Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyer

Reviewed by Larry "Jimmy" Peters, Fundador · Texas Bar No. 24113438 · Actualizado Agosto 2026

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Esta es nuestra página de visión general de las reclamaciones por lesiones derivadas Fort Worth y el condado de Tarrant — car crashes on I-35W, I-30, I-20, Loop 820 and the Airport Freeway, 18-wheeler collisions on the Alliance corridor, motorcycle wrecks, pedestrian injuries downtown and near TCU, rear-end collisions at the Mixmaster, uninsured-driver claims and wrongful death. Each of those has its own detailed page, linked below. This page explains the Texas rules that apply to all of them and the practical differences between a Tarrant County case and one filed across the county line in Dallas.

Una palabra sobre dónde estamos. Southern Injury Attorneys does not have a Fort Worth office. Fort Worth and Tarrant County cases are handled from our Oficina de Dallas en 4245 N. Central Expressway, Suite 490, roughly 30 miles east of downtown Fort Worth on I-30. In practice that changes very little: consultations are free by phone or video, documents are signed electronically, we come to you when an in-person meeting is needed, and the case itself is filed and litigated in Tarrant County where it belongs. The firm’s attorneys are licensed in Texas and five other states, and our Texas personal injury overview y Dallas pages cover the rest of the Metroplex.

Fort Worth personal injury law at a glance

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How common are serious crashes in Fort Worth and Tarrant County?

The Texas Department of Transportation’s 2024 crash records count 28,074 accidentes en el condado de Tarrant, 189 of them fatalCon 201 people killed and 983 suspected serious injuries. Next door, Dallas County recorded 46,257 crashes and 331 deaths the same year; statewide, 4,150 people died on Texas roads in 2024. Commercial trucks were involved in 1,716 Tarrant County crashes in 2024, 19 of them fatal — the fourth-highest commercial-vehicle count of any Texas county. Source: TxDOT, Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts 2024, “Crashes and Injuries by County” and “CMV Involved Crashes and Injuries by County,” data as processed April 9, 2025.

Fort Worth’s road network explains a good share of that. I-35W runs north–south through the middle of the city and carries the freight traffic generated by the AllianceTexas logistics hub on the north side. I-30 and I-20 cross east–west, connecting Fort Worth to Arlington and Dallas. Loop 820 rings the city, and SH-121/SH-183 — the Airport Freeway — feeds DFW International Airport and the Mid-Cities. US-287 brings traffic in from the northwest and southeast. Where I-30 and I-35W meet just south of downtown, the interchange known locally as the Mixmaster concentrates merging, weaving and stop-and-go traffic that produces a steady stream of rear-end and sideswipe collisions.

How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Fort Worth?

Texas gives an injured person dos años from the date the cause of action accrues to file suit (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a)). For a crash, that is normally the date of the crash. Wrongful death and survival claims also carry a two-year period, running from the date of death (§ 16.003(b)). Miss the deadline and the claim is gone, regardless of how clear the other driver’s fault was.

Two situations shorten the practical timeline. If a vehicle owned by the City of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, the State of Texas, a school district or a transit authority was involved — or a road defect contributed — the Texas Tort Claims Act requires written notice within six months (§ 101.101), and some city charters shorten that further. And in every case the evidence deteriorates far faster than two years: intersection and business camera footage is overwritten in days or weeks, vehicles are repaired or scrapped, and witnesses move. The legal deadline is two years; the evidence deadline is measured in weeks.

¿Puedo recuperarme si estaba en parte culpable?

Yes, within limits. Texas uses falla comparativa modificada under Chapter 33 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code. A jury assigns a percentage of responsibility to everyone involved. If your share is 50 percent or less, you recover your damages reduced by that percentage; if it is greater than 50 percent, you recover nothing (§ 33.001, § 33.012). A driver found 20 percent at fault for a Loop 820 collision with $100,000 in damages recovers $80,000. A driver found 51 percent at fault recovers $0.

Because the difference between 50 and 51 percent is the difference between a recovery and nothing, insurers put real effort into moving that number. Speed, following distance, lane position, phone use and whether you were wearing a seat belt are all argued. Texas also lets defendants designate absent parties as “responsible third parties” (§ 33.004), and fault assigned to an empty chair reduces what the defendants in the room pay. Identifying every responsible party early is not thoroughness for its own sake; in Texas it is directly tied to what can be collected.

Which court hears a Fort Worth injury case?

Under § 15.002 venue generally lies in the county where all or a substantial part of the events occurred, or where the defendant resides. For a crash in Fort Worth, Arlington, Keller, North Richland Hills, Burleson, Haslet or elsewhere in the county, that means the Tarrant County district courts, which sit in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building at 100 N. Calhoun Street in downtown Fort Worth. Smaller claims may be filed in the county courts at law. A case that crosses into Dallas County — a crash on I-30 in Grand Prairie, for instance, or a defendant headquartered in Dallas — may be filed in either county, and the choice matters: jury pools, docket speed and local practice differ, and we make that decision case by case.

