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Houston Personal Injury Lawyers

Harris County reported 546 fatal crashes and 579 traffic deaths in 2024, the highest of any county in Texas, along with 2,282 wrecks that left people seriously injured, according to the Texas Department of Transportation’s Crash Records Information System (CRIS). The county logged 115,173 reportable crashes in 2024, more than double Dallas County and roughly 2.4 times Bexar County. Inside Houston city limits, 301 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2024, a record high and a 15% increase over 2023.

Driving in Houston means moving through one of the largest freeway systems in the country: I-10 (the Katy Freeway is the widest highway in North America at parts), I-45, US 59/I-69, Loop 610, Beltway 8, US 290, SH 288, and SH 99. It also means sharing those roads with one of the country’s biggest fleets of commercial trucks, tankers, and 18-wheelers feeding into the Port of Houston and the petrochemical corridor along the Ship Channel.

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 Harris County, knows the courts on Caroline Street and Franklin Street, and isn’t afraid to push back when an insurer won’t pay what your case is worth.

At DJC Law, our Houston personal injury lawyers help accident victims and their families recover after serious injuries. If you were hurt in a wreck on I-10, hit by a commercial truck on I-45, struck while crossing Westheimer or Bellaire, injured in a refinery incident along the Ship Channel, or harmed in any kind of 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 enormous resources working to deny, delay, and minimize claims. In Houston, you may also be up against multiple corporate defendants at once, including trucking companies, brokers, refinery operators, contractors, and their insurers, all working in coordination to shift blame and reduce payouts. 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

Houston is the most racially and ethnically diverse major metro in the country. About one in four Houston residents was born outside the United States. 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 Commercial and Multi-Defendant Cases

Houston freight traffic produces some of the most complex personal injury cases in Texas. A typical 18-wheeler crash on I-10 or US 59 can involve the driver, the motor carrier, a freight broker, a shipper, a maintenance contractor, an equipment manufacturer, and a leasing company, each represented by separate insurance carriers and defense lawyers. Refinery and industrial cases along the Ship Channel are even more layered, often involving general contractors, multiple subcontractors, and equipment manufacturers. We’ve worked through that kind of multi-defendant litigation and know how to keep responsible parties from pointing fingers at each other to avoid paying.

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 Harris County jury.

Local Knowledge, Local Commitment

We know the Harris County District Courts at the Civil Courthouse on Caroline Street, the federal courthouse downtown, and the roads where these crashes keep happening. From the Energy Corridor on I-10 to the South Loop, from the Heights to Sugar Land, we work cases here regularly.

Personal Injury in Houston: By the Numbers

Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States. Harris County passed five million residents in 2025, putting it third nationally behind only Los Angeles County and Chicago’s Cook County, and it’s projected to overtake Cook County soon. The metro area sits at 7.9 million people and growing. With population that size comes traffic that size. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the city of Houston, and other public sources:

  • Harris County reported 546 fatal crashes and 579 traffic fatalities in 2024, the highest of any county in Texas, along with 2,282 suspected serious injury crashes that left 2,688 people seriously hurt.
  • Harris County logged 115,173 reportable crashes in 2024, including 10,608 wrecks that produced minor injuries and another 19,744 that resulted in possible injuries, plus 77,711 non-injury wrecks.
  • Inside the city of Houston, 301 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2024, a record high and a 15% jump from 271 deaths in 2023, according to TxDOT data reported by Houston Public Media.
  • Drunk driving played a role in 149 fatal crashes in Harris County in 2024, killing 165 people, with another 161 alcohol-involved wrecks producing serious injuries countywide. The county recorded 3,357 DUI-involved crashes overall.
  • Houston’s Vision Zero plan, introduced in November 2020 with a goal of eliminating traffic fatalities by 2030, identified that just 6% of city streets accounted for 60% of all traffic deaths and serious injuries. The city has deemphasized the program since 2024, and the Vision Zero dashboard hasn’t been updated since May 2024.
  • The Port of Houston is the busiest port in the United States by foreign waterborne tonnage, with the 52-mile Houston Ship Channel driving an estimated $906 billion in annual national economic activity. The petrochemical complex stretching from the port through Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte, and Baytown is the largest in the country and the second-largest in the world.

