Jessica Burgoyne, leveraging a deep background in research methods and a passion for legal issues, distills complex legal concepts into accessible insights. With over 100 published articles, her work has been featured in Forbes Advisor and other respected publications. Her work, underpinned by rigorous research and a commitment to quality, offers readers trustworthy, actionable information.
Jessica Burgoyne
Jessica Burgoyne, leveraging a deep background in research methods and a passion for legal issues, distills complex legal concepts into accessible insights. With over 100 published articles, her work has been featured in Forbes Advisor and other respected publications. Her work, underpinned by rigorous research and a commitment to quality, offers readers trustworthy, actionable information.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Reviewed
Adam Ramirez, J.D.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Austin is a bustling city full of live music, amazing restaurants and the motto “keep Austin weird.” This capital city of Texas is a unique melting pot of residents from all over the country (and the world).
But with all the benefits come some drawbacks—and the traffic is definitely one of those. And with traffic comes car accidents. There are plenty of lawyers advertising that they represent accident victims. It shouldn’t be too difficult to find one. But you don’t want just any attorney. You want a superstar.
We’ve gathered a list of some of the best car accident lawyers in Austin, TX. In addition, we’ve included information about laws relating to car accidents in Texas and a guide to choosing the right attorney for your case.
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Best Car Accident Attorneys in Austin
Compare Our Top Attorneys
Other Texas Car Accident Lawyers
Car Accident Laws in Texas
Texas has some unique requirements that you need to be aware of if you’re bringing a car accident case. A qualified lawyer can help you make sense of these laws. Here’s a primer on what to expect.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations in Texas for injury cases and medical malpractice is two years. This includes car accident injuries and starts from the date of the injury. It’s important to contact an attorney as soon as possible to ensure that your case is filed in time.
Determination of Fault
Texas is a modified comparative fault state. This means that the court will consider how much each party is at fault and adjust damages based on that. However, anyone who is 51% or more responsible for the accident cannot recover damages.
Here are some examples of how that might look:
- Driver A is determined to be 75% at fault for an accident, so they cannot collect any damages. Driver B is determined to be 25% at fault for the accident. Driver B’s damages are then reduced by 25%. So, if Driver B’s damages were $40,000, they would receive $30,000.
- Driver C is determined to be 100% at fault for an accident with Driver D. Driver D can recover 100% of their damages because they had no fault in the accident.
- Driver E and Driver F are determined to each be 50% at fault for an accident. Each of them can collect 50% of their damages.
Car Insurance Requirements in Texas
Texas offers a Consumer Bill of Rights for automobile insurance published by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). It must be offered with every automobile insurance policy. The document provides information on drivers’ rights and responsibilities regarding car insurance, and it can answer many questions that you might have. You can also contact the TDI with any questions that aren’t covered in the Consumer Bill of Rights.
Texas has a minimum amount of insurance that every driver must carry. Those amounts are as follows:
Although these minimums may initially seem sufficient, they can be reached very quickly. Consider higher coverage than the state requires to give yourself peace of mind in the event of an accident.
Texas Damage Caps
Texas does have damage caps on some types of damages, but they typically don’t apply to automobile accidents. Damage caps apply in these circumstances:
- Medical malpractice. You can sue for the total amount of economic damages you’ve suffered (such as medical bills), but non-economic damages (often referred to as “pain and suffering”) are capped at $250,000 per medical facility.
- Government organizations. If you are injured by a government employee (such as a police officer), the most you can recover is $250,000 per injured person or $500,000 per incident if there were multiple people injured.
- Punitive damages. Punitive damages sometimes occur in cases where the defendant is judged to be extremely reckless or dangerous. They are awarded as a punishment and are above and beyond any economic and non-economic damages that are awarded. These damages are capped at the greater of $200,000 or double the non-economic damages, up to $750,000.
How to Find an Austin Car Accident Lawyer
It’s not difficult to find a car accident lawyer in Austin, but it takes some work to find the right one for you. You want to make sure that your attorney is someone you can trust and that you’re confident about. Here are a few ways to do so:
Ask for Referrals
Chances are good that you know someone who’s been in a car accident in the past few years. Ask them which attorney they used and whether they’d recommend them. This can provide you with some ideas about which attorneys are good—and which you should steer clear of.
Look for Experience
You want your attorney to be someone with experience handling car accident cases. Many attorneys handle injury claims, but not all handle car accidents. Be sure your attorney has experience in this particular type of case. Ask potential attorneys what sort of clients they typically represent to get a sense of whether they’re the best choice for you.
Find Out About Fees
Car accident lawyers usually don’t offer a flat-rate service or billing by the hour. Instead, they work on a contingency basis, meaning if your case is successful, they will take a portion of the amount that you win.
Austin lawyers generally charge somewhere around 33% for cases that don’t go to court (such as those where a settlement offer is made) and around 40% (or up) if the case goes to trial.
Make sure you understand the fee structure a lawyer is proposing before you sign anything. You don’t want to get to the end of a long lawsuit only to discover that your attorney is charging much more than you expected.
Find Out If They Have Courtroom Experience
Most car accident cases never see the inside of a courtroom. Instead, they are settled without the need to go to court. But that doesn’t mean you want an attorney who isn’t comfortable litigating in court if need be. You want representation that can handle any possibility.
Ask Questions
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of any attorney that you’re considering. Pay close attention to the way they respond. Are they friendly? Dismissive? Do they make sure you understand before moving on? These are all clues that can help you determine whether a lawyer is right for you.
Methodology
To come up with the Best Car Accident Lawyers in Austin in 2024, Forbes Advisor considered many factors. Forbes Advisor’s mathematical module considers and weighs the information collected to calculate a specific rating and reviews these results to find the best attorneys in a given practice area.
Within the model, we take into account factors that legal professionals and consumers value in an attorney’s qualifications. After assigning weighted scores to hundreds of data points, we narrowed the field down to our top choices based on:
- Legal experience
- Special licenses & certifications
- Ethics and bar disciplinary measures
- Legal thought leadership
- Education & employment background
- Scholarly lectures & writings
- Awards & honors
Forbes Advisor collects public data from a variety of sources, including state bar associations, court records and other published sources on the internet. This information should not be considered comprehensive, however. It might not include additional relevant information on an attorney’s legal skills and experience.
Each lawyer listed here has their own merits. Bear in mind that our list relates to these lawyers’ legal backgrounds, but does not evaluate their personalities or their knowledge of the law. One attorney may be more suitable than another for your specific legal situation.
One thing that can’t be quantified, though, is the rapport you establish with your attorney. Personality goes a long way when teaming up with an attorney, especially when going through a potentially difficult legal situation. These rankings should serve as a reference and potential starting point in your search for the right lawyer for you and your legal
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What sort of damages can I recover in a Texas car accident case?
In Texas, it’s possible to recover economic, non-economic and punitive damages. Many cases will only involve one or two types of damages. Economic damages include things like the cost of medical care (past and future). Non-economic damages include pain and suffering. Punitive damages are awarded primarily as punishment for the offending party.
Do I need a lawyer if the insurance company has already offered me a settlement?
You’re not required to have an attorney review an insurance settlement in Texas, but it’s in your best interest to do so. Your lawyer can negotiate with the insurance company to try to increase the settlement amount and can also answer any questions you might have along the way. Accidents are difficult; there’s no reason to make them harder than they have to be by trying to navigate a settlement offer without representation.
