filed in the Fort Worth Division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas at the Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse on West Tenth Street.

Discovery. Both sides exchange information, take depositions, and gather more evidence under the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure or the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, depending on the court.

Mediation or settlement. A lot of cases settle during litigation, often through mediation. Mediation is a structured negotiation with a neutral third party who helps both sides find common ground.

Trial. If the case doesn’t settle, we present it to a jury and ask for the verdict your case deserves.

Through all of this, we keep you in the loop. You’ll always know what’s happening and what your options are.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

After an accident, you’ll probably hear from an insurance adjuster who sounds friendly and concerned. Don’t read too much into the tone. The adjuster’s job is to keep their company from paying any more than it has to. The Texas Department of Insurance publishes consumer guides and complaint procedures if you ever feel an insurer is treating you unfairly.

Common insurance company tactics include:

    • Asking for a recorded statement they can later use against you
    • Requesting broad medical authorizations so they can dig for pre-existing conditions
    • Pushing a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries
    • Disputing how serious your injuries are or claiming they aren’t related to the accident
    • Dragging things out, hoping you’ll accept less out of financial pressure
    • Trying to shift fault onto you to push you over the 51% comparative fault bar

Before you talk to any insurance company, talk to an attorney first. Once we’re involved, we handle communications with insurers for you. Trucking companies, rideshare carriers, theme park operators, stadium operators, hotel chains, and other large defendants all have dedicated claims handlers and rapid-response teams that show up at the scene of major incidents to start collecting statements and lining up favorable witnesses. The same advice applies.

Statute of Limitations: How Long You Have to File

Texas sets strict deadlines for filing personal injury claims. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, you generally have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Miss that deadline and you usually lose your right to recover, period.

Some situations have different deadlines.

Claims against government entities, like the City of Arlington, Tarrant County, the Texas Department of Transportation, the University of Texas at Arlington, the Arlington ISD or surrounding school districts, or any other public agency, typically require formal written notice within six months or less under the Texas Tort Claims Act. The City of Arlington charter and certain interlocal agreements can require notice even sooner in some cases. UT Arlington is a state institution, which means claims against it go through the Texas Tort Claims Act.

Medical malpractice claims have additional procedural rules under Chapter 74 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, including a 60-day pre-suit notice requirement and an expert report requirement.

Claims involving minors may have extended deadlines under Texas tolling rules.

Don’t sit on your case waiting to see if your injuries get better. Even if you’re not ready to file a lawsuit, talking to a lawyer early makes sure you understand your deadlines.

Steps to Take After an Accident in Arlington

If you’ve been hurt in any kind of accident, the steps you take afterward can protect both your health and your legal rights.

    1. Get medical attention right away. Call 911 if anyone is seriously hurt. Medical City Arlington is the only Level II Trauma Center in Arlington. Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital is the city’s Level III Trauma Center. Patients with the most severe traumatic injuries are typically transferred to a Level I trauma center such as John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth (Tarrant County’s only Level I) or Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.
    2. Report the accident. If the crash happened inside Arlington city limits, call 911 to get an officer to the scene. The Arlington Police Department non-emergency line is (817) 274-4444. Crashes in unincorporated parts of Tarrant County are handled by the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office under Sheriff Bill E. Waybourn at 200 Taylor Street in Fort Worth, (817) 884-1213. Crashes on I-30, I-20, and SH 360 are sometimes worked by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Wrecks on the UT Arlington campus are typically handled by the UTA Police Department.
    3. Document everything. Take photos of the accident scene, your injuries, property damage, road conditions, and traffic signs. Note the time of day, the weather, and the direction you were traveling.
    4. Get witness information. Collect names, phone numbers, and email addresses from anyone who saw what happened. Crashes near the entertainment district or during a major event often have out-of-state witnesses, so get their contact information before they leave.
    5. Request your crash report. Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Reports (Form CR-3) are usually available 7 to 14 days after the wreck through the TxDOT C.R.I.S. public portal for $6 (or $8 certified). Arlington Police Department records can also be requested through the Records Services Division at the Ott Cribbs Public Safety Building, 620 West Division Street, Arlington, TX 76011.
    6. Keep records. Save all medical bills, prescription receipts, mileage logs to and from appointments, and pay stubs that show the work you missed.
    7. For trucking and commercial cases, act fast. These defendants typically have rapid-response teams that arrive at the scene within hours. Evidence like driver logs, ECM (engine control module) data, surveillance footage, and maintenance records can be lost or overwritten in days. A spoliation letter from your lawyer puts the company on notice to preserve that evidence.
    8. For stadium, theme park, and venue cases, preserve venue evidence. Wrecks and injuries at AT&T Stadium, Globe Life Field, Choctaw Stadium, College Park Center, Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, the Texas Live! district, and the surrounding hotels often have surveillance camera footage from the venue, the parking operator, and surrounding businesses. Each operator has its own retention window. We move fast to get preservation letters out.
    9. Don’t give a recorded statement. If the other driver’s insurance company asks for one, politely say no until you’ve spoken with an attorney.
    10. Don’t sign anything. Insurance companies sometimes hand over releases or settlements that look routine but quietly waive your rights. Have a lawyer look at it first.
    11. Call a personal injury attorney. The sooner you have legal representation, the better protected your case is.

