Texas Car Accident Lawyer

What to Do After a Car Accident?

Your health comes first. If possible, move somewhere away from passing vehicles and report the crash to emergency services. Have a doctor check you over, especially if you are in pain or notice anything unusual after the crash.

Before leaving the scene, try to:

• Take pictures of both vehicles and the area around the crash.
• Photograph skid marks, broken parts, traffic lights, signs, and any injuries you can see.
• Save the other driver’s license, insurance, and contact information.
• Put witness names and phone numbers in your phone before everyone leaves.
• Ask the officer where and when the crash report will be available.

Report the collision to your insurer, but be careful about giving a recorded statement or accepting a settlement before you understand your injuries. A Texas car accident lawyer can review what the insurer is asking for and explain how your answer may affect the claim.

Who May Be Responsible for a Texas Car Accident?

The driver who caused the collision is often the first person considered, but that may not be where the investigation ends. A claim could also involve:

• An employer whose driver was working at the time
• A rideshare or delivery company
• The owner of a vehicle entrusted to an unsafe driver
• A business responsible for maintaining or repairing the vehicle
• The maker of a vehicle or component that failed and played a role in the collision
• A bar or restaurant in a qualifying alcohol-related case
• Another driver whose actions helped cause the collision

A car accident attorney can look at each person or business involved and determine which insurance policies may provide coverage.

What Evidence Can Help Show What Happened?

The drivers may remember the collision differently. Insurance companies also have their own reasons for questioning speed, right of way, visibility, or where each vehicle was before impact.

Useful evidence may include:

• Photographs and video from the scene
• Police reports
• Statements from witnesses
• Traffic or business surveillance footage
• Vehicle damage and electronic data
• Phone records
• Medical records documenting the injuries
• Inspection or maintenance records
• The other driver’s work records when the crash involved a commercial vehicle

Some of that information will not remain available indefinitely. Nearby businesses may record over video, vehicles may be repaired, and witnesses may become harder to reach.

Common Types of Car Accident Claims

Ali Law Group handles claims arising from many kinds of Texas collisions, including:

• Rear-end accidents
• Intersection and left-turn crashes
• Sideswipe collisions
• Head-on accidents
• Crashes involving a driver who was drinking, texting, or not watching the road
• Wrecks on highways or through active construction areas
• Drivers who leave without stopping or sharing their information
• Collisions caused by someone with little or no insurance
• Accidents involving rideshare or delivery vehicles
• Chain-reaction crashes involving several vehicles
• Fatal car accidents

A car crash injury lawyer should consider how the collision happened, who contributed to it, and how the injuries have changed the client’s life.

What If the Other Driver Blames Me?

An accusation from another driver or insurance adjuster does not settle the issue. Texas uses proportionate responsibility, which means fault can be divided among the people involved.

If you are found partly responsible, your recovery is reduced by that percentage. Someone found more than 50% responsible cannot recover damages under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §33.001 .

For example, a person with $50,000 in damages who is found 20% responsible could recover $40,000. How fault is divided will depend on the evidence, not simply which driver spoke first or received a traffic citation.

What Compensation May Be Available?

A car accident claim is based on the harm the collision caused. That could include:

• Ambulance, emergency room, and hospital bills
• Surgery, medication, and follow-up appointments
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Medical care or personal assistance that may be needed later
• Income lost during recovery
• Reduced ability to earn a living
• Vehicle repairs or replacement
• Physical pain
• Mental anguish
• Physical impairment or disfigurement

There is no standard settlement amount for a Texas car accident. An auto accident attorney will need to review the injuries, medical evidence, available insurance, disputed facts, and long-term effects before offering a meaningful assessment.

What If the Other Driver Has No Insurance?

The absence of liability insurance does not always mean there is no way to recover. Your own policy may include uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, often called UM/UIM.

That coverage may help when:

• The other driver had no insurance
• The driver’s policy was not enough to cover the loss
• The responsible driver left the scene and could not be identified

Texas insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage unless the policyholder rejects it in writing. Other coverage, such as personal injury protection or collision insurance, may also matter. An uninsured motorist accident lawyer can review the policy rather than relying only on what an adjuster says is covered.

Can I Bring a Claim After a Hit-and-Run?

Possibly. Call the police, write down anything you remember about the vehicle, and ask nearby businesses or homes whether they have camera footage. Even part of a license plate number or a description of the vehicle may help.

If the driver is not found, your UM/UIM coverage could become important. A hit-and-run accident lawyer can examine the available evidence and the notice requirements in your insurance policy.

When Should I Speak With a Car Accident Lawyer?

Not every minor collision requires legal representation. It may be worth calling a car wreck lawyer when:

• You suffered an injury that required more than brief medical care
• The other driver denies causing the crash
• You are being blamed for part or all of the collision
• Several vehicles or businesses may share responsibility
• The responsible driver was uninsured or left the scene
• The insurer is questioning your treatment or offering a quick settlement
• Your injuries affect your work or may require future care
• The accident resulted in a death

You do not need to know whether you have a case before calling. A consultation is to talk through what happened and determine whether legal representation may be useful.

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

Most Texas personal injury lawsuits arising from a collision have a two-year filing deadline under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003 . The time available may be different when the injured person is a minor, the claim involves a government vehicle, or another exception applies.

The two-year deadline is not a reason to wait. Your own policy may require earlier notice, and once a vehicle is repaired or video is recorded over, that evidence may be gone.

How Ali Law Group Handles Car Accident Claims

Tell us how the crash happened and what has changed since then. From there, Ali Law Group can determine what needs a closer look.

That work may involve:

• Collecting reports, photographs, video, and witness accounts
• Reviewing the available insurance policies
• Looking into disputed or shared fault
• Organizing medical records and proof of lost income
• Calculating current losses and considering future needs
• Taking over communication with insurance adjusters
• Negotiating a settlement
• Filing a lawsuit when the circumstances call for it

As a Texas personal injury law firm, Ali Law Group represents injured clients from its offices in Houston and San Antonio. We explain the issues we see, answer questions as the case moves forward, and keep the client involved in important decisions.