Car accidents in Texas are more common than most people realize. TxDOT’s most recent report shows 4,159 traffic deaths statewide in 2024, and the estimated economic loss from Texas crashes totaled nearly $60 billion that same year. And the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that crash injuries sent more than 2.8 million people to the emergency room nationwide in 2023.
A wreck can happen to anyone, on any ordinary drive. And what you do in the first few hours after a crash can affect both your health and your Texas car accident claim down the road.
If you’re searching for a Dallas car accident lawyer, you’re likely asking questions like, “How much is my claim actually worth? Is the other driver’s carelessness enough to hold them accountable? What happens next?” We can help you find answers.
Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP, has represented injured Texans for decades. Our attorneys have recovered more than $110 million in verdicts and settlements across a wide range of injury cases. Here’s what you should know about your options and how we can help.
What to Do in the Hours After a Car Crash in Dallas
In the minutes and hours after a collision, it generally helps to:
- Call 911 and stay at the scene until police arrive.
- Seek medical attention even if you feel fine, since some injuries take days to show symptoms.
- Photograph the vehicles, the road conditions, and any visible injuries.
- Exchange names, insurance information, and license plate numbers with the other driver.
- Get contact information from anyone who witnessed the crash.
- Keep copies of paperwork from police, tow companies, and medical providers.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with a car wreck lawyer in Dallas
Texas law requires drivers to report any crash involving injury, death, or significant property damage, and that police report becomes an important piece of evidence in your claim.
Adrenaline has a way of masking pain right after a collision, so you might feel fine even when you’re hurt. Wait too long to document the scene, and an insurance adjuster may later question how serious your injuries really were.
How Liability Is Established Under Texas Law
Most car accident cases in Texas come down to one question: Did the other driver fail to act with reasonable care, and did that failure cause your crash?
To hold someone responsible, you generally have to prove:
- They owed you a duty to drive safely.
- They breached that duty with unsafe driving.
- That breach caused the collision.
- The collision led to real damages.
Police reports, traffic camera footage, cell phone records, and witness statements often become the evidence that ties these pieces together.
But gathering the evidence is only half the battle, as insurance companies rarely take the blame without a fight and adjusters are trained to spot any detail that might shift responsibility onto you. That’s why our Dallas car accident attorneys start gathering evidence early, before surveillance footage gets deleted, vehicles get repaired, or witnesses start to forget what they saw.
Dallas Lawyers Ready to Fight for Your Rights
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you owe nothing unless the firm recovers compensation on your behalf.
If you were hurt in a crash, schedule a free consultation with a Dallas car accident attorney from our team to talk through what happened and what your options look like.
You may trust your driving abilities, but you can’t trust the driving abilities of others. Negligence is the most common cause of motor vehicle accidents in Texas. This includes driving while intoxicated, driving in a reckless manner, or distracted driving. After a collision, the victims of such negligence have the right to bring legal action against the offending party.
Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP has over 25 years of personal injury experience, and we are skilled negotiators who never submit to less-than-adequate settlement offers. When negotiations fail, we do not hesitate to take matters to trial. Our law firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. We operate on a no-coverage, no-fee basis, so you won’t have to worry about paying attorney fees if we somehow lose your case.
If you would like to discuss your claim with a member of our team, don’t hesitate to call us at (214) 231-0555. During your free consultation, we will walk you through what to expect. If you can’t come to our location, one of our attorneys will come to you. Get started on the road to recovery today.
John W. Arnold,
Partner, Trial and Appellate Attorney
With over 25 years of experience, John is a seasoned trial and appellate attorney known for delivering results.
David W. Crowe
Partner, Personal Injury
For more than 30 years, David has been a powerful advocate and fighting for individuals harmed by negligence and abuse.
D.G. Majors
Trial Attorney, Personal Injury and Product Liability
D.G. is a trial lawyer with a strong track record of results in personal injury, product liability, and commercial litigation.
What Damages Can You Recover After a Car Accident?
If you’ve been hurt in a crash, Texas law allows you to pursue several categories of compensation, including:
- Medical expenses, both past bills and anticipated future care
- Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Pain, suffering, and physical impairment
- Loss of consortium in cases involving a spouse, in certain situations
- Rental car costs and other out-of-pocket expenses while your vehicle is repaired
How much a claim is worth depends on how severe the injury is, how clear liability is, and how much insurance coverage is available. After all, a broken bone that heals in a few months is valued very differently than a spinal injury that changes how someone works or cares for their family long-term.
It’s natural to want a number early on, and some people look at the average car accident settlement in Texas just to get a general sense of scale. But every case turns on its own facts, and outcomes vary based on the injuries and evidence involved.
Texas’s Modified Comparative Fault Rule and What It Means for Your Case
Texas follows what’s called a modified comparative fault system, laid out in the state’s Civil Practice and Remedies Code. Under this rule, you can still recover damages as long as you’re not found more than 50 percent at fault for the crash.
If you are found partially responsible, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if a jury finds you were 20 percent responsible for a crash and awards $100,000 in damages, your recovery would be reduced to $80,000. If that percentage climbs past 50 percent, Texas law bars recovery altogether.
Insurance companies are well aware of how this rule works, and they frequently try to shift blame toward the injured person to reduce what they owe. This is one reason many people bring in legal help early in the process, before they agree to any statement that could later be used to inflate their share of the blame.
Texas Vehicle Accident Case Results
Jury verdict after trial involving auto accident with only $26,000 in medical expenses.
Dealing with Uninsured or Underinsured Drivers in Texas
Texas requires drivers to carry insurance, but that doesn’t mean everyone does. An estimated 14.5% of Texas drivers—nearly one in seven—were driving without insurance in 2023, according to the Insurance Research Council.
When the at-fault driver can’t pay for your damages, an uninsured motorist claim in Texas filed through your own policy may be the path toward compensation, assuming that coverage was included on your auto policy.
These claims can get complicated, since your own insurer is technically supposed to look out for your interests but still has a financial incentive to limit what it pays. Underinsured motorist coverage works in a similar way when the at-fault driver carries some insurance, but not enough to cover the full extent of your injuries and losses.
Why Hiring a Car Accident Attorney in Dallas, TX Makes a Difference
Recovering from an injury is hard enough without also negotiating with insurance adjusters, tracking down evidence, and calculating what a claim is actually worth.
Our Dallas car accident attorneys handle the investigation, deal with the insurance companies directly, and work to build a case that reflects how the crash has affected your life, not just the initial medical bills. We treat each case as a unique situation, not applying a one-size-fits-all approach.
Common Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle
Car accidents happen for a lot of reasons, and the type of crash often shapes how a claim gets built, which parties may share responsibility, and which insurance policies come into play.
We represent clients dealing with:
- Collisions involving commercial vehicles, including cases handled by a Dallas truck accident lawyer
Each of these case types can involve different insurance policies, different evidence, and, at times, more than one potentially responsible party, such as an employer, a rideshare company, or a trucking company in addition to the driver.
Talk to Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP — No Fee Unless We Win
You don’t have to sort through Texas car accident law on your own, and you shouldn’t have to accept whatever an insurance adjuster offers first. Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP, is here to help.
Our Dallas Location
You can find our office in Bank of America Plaza at 901 Main Street in downtown Dallas. We’re near Dealey Plaza, the JFK Memorial, Renaissance Tower, and the AT&T Discovery District.
6550 Bank of America Plaza
901 Main St.
P: 214-231-0555