Dangerous Roads and Locations in Houston

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

  • Interstate 45 (Gulf Freeway and North Freeway): Consistently the deadliest freeway in Houston by fatality rate, running from Galveston through downtown and continuing north toward Conroe. The ongoing I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project is reshaping the corridor through downtown and reroutes traffic patterns weekly.
  • Interstate 10 (Katy Freeway and East Freeway): One of the widest stretches of highway in North America, with sections reaching 26 lanes and carrying more than 320,000 vehicles per day. The Energy Corridor stretch between Beltway 8 and SH 99 and the I-10/I-610 interchange are recurring crash hotspots, with one analysis tracking 173 fatalities and 29,903 crashes on Harris County stretches of I-10 between 2020 and 2024.
  • US 59 / Interstate 69 (Southwest Freeway and Eastex Freeway): Higher fatality rate per crash than I-10, with 146 deaths recorded across 18,395 crashes from 2020 to 2024. The bottleneck through the I-610 interchange and the construction zone near the Brazos River bridge in Sugar Land are particular trouble spots.
  • Loop 610 (West Loop, North Loop, East Loop, South Loop): The 10-mile loop around downtown carries enormous commuter and freight volume. Recent analyses have tracked 87 fatalities in 24,576 crashes from 2020 to 2024, with the I-610/I-69 interchange improvement project changing traffic patterns regularly. The Bissonnet Boulevard exit on the West Loop and the Mykawa Road area on the South Loop are recurring fatality corridors.
  • Sam Houston Tollway / Beltway 8: The 25-mile-diameter outer loop. The intersections of Bissonnet at Beltway 8 and Greenspoint Drive at Beltway 8 each see well over 200 crashes a year and are perennial features on dangerous-intersection lists.
  • US 290 (Northwest Freeway), SH 288 (South Freeway), SH 249 (Tomball Parkway), and SH 99 (Grand Parkway): Major commuter and freight corridors connecting Houston to its suburbs. SH 99 sections in northwest and northeast Harris County are seeing sharp crash growth as suburban development outpaces road infrastructure.
  • Westheimer Road, Bellaire Boulevard, Bissonnet Street, and Beechnut Street: Houston’s busiest surface arterials. Westheimer alone produced more than 1,200 non-fatal injury crashes in a single recent year. The intersections of Westheimer at Wilcrest, Westheimer at Shepherd, and Westheimer at Hillcroft are well-known crash and pedestrian-fatality corridors.
  • FM 1960 and FM 2920: Surface roads through northwest Harris County that carry suburban traffic on infrastructure designed for far less volume. FM 1960 leads all Harris County surface streets in raw crash count (over 11,000 in five years), while FM 2920’s fatality rate per crash is the highest of any non-freeway corridor in the county. The intersection of US 290 and FM 1960 is on every dangerous-intersection list.
  • Airline Drive, Antoine Drive, Cullen Boulevard, and Hillcroft Avenue: Mixed-use corridors that combine heavy commercial traffic with dense residential and pedestrian activity. Pedestrian fatalities cluster on these roads, particularly at unsignalized intersections.
  • Pedestrian crashes citywide: Houston recorded 119 pedestrian fatalities in 2024. Most of those deaths happened on streets with speed limits of 45 mph or higher, where missing or inadequate sidewalks, long gaps between signals, and high-speed traffic combine into a deadly mix.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle

Our Houston 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 Houston. Distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, and fatigue cause tens of thousands of crashes in Harris 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, and other commercial vehicles are a major part of our practice in Harris County. The Port of Houston averages 50 deep-draft vessel movements a day plus around 400 tugboats and 635 barges, and that cargo has to move somewhere by truck. The result is constant hazmat-placarded freight on I-10, I-45, US 59, Beltway 8, and SH 225 (the La Porte Freeway). 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. Insurance companies often try to use that risk against riders, and we push back hard. [internal-link: motorcycle-accidents]