How Our Arlington Personal Injury Lawyers Help

Trying to handle a personal injury claim while you’re still recovering from a serious injury is exhausting. Our team takes the legal work off your plate so you can focus on getting better.

We investigate the accident, gather the evidence we need to prove liability and damages, and handle every conversation with the insurance companies. When a case calls for it, we bring in medical experts, accident reconstructionists, biomechanical engineers, vocational economists, and life-care planners to help build it.

We also calculate the full value of your losses, including future expenses and the kinds of non-economic damages that are easy to undercount. Then we negotiate hard for fair compensation. We also prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, because the cases that look ready for trial almost always settle for more.

If the insurance company won’t pay what your case is worth, we go to court.

Frequently Asked Questions About Arlington Personal Injury Cases

How much does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer in Arlington?

Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, which means we only get paid if we recover compensation for you. Our fee comes as a percentage of your settlement or verdict. If we don’t win, you don’t pay. The consultation is free.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Texas?

Generally two years from the date of injury under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003. Claims against the City of Arlington, Tarrant County, UT Arlington, the Arlington ISD, or other government entities have notice deadlines as short as six months under the Texas Tort Claims Act, sometimes shorter under city charter. Don’t assume your deadline based on the general rule. Have an attorney confirm it.

I was hit by a driver near AT&T Stadium or Globe Life Field on a game day. Is that case any different?

Game-day wrecks in the Arlington entertainment district are common, and they can be different in a few ways. Witnesses are often from out of state and harder to track down later, so getting contact information at the scene is important. Venue and parking-operator surveillance cameras may have captured the crash but are subject to short retention windows. Bars, restaurants, and clubs in the Texas Live! district sometimes have dram shop liability under Texas law if they over-served an at-fault driver. And impaired driving rates can be elevated after major events. We pull permits, security footage, ride-share manifests, and bar receipts where they’re relevant.

I was injured at Six Flags Over Texas or Hurricane Harbor. Can I sue the park?

Maybe. Theme park and water park operators owe duties of care to their invited guests under Texas premises liability law. That includes designing rides safely, maintaining them properly, providing adequate staffing, warning of hidden dangers, and providing reasonable security. Six Flags and similar operators sometimes try to argue waiver-of-liability defenses based on the language on the back of admission tickets or season passes, but those waivers don’t release the park from gross negligence and have limits under Texas law. The right defendant in a ride or attraction injury case can also include the ride manufacturer, a contractor, or a maintenance provider, in addition to the park itself. We’ve handled premises and product cases against major venue operators and know how to push past their first round of defenses.

My crash happened in Arlington but the at-fault driver lives in Fort Worth (or Grand Prairie, Mansfield, Irving, or somewhere in Dallas County). Where do I file?

Generally either Tarrant County (where the wreck happened) or the county where the at-fault driver lives will be a proper venue under Texas’s general venue statute. Arlington sits right on the Tarrant / Dallas County line, so cases against drivers from Grand Prairie, Irving, or other Dallas-side communities can sometimes be filed in either venue. The choice can matter, because Tarrant County and Dallas County juries don’t always look at the same case the same way. We talk through venue strategy early in the case.

I was hit by an 18-wheeler on I-20 or I-30 in Arlington. What’s different about a truck case?

A lot. Commercial trucks are governed by federal regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that don’t apply to passenger vehicles, including hours-of-service rules, driver qualification files, drug and alcohol testing, and equipment inspection requirements. There are also typically multiple potentially responsible parties, including the driver, the trucking company, the freight broker, the shipper, and any maintenance contractor. Liability and insurance coverage in a truck case are usually much larger than in a typical car wreck, and the trucking company will have a defense team on the scene fast. We move just as fast to preserve evidence like ECM downloads, driver logs, dispatch records, and dashcam footage.

