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Houston Car Accident Lawyer

Houston Car Accident LawyerA car crash can leave you hurt, out of work, and dealing with an insurance company before you have had time to think. A Houston car accident lawyer at Abraham Watkins can help you file a claim against the driver or company that caused the crash and recover the cost of your injuries, so the financial weight of someone else’s mistake does not land on your family. In Texas, that recovery turns on three things: who was at fault, what your losses are, and how much insurance is available to pay them. Call 713-222-7211 to talk through your options.

For three-quarters of a century, Abraham Watkins has stood up for Houston drivers, passengers, and families after serious crashes. Call 713-222-7211 or contact us to schedule a free consultation about your crash.

Why Choose Abraham Watkins After a Houston Car Accident?

Why Choose Abraham Watkins After a Houston Car Accident?When an insurer will not pay what a crash claim is worth, Abraham Watkins is prepared to take the case before a Harris County jury. Most cases do not go to trial, but if a settlement cannot be reached, a trial or jury may be necessary, and our board-certified trial lawyers have been there before: firm attorney Jonathan Sneed obtained a $15.9 million verdict in Harris County in a car and truck accident case, one of our past results.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Houston

Harris County records more crashes than any other Texas county. In 2024, the county had 115,173 reportable crashes and 579 traffic deaths, according to Texas Department of Transportation crash data. Many of those crashes trace back to driver choices, such as:

What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accidents?

Each type of crash raises its own questions about fault and injuries.

Rear-End Collisions

Texas law requires a following driver to keep enough distance to stop safely, so following distance is usually the first question. Texas does not automatically blame the rear driver, though, and a sudden, unexplained stop by the front driver can shift part of the fault.

Head-On Collisions

Head-on crashes put the force of both vehicles into a single impact, which is why they can cause catastrophic injuries even at moderate speeds.

Rollover Accidents

SUVs and pickups sit higher than cars, which makes them more prone to tipping. SUV rollovers can raise a product question as well as a driving one: whether the roof, seat belts, or tires performed as they should have.

Highway and Interstate Crashes

Crashes on I-45, I-10, I-610, and Beltway 8 can happen at high speed and involve several vehicles and commercial trucks. A collision with an 18-wheeler brings federal trucking rules and a commercial insurer into the case, which our Houston truck accident lawyers handle as part of the same practice.

Fatal Collisions

When a crash takes a life, the family’s claim becomes a wrongful death action. That action is for the exclusive benefit of the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the person who died, under Section 71.004 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

What to Do Immediately After a Car Accident in Houston

The first hours after a crash affect both your recovery and your claim. A driver in a crash that injures or kills someone, or leaves a vehicle unable to be driven safely, must notify law enforcement immediately by the quickest means available, under Section 550.026 of the Texas Transportation Code. Steps that protect your health and your claim include:

  • prompt medical care, which also creates a record of the injury;
  • a police report and the report number;
  • photos of the vehicles, the roadway, and your injuries;
  • photos of the tractor-trailer and any DOT number listed, if a truck was involved; and
  • the names and contact details of the other driver and any witnesses.

Do not give a recorded statement to an insurance company prior to hiring an attorney. Insurance companies may also try to get you to give your full Social Security number; do not give it to them.

Why You Need a Houston Car Accident Lawyer on Your Side

A car accident claim rests on proof. A lawyer builds on what you gather at the scene with evidence that is harder to get on your own, such as vehicle data, an expert analysis of how the crash happened, and the medical records that tie each injury to the collision. That proof shapes how fault is divided and what the claim is worth.

Understanding Fault and Liability in Texas Car Accidents

Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule, which divides responsibility among everyone who caused a crash. A claimant, meaning the injured person filing the claim, cannot recover damages if their share of responsibility is greater than 50%, according to Section 33.001 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. At 50% or less, Texas’s damages-reduction rule lowers the recovery by that share.

For example, if a jury valued a claim at $100,000 and found the injured driver 20% responsible for not braking sooner, the recovery would be $80,000.

Damages You Might Be Owed in Car Accident Cases

A claim can include several kinds of damages, each proved differently.

Economic Damages

Economic damages cover losses with a dollar figure: medical treatment, future care, lost earnings, and lost earning capacity.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages cover the personal toll of an injury. Examples include emotional suffering; mental anguish; pain and suffering in the past and future; and permanent disfigurement.

Pain and Suffering

Pain and suffering has no bill behind it. It is shown through treatment history and through testimony from you and the people who see how the injury has changed your daily life.

Punitive (Exemplary) Damages

Texas calls punitive damages exemplary damages, because they punish conduct rather than repay a loss. They require clear and convincing evidence that the harm came from fraud, malice, or gross negligence, under Section 41.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code; ordinary carelessness is not enough. Section 41.008 generally caps them at the greater of $200,000 or twice the economic damages plus up to $750,000 in non-economic damages. The cap does not apply in some cases involving certain serious crimes, such as intoxication manslaughter.

How Much Is Your Car Accident Case Worth?

A case is worth the losses that can be proved, reduced by any share of fault. Insurance often sets the practical limit. Texas sets minimum liability coverage in Section 601.072 of the Texas Transportation Code at $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one crash and $60,000 for two or more people, subject to the $30,000 per-person amount. A serious injury can cost far more than a minimum policy pays, so finding every available policy matters early.

How Long Do You Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Texas?

A car accident lawsuit generally must be filed within two years after the claim accrues, under Section 16.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code, with exceptions the statute lists. Texas courts have held that a claim accrues when a wrongful act causes a legal injury, so for a car crash the clock usually starts on the day of the crash, even if an injury is diagnosed later. When a crash causes a death, the claim accrues on the day the person dies.

When Should You Contact a Car Accident Lawyer?

Soon after immediate medical needs are handled. Evidence fades long before the deadline: vehicles are repaired, surveillance video is recorded over, and witnesses move, so early contact leaves time to preserve it.

What Does It Cost to Hire Us? (Nothing Upfront, No Fee Unless We Win)

We handle injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning we only receive attorney fees if and when we obtain a recovery in your case, because we believe everyone deserves access to high-quality legal representation without an upfront cost. The first consultation is free.

Houston Car Accident FAQs

Is Texas a No-Fault State for Car Accidents?

No. Texas is an at-fault state, so the driver who caused a crash, and that driver’s insurer, are responsible for the harm. Texas insurers must include personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in auto policies unless the policyholder rejects it in writing, and PIP can pay some medical bills and lost income regardless of who caused the crash.

What If the Driver Who Hit Me Has No Insurance?

Your own policy may help. Texas insurers must offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and it is part of the policy unless the policyholder rejected it in writing. That coverage can pay when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough to cover the injuries.

Can I Still Recover if I Was Not Wearing a Seat Belt?

Often, yes. The Texas Supreme Court has held that evidence of not wearing a seat belt can be considered in deciding each person’s share of responsibility, when the failure to buckle up contributed to the injuries. That can reduce a recovery under the comparative fault rule, but it does not automatically bar one.

Talk With a Houston Car Accident Lawyer at Abraham Watkins

A crash can upend your health, your work, and your plans in a single moment, and you should not have to face the insurance company alone. Abraham Watkins can review what happened and explain your options. Call 713-222-7211 or contact us today for a free consultation with a Houston car accident lawyer, well before the two-year deadline passes.

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