Frequently Asked Questions

Get to safety and call 911 so there is a police report. If you are hurt, tell the responding officer and get checked out, even if you feel okay at the scene. Take photos of the vehicles, the location, and any visible injuries, and get the other driver's name, insurance, and license plate. Get names and numbers for any witnesses. Then, before you talk to any insurance company, call a lawyer. Early decisions, like whether to give a recorded statement or sign a medical release, can affect your case more than most people realize.

Adrenaline hides a lot. Soft-tissue injuries, concussions, and back and neck problems often show up a day or two later. Getting checked out promptly protects your health and creates a record that ties your injuries to the wreck. Long gaps between the accident and your first treatment are one of the most common things insurance companies use to argue that you were not really hurt.

You are not required to give the other driver's insurance company a recorded statement, and we usually recommend that you do not before speaking with us. Adjusters are trained to ask questions in a way that minimizes your claim, and an offhand comment like "I'm feeling better" can be used against you later. You do generally need to report the accident to your own insurer, but you can keep it brief and factual. When in doubt, let us handle the communication.

Be careful. Early offers usually come before anyone knows the full extent of your injuries or how long recovery will take. Once you sign a release and cash a settlement check, that claim is over, even if you need more treatment later. It costs nothing to have us review an offer before you accept it.

This is where your own coverage matters. Uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on your policy can step in when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough to cover your injuries. Texas insurers are required to offer it, and you can only reject it in writing, so many people have it without realizing. If you have UM/UIM, there are specific steps you have to follow to protect it, so let us know early.

Not necessarily. Texas minimum liability limits are $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident, which does not go far with a serious injury. Beyond the at-fault driver's policy, we look at your own underinsured motorist coverage, any available umbrella policies, and whether anyone else may share responsibility for the crash. There is often more coverage available than the first policy you hear about.

PIP stands for Personal Injury Protection. It is no-fault coverage, meaning it pays regardless of who caused the wreck, and it can cover medical bills and a portion of lost wages, usually starting at $2,500. Like UM/UIM, Texas insurers must offer it and you can only turn it down in writing, so check your policy. PIP is often the fastest money available after an accident and it does not have to be paid back out of your settlement.

It is a tool that comes from a Texas case called Stowers. In short, when we send an insurance company a proper demand to settle within the at-fault driver's policy limits and they unreasonably refuse, we may be able to hold the insurer responsible for a judgment that exceeds those limits. It is one of the ways we put pressure on an insurer to pay fairly rather than lowball an injured person and gamble at trial.

Anyone who gives you a firm number early is guessing. Value depends on the seriousness of your injuries, your medical bills, lost income, how the injury affects your daily life going forward, the available insurance coverage, and who was at fault. We can give you a realistic assessment once we understand your injuries and your treatment, not before.

Nothing up front. We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee, which means we only get paid if we recover money for you, as a percentage of the recovery. The initial consultation is free, and we advance the costs of building your case. If there is no recovery, you do not owe us a fee.

It depends. Some cases resolve in a few months once treatment is finished and we can present a complete demand. Others, especially those involving serious injuries or an insurance company that refuses to be reasonable, take longer and may require filing a lawsuit. We generally do not want to settle before you have finished treating, because that is when we can accurately value what the wreck cost you. We will always give you our honest read on timing for your situation.

Most personal injury cases settle without a trial. That said, we prepare every case as if it will go in front of a jury, because insurance companies pay fair value far more often when they know a firm is willing and able to try the case. If a fair settlement is not offered, we are trial lawyers and we will take it to court.

For most personal injury claims, Texas gives you two years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. Miss that deadline and you can lose the right to recover entirely. Some situations have shorter deadlines, especially claims against a city, county, or other governmental entity, which can require formal notice within months. Because these deadlines are strict, it is best to talk to a lawyer early rather than wait.

Possibly. Texas uses a rule often called modified comparative negligence. If you are found to be 50 percent or less responsible, you can still recover, but your compensation is reduced by your share of the fault. If you are found to be 51 percent or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurance companies love to shift blame onto injured people to cut what they pay, which is one reason it helps to have a lawyer pushing back.

Depending on your case, this can include medical bills (past and future), lost wages and lost earning capacity, property damage, and compensation for physical pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, and physical impairment. In cases involving especially reckless conduct, additional damages may be available. We build your claim around the full picture, not just the bills.

Often, yes. Even after a good repair, a vehicle with an accident on its history is worth less than it was before the wreck. In Texas, that lost value can be part of your property damage claim. It is an item a lot of people do not know to ask for, and insurers rarely offer it on their own.

As a passenger, you are almost always an innocent party, and you may have a claim against the at-fault driver, whether that is the driver of your own vehicle, another vehicle, or both. You can also potentially use your own UM/UIM or PIP coverage. Being a passenger does not put you in the middle of a fault dispute the way it does for drivers.

You might. Texas does not follow a pure strict-liability rule for dog bites. Generally, an owner can be held responsible if they knew or should have known the dog was dangerous, or if they were careless in handling or restraining it, for example letting it run loose in violation of a leash law. Homeowner's or renter's insurance often covers these claims. Photos, medical records, and any history of the dog's behavior all help.

We focus on personal injury: car and truck wrecks, motorcycle accidents, dog bites, and other injury claims across Cedar Park, Liberty Hill, Leander, Round Rock, and the surrounding Central Texas communities. Focusing on injury work is deliberate. It is what we do every day, and it is how we get results for our clients.

We are a boutique firm, which means you work directly with your attorney, not a rotating cast of case managers. You get personal attention, real answers when you call, and the resources to take on the insurance companies. Our clients are people from our own community, not case numbers.

We are based in Cedar Park and represent injured people throughout Central Texas, including Liberty Hill, Leander, Round Rock, and the surrounding Williamson and Travis county areas. Most of our cases are in Texas state court.

Call us at (512) 562-7000 for a free, no-obligation consultation, or reach out through our website. We will listen to what happened, tell you honestly whether we think you have a case, and explain your options. There is no cost to talk, and no fee unless we recover for you.