A serious car accident can happen anywhere in the Houston area—from I-45 and I-10 to the 610 Loop, Beltway 8, Highway 225, Highway 288, or a neighborhood street. When another driver causes a crash, the injured person may suddenly face medical bills, lost income, vehicle damage, and an insurance company trying to resolve the claim for as little as possible.
At Gilman & Allison, LLP, our Houston personal injury lawyers represent people injured in car wrecks throughout Houston, Harris County, and communities across Southeast Texas. We investigate what caused the collision, identify available insurance coverage, document our client’s damages, and pursue compensation from the responsible parties.
If you were hurt in a Houston-area car accident, speaking with an attorney early can help you understand your rights and avoid mistakes that could affect your claim.
Common Causes of Car Accidents in Houston
Houston’s extensive highway system, heavy commuter traffic, industrial corridors, and rapidly growing suburbs create countless opportunities for serious collisions.
Some of the car accident cases our attorneys investigate involve:
- Distracted driving and texting while driving
- Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
- Unsafe lane changes
- Following too closely
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Drunk or impaired driving
- Fatigued driving
- Reckless or aggressive driving
- Highway construction zones
- Dangerous merging
- Rear-end collisions
- Intersection crashes
Determining why a wreck occurred is often critical because Texas personal injury claims generally require proof that another party’s negligence caused the accident and resulting injuries.
Injured in a Car Accident on a Houston Freeway?
Some of Houston’s most serious crashes occur on the area’s major highways and heavily traveled transportation corridors.
Our firm represents accident victims with claims arising from wrecks on and around Interstate 45, Interstate 10, Interstate 69/US 59, Loop 610, Beltway 8, Highway 288, Highway 225, Highway 146, and other Houston-area roadways.
High-speed freeway collisions can produce significantly different injuries and evidence than a minor neighborhood accident. A case may involve multiple vehicles, commercial vehicles, roadway debris, surveillance footage, dash cameras, electronic data, or disputes concerning which driver caused the initial collision.
When appropriate, an investigation should begin before important evidence disappears.
What Should You Do After a Car Accident in Houston?
Your health should come first. Seek appropriate medical treatment after an accident, particularly if you are experiencing pain or other symptoms.
When circumstances permit, it can also be helpful to preserve evidence from the scene. Photographs of the vehicles, roadway, debris, skid marks, traffic signals, and surrounding area may later become important.
Obtain the other driver’s identifying and insurance information and the names and contact information of witnesses when possible. Keep copies of medical records, bills, repair estimates, photographs, and communications concerning the accident.
Be cautious when communicating with an insurance company about your injuries or how the wreck occurred. An insurance adjuster’s job is to evaluate the insurer’s exposure, and statements made shortly after an accident can become part of the claim file.
What Compensation Can I Recover After a Texas Car Accident?
The damages available depend on the facts of the particular case. When supported by the evidence and Texas law, an injured person may seek compensation for losses including:
Medical expenses. This can include reasonable and necessary medical treatment resulting from injuries sustained in the collision.
Future medical care. Serious injuries sometimes require surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, medication, or additional treatment in the future.
Lost wages and loss of earning capacity. An injury that prevents someone from working may cause substantial financial losses beyond medical expenses.
Physical pain and impairment. Texas law permits recovery of certain noneconomic damages when proven.
Property damage. A claim may also include damage to or loss of a vehicle and other personal property.
In cases involving particularly serious misconduct, additional damages may potentially be available under Texas law.
What If the Insurance Company Says I Was Partially at Fault?
Do not assume that an insurance company’s initial liability determination decides your case.
Texas follows a modified comparative-responsibility system. Fault can be disputed, and evidence may establish that responsibility should be allocated differently than an insurer initially claims.
Evidence such as photographs, witness testimony, police reports, video footage, vehicle data, and physical evidence from the scene can become important when determining how a collision actually occurred.
What If the Other Driver Does Not Have Insurance?
An uninsured driver does not necessarily mean there is no potential recovery.
Depending on your automobile insurance policy and the circumstances of the collision, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM) may provide another potential source of compensation.
Our attorneys can review the applicable policies and investigate available insurance coverage after a serious Texas car accident.
Houston Car Accident Claims Involving Company Vehicles
A wreck involving someone driving for work can raise issues that do not exist in an ordinary two-car accident.
Depending on the circumstances, potential defendants may include both the driver and an employer or other business entity. Claims can involve negligent driving, respondeat superior, negligent entrustment, or other theories recognized by Texas law.
Commercial and company-vehicle cases may also involve evidence such as employment records, vehicle records, electronic communications, GPS information, company policies, and insurance policies.
Identifying these issues early can be important when a collision causes catastrophic injuries.
Serious Injuries From Houston Car Wrecks
Not every car accident produces a minor injury. High-speed and high-impact collisions can result in injuries that affect a person for months, years, or permanently.
Our Houston personal injury attorneys handle cases involving fractures, orthopedic injuries, back and neck injuries, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, burns, scarring, internal injuries, surgeries, permanent impairment, and other serious injuries.
We also represent families in wrongful death claims arising from fatal Texas motor vehicle accidents.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Texas?
Texas law imposes deadlines on personal injury lawsuits. In many negligence cases, the applicable statute of limitations is two years, but the precise deadline can depend on the circumstances.
Waiting can create another problem: evidence does not necessarily last as long as the limitations period.
Vehicles are repaired or destroyed. Surveillance video can be overwritten. Witnesses become harder to locate. Electronic information may be deleted in the ordinary course of business.
For that reason, accident victims with significant injuries should consider obtaining legal advice well before the limitations deadline approaches.
Houston Car Accident Lawyers at Gilman & Allison, LLP
Gilman & Allison, LLP represents injured individuals and families in personal injury matters throughout the Houston area and across Texas. Our attorneys handle serious accident cases involving passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, 18-wheelers, industrial traffic, and other roadway hazards.
We understand that a car accident claim is not simply about repairing a vehicle. A serious collision can affect a person’s health, employment, finances, and family.
Our job is to investigate the accident, determine who may be legally responsible, identify available insurance coverage, evaluate the client’s damages, and pursue the compensation available under Texas law.
Areas We Serve
Our Houston-area personal injury practice includes car accident claims arising in Houston, Pearland, Pasadena, Deer Park, La Porte, Baytown, Channelview, Galena Park, South Houston, Friendswood, League City, Webster, Clear Lake, Alvin, Manvel, Missouri City, Sugar Land, and surrounding Texas communities.
Speak With a Houston Car Accident Attorney
If you or a family member was seriously injured because of another driver’s negligence, contact Gilman & Allison, LLP to discuss your potential claim.
Call (713) 224-6622 for a free case review.
There is no fee for the initial consultation. Contact our office to learn more about your legal options following a Houston-area car accident.