I was hurt in a workplace accident at the GM Arlington Assembly plant. Can I still sue?

It depends on your relationship to the employer. If you were a direct GM employee and your employer carries Texas workers’ compensation insurance, your remedy against your employer is generally limited to the workers’ comp system. But Texas allows third-party liability claims against parties other than your employer, including equipment manufacturers, contractors working alongside you, premises owners under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 95, or negligent drivers in the parking lots and access roads serving the plant. We help injured workers identify every recovery avenue that’s actually available to them.

I was hit by an Uber or Lyft driver in Arlington. Whose insurance covers me?

It depends on what the driver was doing at the time of the wreck. If the rideshare app was off, the driver’s personal auto policy applies (and rideshare drivers often have policies that exclude coverage when driving for hire, which can leave a gap). If the app was on but the driver hadn’t accepted a ride, Uber and Lyft typically provide limited contingent coverage. If the driver had accepted a ride or had a passenger in the car, the rideshare company’s $1 million liability policy usually applies. Arlington’s heavy reliance on rideshare around the entertainment district means these layered-coverage questions come up a lot. We work through them and identify all available coverage.

Is Texas a no-fault state for car accidents?

No. Texas is an at-fault (or “tort”) state. The driver who caused the wreck, and that driver’s insurance company, is responsible for the damages. That’s different from no-fault states, where each driver typically files with their own insurer regardless of who caused the wreck. In Texas, fault investigation and the police crash report often shape the outcome of your case.

What is the minimum auto insurance required in Texas?

According to the Texas Department of Insurance, drivers have to carry at least 30/60/25 liability coverage. That’s $30,000 per injured person, up to $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. These minimums often aren’t enough to cover serious injuries from a freeway or interstate wreck, which is why uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage matters so much.

How long will my case take?

It depends. Some cases settle within months. Others take a year or more, especially if litigation is needed. Cases with disputed liability, severe injuries, or commercial defendants generally take longer. We work to resolve your case as quickly as we reasonably can without rushing it past a fair result.

What if I was partially at fault for my accident?

You can still recover compensation as long as your share of fault is 50% or less. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault.

Should I accept the insurance company’s settlement offer?

Not without talking to an attorney first. Initial offers are almost always far below what your case is worth. Once you sign a release, you can’t reopen the claim, even if your injuries turn out to be more serious than you thought. Have a lawyer review any offer before you sign anything.

How much is my case worth?

Every case is different. Value depends on the severity of your injuries, your past and future medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, the strength of the evidence, and the available insurance coverage. We can give you a more accurate range after we review the specifics of your case in a free consultation.

Are personal injury settlements taxable in Texas?

According to IRS Publication 4345, the part of a personal injury settlement that compensates you for physical injuries or physical sickness is generally not taxable. Portions allocated to lost wages, interest, or punitive damages can be taxable. Texas itself has no state income tax, but you should always confirm tax treatment with a CPA.

What if the other driver doesn’t have insurance?

You may still have options. Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may apply. Other parties, like an employer if the at-fault driver was on the job, may share liability. We look at every angle for compensation, including stacking applicable policies where Texas law allows.

Where do I get my Arlington accident report?

You can request your crash report online through the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System or through the Arlington Police Department Records Services Division at the Ott Cribbs Public Safety Building, 620 West Division Street, Arlington, TX 76011. Standard reports cost $6, with $8 for certified copies. If we represent you, we’ll handle getting the report as part of our investigation.

Helpful Arlington and Texas Resources

If you’ve been hurt in an accident in Arlington, these public resources may be useful:

    • Arlington Police Department. Emergencies 911, non-emergency (817) 274-4444, general information (817) 459-5700. Ott Cribbs Public Safety Building, 620 West Division Street, Arlington, TX 76011.
    • Medical City Arlington. The only Level II Trauma Center in Arlington and the official hospital of the Texas Rangers.

Contact Our Arlington Personal Injury Attorneys Today

If you’ve been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, you don’t have to take on the insurance companies on your own. The Arlington personal injury lawyers at DJC Law have the experience and the resources to go to bat for you.

Reach out for a free consultation. We’ll listen to your story, walk you through your options, and help you figure out what to do next. There’s no obligation, and you don’t pay us anything unless we win. Hablamos español.

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