When the defendant is an out-of-state company — most trucking cases — the case may be removed to federal court. Fort Worth has its own federal division: the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, at the Eldon B. Mahon U.S. Courthouse on W. 10th Street, which serves Tarrant, Parker, Hood, Wise, Jack, Palo Pinto, Erath and Comanche counties. Removal changes procedure and the jury pool but not the Texas law that applies.

What is a Fort Worth personal injury case worth?

No lawyer can give you a number from a web page, and anyone who quotes one before reading your medical records is guessing. What we can tell you is what goes into the number. Daños económicos — medical expenses past and future, lost earnings, lost earning capacity, out-of-pocket costs — are not capped in an ordinary Texas injury case, though § 41.0105 limits recoverable medical expenses to amounts actually paid or incurred. Daños no económicos — physical pain, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, loss of consortium — are likewise uncapped outside medical malpractice and governmental claims. Daños exentos for gross negligence require clear and convincing proof (§ 41.003) and are capped at the greater of $200,000 or twice economic damages plus non-economic damages up to $750,000 (§ 41.008(b)).

Against those figures sit the practical limits: the at-fault driver’s coverage (Texas minimums are only 30/60/25 under Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072), your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, the fault percentages a Tarrant County jury might assign, and the liens that health insurers, Medicare, Medicaid and hospitals under Property Code Chapter 55 assert against a settlement. Much of the work in a serious case is in that second list.

What insurance pays after a Fort Worth crash?

The at-fault driver’s liability policy pays first, and in Texas that policy may be as small as $30,000 per person. When it is not enough — or the driver had no insurance at all — your own cobertura motorista no asegurada o asegurada steps in. Texas insurers must offer UM/UIM, and it is part of every auto policy unless the named insured rejected it in writing (Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101). Under Brainard v. Trinity Universal Ins. Co., 216 S.W.3d 809 (Tex. 2006), your own insurer owes nothing until the other driver’s fault and underinsured status are established, which is why these claims are often litigated rather than simply presented. Personal injury protection of at least $2,500 must also be offered (§ 1952.152) and pays medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. Our Fort Worth uninsured motorist page covers this in depth.

Where do Fort Worth crash victims get treated, and why does it matter?

Fort Worth has two adult Level I trauma centers: JPS Health Network’s John Peter Smith Hospital on the Near Southside, verified as a Level I trauma center by the American College of Surgeons, and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, designated a Level I trauma facility by the Texas Department of State Health Services in 2023 and redesignated in 2026. Serious crash victims from across Tarrant County and the counties to the west are brought to one of the two. It matters for the claim because the trauma record — the EMS run sheet, the trauma activation, the imaging, the surgical notes — is the core of the medical proof, and because hospital liens under Chapter 55 attach to the recovery and have to be negotiated.

What kinds of Fort Worth injury cases do we handle?

Each of the following has its own page with the law, the local geography and the questions people actually ask:

• Accidentes de coche — Loop 820, Airport Freeway and Mixmaster collisions; crash reports; minimum insurance and the 51 percent bar.
• Truck and 18-wheeler accidents — the AllianceTexas freight corridor and I-35W; federal hours-of-service and electronic logging rules; the six-month evidence window.
• Accidentes de motocicleta — helmet law for riders 21 and over; the 2023 lane-splitting ban; rider bias.
• Collisions rear-end — following-distance law, stopping distances, whiplash and PIP.
• Uninsured and underinsured motorist claims — hit-and-run, the written-rejection rule and Brainard.
• Accidentes peatones — crosswalk right-of-way, downtown and Near Southside, the TCU area.
• Muerte incorrecta — who may file under § 71.004, survival claims, the two-year clock.

Slip-and-fall, dog-bite and rideshare matters in Tarrant County are handled as well; call and we will tell you candidly whether the case is one we can help with.

Why hire a firm based in Dallas for a Fort Worth case?

Because the case is decided by Texas law and Tarrant County juries, not by the lawyer’s street address. What matters is whether the firm handles serious motor-vehicle cases regularly, has the resources to hire reconstruction and medical experts, knows the Chapter 33 fault fight and the UM/UIM rules, and is prepared to file suit in the Tom Vandergriff building rather than take the first offer. Southern Injury Attorneys handles car, truck, motorcycle and wrongful death cases across Texas from Dallas and Houston, and our attorneys are licensed in six states. Fort Worth clients get the same team, free consultations by phone or video, electronic signing, and in-person meetings wherever they are needed. We do not claim to have an office we do not have; we do claim to handle the case properly.

What should you do in the first weeks after a Fort Worth crash?

