Cases I take
- Car and truck collisions, including commercial and 18 wheeler crashes
- Motorcycle collisions
- Rear end, intersection, and left turn crashes
- Drunk driving crashes, where I can use the same forensic work I use in defense
- Premises liability, including slip and fall and inadequate security
- Dog bites
- Wrongful death
I-10 between vidor and the louisiana state line produces a steady stream of serious collisions, and commercial trucks are a large part of that traffic. Trucking cases move differently from car cases. There is a federal regulatory layer, electronic logging data, and a corporate defendant with counsel on the scene within hours. Evidence gets preserved or lost in the first week.
What Texas law gives you and what it takes away
Two years. That is generally the deadline to file suit for a personal injury claim in Texas. There are exceptions that shorten it, particularly claims against a governmental entity, which can require formal notice in as little as six months. Waiting is the single most common way a good claim dies.
Proportionate responsibility. Texas reduces your recovery by your percentage of fault, and bars it entirely if you are found more than fifty percent responsible. This is exactly why the adjuster wants a recorded statement early, and exactly why you should not give one before you talk to a lawyer.
Damages. Medical bills past and future, lost earnings and lost earning capacity, property damage, physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, and disfigurement. In cases involving gross negligence, exemplary damages may be available.
What to do in the first two weeks
Get evaluated even if you feel fine. Soft tissue and head injuries frequently present days later, and a gap in treatment is the first thing the defense will point at. Photograph everything including the inside of the vehicle. Get the crash report. Report to your own insurer. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer. Do not accept a fast check for property damage that has release language buried in it. Stay off social media about the wreck.
I work personal injury cases on contingency. No fee unless you recover, and case expenses are advanced. If I do not think you have a case worth bringing, I will tell you that on the first call rather than sign you up and let it sit.
My criminal practice is an unusual advantage here. When the other driver was intoxicated, I already know how the blood evidence was generated, what the lab did with it, and how to get the underlying data. Most civil firms subcontract that. I do not.
Questions people ask
How much is my case worth?
Nobody can tell you honestly at the first call. It depends on the injuries, the treatment, the fault picture, and critically the available insurance coverage. A catastrophic injury against a minimum limits policy is a different case than a moderate injury against a commercial carrier. Be wary of a number quoted early.
How long will my case take?
A straightforward claim that settles pre-suit often takes a few months after you finish treatment. A filed case can take a year or more. I do not push settlement before your treatment is complete, because until then nobody knows what the case is.
What does it cost to hire you?
Nothing up front. Personal injury cases are handled on a contingency fee, which means the fee is a percentage of the recovery and there is no fee if there is no recovery. The percentage and the treatment of case expenses are both in the written agreement before you sign anything.
Do I have a case if I was partly at fault?
Possibly. Texas reduces your recovery by your share of fault and bars it above fifty one percent. Fault percentages are argued, not handed down, and initial police report assessments are not binding.