Pedestrian accidents can leave victims with devastating injuries. With 119 Houston pedestrian deaths in 2024 alone, this is one of the most dangerous metros in the country to walk in. 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 METRO buses, school buses, charter buses, and tour operators, come with their own complications. Public 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 increasingly common in Houston. 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, and swimming pool incidents at apartment complexes and short-term rentals. 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]

Refinery, chemical plant, and industrial accidents are a real issue in Harris County given the petrochemical complex along the Ship Channel. The plants and terminals in Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte, and Baytown produce serious workplace injuries every year, including burns, chemical exposures, falls from heights, crush injuries, and explosions. Many of these cases involve violations of OSHA workplace safety standards as well as third-party contractor liability under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 95. [internal-link: construction-accidents]

Maritime, longshore, and offshore cases are another category Houston has at a scale almost no other Texas city has. Injuries that happen on navigable waters, on cargo ships, on offshore drilling rigs, on barges and tugboats, or in ports and harbors are governed by federal maritime law rather than ordinary Texas tort law. Different statutes apply to different workers and different situations, including the Jones Act for seamen, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) for dock and shipyard workers, the Death on the High Seas Act for fatalities more than three nautical miles offshore, and general maritime law for many other claims. We evaluate maritime cases carefully and bring in qualified counsel where the case calls for it. [internal-link: maritime-injuries]

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, with maritime fatalities covered by the Death on the High Seas Act, the Jones Act, or general maritime law depending on where and how the death occurred. [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:

  • Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and concussions
  • Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
  • Broken bones and fractures
  • Back, neck, and whiplash injuries
  • Herniated discs and soft tissue damage
  • Internal organ damage
  • Burns, chemical exposures, 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. The Texas Medical Center concentrates more emergency capacity in one place than anywhere else in the country. Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital are the only two adult Level I Trauma Centers in greater Houston, with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital providing pediatric Level I trauma care, all on the same campus. Memorial Hermann-TMC is also the only American Burn Association verified burn center in Houston, and its Life Flight air ambulance service operates a fleet of helicopters across a 150-mile radius. LBJ Hospital on Houston’s east side is a Level III trauma facility and the busiest in Texas, handling more than 88,000 emergency visits a year.

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. Maritime cases and cases under federal statutes like the Jones Act follow their own damages rules, which we’ll walk through with you if those laws apply.

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. Vessel operators and rig owners have additional duties under maritime law.

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. Maritime law uses a different rule called pure comparative fault, which lets injured workers recover even when they’re more than 50% at fault, with their recovery reduced by their share of responsibility.

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 (Houston Police Department crash reports can be requested in person at HPD headquarters at 1200 Travis Street, online through the city’s records system, or directly from TxDOT, and a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report can be ordered through the TxDOT C.R.I.S. portal), medical records, witness statements, photographs, and any other evidence that supports your claim. Houston has dense network coverage of Houston TranStar traffic cameras and private business security cameras, and we move quickly to preserve that footage before it’s overwritten.

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 are filed in the Harris County District Courts at the Civil Courthouse at 201 Caroline Street in downtown Houston. Civil filings go through the Harris County District Clerk’s Office (Marilyn Burgess) using the statewide eFileTexas system. Federal cases involving Harris County, including most maritime claims and cases involving out-of-state defendants, can be filed in the Houston Division of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, which is housed at the Bob Casey U.S. Courthouse downtown.

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, refinery operators, and rideshare carriers 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, and Houston cases hit several of them more often than other Texas cases.

Jones Act and general maritime claims have a three-year statute of limitations under federal law, but evidence preservation issues mean cases need to be opened much earlier than that.