1. Get medical care and keep going. Gaps in treatment are the most common argument used to devalue a genuine injury.
2. Get the crash report. The Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3) is purchased through TxDOT’s Crash Report Online Purchase System for $6 ($8 certified). Law enforcement must submit it to TxDOT within ten days of the crash.
3. Photograph everything while it exists. Vehicles, the scene, skid marks, signage, your injuries.
4. Report the claim to your own insurer — your policy requires it — but do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer before you have advice. Our Texas guide to what not to say explains why.
5. Preserve evidence. Ask nearby businesses to hold camera footage; do not repair or dispose of your vehicle until it has been photographed and, in a serious case, inspected.
6. If a government vehicle or road defect was involved, calendar the six-month notice deadline under § 101.101 — it arrives long before the two-year statute.
7. Keep your own record of missed work, medications, and what you cannot do now that you could do before.

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Related Fort Worth, Dallas and Texas pages

Detailed Fort Worth pages: accidentes de coche, accidentes de camiones, accidentes de motocicletas, colisiones de retaguardia, uninsured motorist claims, accidentes peatonales y muerte equivocada. Across the county line: our Dallas personal injury lawyers page and Oficina de Dallas. Statewide: Texas personal injury, Texas car accidents, Texas truck accidents y Texas motorcycle accidents.

Fort Worth personal injury FAQs

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Fort Worth, Texas?

Two years from the date of injury under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003; wrongful death claims run two years from the date of death. If a city, county or state vehicle or a road defect was involved, the Texas Tort Claims Act requires written notice within six months under § 101.101.

Can I recover if I was partly at fault for a crash in Tarrant County?

Yes, if your share of responsibility is 50 percent or less. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage. If a jury finds you more than 50 percent responsible you recover nothing (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001).

Where would my Fort Worth injury lawsuit be filed?

Usually in the Tarrant County district courts at the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building, 100 N. Calhoun Street, Fort Worth, under the venue rules in § 15.002. Cases against out-of-state companies may be removed to the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division.

Does Southern Injury Attorneys have an office in Fort Worth?

No. Fort Worth and Tarrant County cases are handled from our Dallas office at 4245 N. Central Expressway, Suite 490, about 30 miles east. Consultations are free by phone or video, and we meet clients in person wherever it is needed.

How do I get my Fort Worth crash report?

The Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3) is available through TxDOT’s Crash Report Online Purchase System for $6, or $8 for a certified copy. Officers must submit the report to TxDOT within ten days of the crash.

What is the minimum car insurance in Texas?

30/60/25 under Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072: $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 per crash, and $25,000 for property damage. Serious injuries routinely exceed those limits, which is why uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage matters.

What if a City of Fort Worth or Tarrant County vehicle hit me?

The Texas Tort Claims Act applies. Written notice must be given within six months (§ 101.101), and damages are capped at $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence for the state and municipalities, or $100,000 and $300,000 for other local governmental units (§ 101.023).

What is the average personal injury settlement in Fort Worth?

There is no reliable average, and any figure quoted before a lawyer has reviewed your medical records is a guess. Value depends on the injuries, the medical proof, the available insurance, the fault percentages a jury might assign, and liens against the recovery.

Do I have to talk to the other driver’s insurance company?

No. You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and statements given early, in pain or on medication, are used later to argue fault or minimize injuries.

Where are serious crash victims treated in Fort Worth?

Fort Worth has two adult Level I trauma centers: JPS Health Network’s John Peter Smith Hospital and Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth. Hospital liens under Texas Property Code Chapter 55 can attach to a settlement and must be resolved.

What does it cost to hire a Fort Worth personal injury lawyer?

We work on a contingency fee: no attorney fee unless there is a recovery. Consultations are free and available 24/7 at (469) 253-2533. The fee agreement is provided in writing and explained before you sign anything.

Iniciar su revisión de caso gratis

Tell us what happened and we will call you back — usually within minutes during business hours. Free consultation, no fee unless we win. Phone and video consultations are available for Fort Worth and Tarrant County clients; we also meet clients at our Dallas office on N. Central Expressway.

Larry "Jimmy" Peters, Founder, Southern Injury Attorneys
Texas Bar No. 24113438. Jimmy leads a personal injury firm with attorneys licensed in Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kentucky and Georgia. Fort Worth and Tarrant County cases are handled from the firm’s Dallas office on N. Central Expressway.

This page is legal information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutes, regulations and case law change; every case turns on its own facts. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Reviewed by Larry “Jimmy” Peters, Founder, Southern Injury Attorneys, Texas Bar No. 24113438. Fort Worth matters are handled from the firm’s Dallas office at 4245 N. Central Expressway, Suite 490, Dallas, Texas 75205, about 30 miles east of downtown Fort Worth. Southern Injury Attorneys does not maintain an office in Fort Worth.