Claims against government entities, like the City of Houston, Harris County, METRO, the Port of Houston Authority, the Texas Department of Transportation, or any school district or community college, typically require formal written notice within six months or less under the Texas Tort Claims Act. The City of Houston charter requires notice within just 90 days for most claims against the city, which is shorter than the state statute.

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 against state-affiliated facilities like UTHealth, MD Anderson, or the Harris Health System raise additional notice issues under the Tort Claims Act.

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 Houston

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. For severe trauma, the only adult Level I Trauma Centers in greater Houston are Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center at 6411 Fannin Street and Ben Taub Hospital at 1504 Ben Taub Loop, both in the Texas Medical Center. Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and Texas Children’s Hospital are the area’s pediatric Level I trauma centers, also in the TMC. Memorial Hermann-TMC is also the only verified burn center in Houston.
  2. Report the accident. If the crash happened inside Houston city limits, call 911 to get an officer to the scene. The Houston Police Department headquarters is at 1200 Travis Street, with the main line at (713) 884-3131. Crashes in unincorporated parts of Harris County are handled by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 1200 Baker Street, (713) 221-6000. Crashes on the freeway system are sometimes worked by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Port of Houston Police, METRO Police, and individual constable offices have jurisdiction in their respective areas, and crashes on a refinery or industrial facility may also involve a private company police force or security team.
  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. Houston is a transient city, and witnesses can be hard to track down later if you don’t get their information at the scene.
  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). Houston Police Department reports can also be requested in person at HPD headquarters, 1200 Travis Street, Houston, TX 77002.
  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, refinery, or industrial 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. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. Call a personal injury attorney. The sooner you have legal representation, the better protected your case is.

How Our Houston 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, marine 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 Houston Personal Injury Cases

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

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 Houston, Harris County, METRO, or other government entities have notice deadlines as short as 90 days under the city charter or six months under the Texas Tort Claims Act. Maritime claims have a three-year federal limit. Don’t assume your deadline based on the general rule. Have an attorney confirm it.

I was hit by an 18-wheeler on I-10 or I-45. 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 at a refinery, chemical plant, or construction site. Can I sue, or am I limited to workers’ comp?

Texas is unusual in that workers’ compensation is optional for most private employers. If your employer doesn’t carry workers’ comp (called a “non-subscriber”), you can sue them directly for negligence, and they lose the usual defenses of contributory negligence, fellow-employee negligence, and assumption of risk. If your employer does carry workers’ comp, you generally can’t sue them, but you can still sue any third party whose negligence contributed to your injury, like a general contractor, another subcontractor, an equipment manufacturer, or a property owner. Refinery cases especially tend to involve multiple potentially liable parties beyond your direct employer.

I was injured working on the Houston Ship Channel. Do I have a workers’ comp claim or a Jones Act claim?

That depends on your job and where you were hurt. Texas workers’ compensation generally doesn’t apply to most maritime workers. Instead, federal laws kick in. The Jones Act covers seamen, defined as workers who spend at least 30 percent of their time on a vessel afloat in navigable waters, and lets them sue their employer for negligence. The Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act covers most dock workers, longshoremen, ship repair workers, and shipyard employees. Section 905(b) of the LHWCA also lets some maritime workers bring negligence claims against vessel owners. Each statute has different deadlines and different remedies, and getting them right is critical to your recovery.

I was hit by an Uber or Lyft driver. 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. We work through the layers 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 Houston freeway 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, commercial defendants, or maritime law components 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 in a Texas state-law case. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. Maritime cases use a different rule, called pure comparative fault, where injured workers can recover even when they’re more than 50% responsible, with their recovery reduced by their share 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 Houston accident report?

You can request your crash report online through the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System or in person at Houston Police Department headquarters at 1200 Travis Street, Houston, TX 77002. Standard reports cost $6, with additional fees for certified or mailed copies. If we represent you, we’ll handle getting the report as part of our investigation.

Helpful Houston and Texas Resources

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

Contact Our Houston 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 Houston 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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