Why You Need a Fort Worth Accident Lawyer After a Serious Injury
If you’ve been hurt in an accident in Fort Worth, you have the right to seek compensation from whoever caused your injuries. Whether you were injured by a falling pallet at an Alliance warehouse, attacked due to poor security at an apartment complex, hurt in a car crash on I-35W, or burned in an oil field explosion, Texas law allows victims to recover money for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. But insurance companies don’t pay fair settlements without a fight, and the clock is ticking on your legal rights.
At Varghese Summersett, our Fort Worth accident attorney has recovered millions for accident victims across Tarrant County. We handle everything from workplace injuries and premises liability claims to vehicle crashes, construction accidents, and wrongful death cases. With offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, and Southlake, we know the local courts, the insurance tactics, and what it takes to win.
Types of Accident Cases We Handle in Fort Worth
Fort Worth’s mix of industrial zones, logistics hubs, active nightlife, and major highways creates a wide range of dangers. Our attorneys have experience handling all of them.
Workplace and Industrial Accidents
Fort Worth’s economy runs on logistics, manufacturing, and energy. That means warehouse injuries, construction site accidents, and oil field disasters are common, and often devastating.
The Barnett Shale formation runs directly beneath Fort Worth, making this one of the few major cities with active drilling operations in populated areas. Pipeline explosions, rig collapses, and toxic exposure to chemicals like silica dust and benzene have injured workers and nearby residents alike.
Here’s what many injured workers don’t know: these cases often go beyond workers’ compensation. If a third party caused your injury (for example, a subcontractor’s faulty equipment or another company’s negligent employee), you can file a personal injury lawsuit for full damages. Workers’ comp limits what you can recover. A third-party lawsuit does not.
The massive logistics hubs around AllianceTexas have created another category of serious injuries. Forklift impalements, crush injuries from falling pallets, and loading dock falls happen regularly. When these accidents are caused by unrealistic speed quotas or inadequate training, victims may have grounds for gross negligence claims, which can result in punitive damages.
Fort Worth is also home to American Airlines, Bell Helicopter, and Lockheed Martin, plus heavy air traffic at Alliance Airport and Meacham Field. Aviation-related injuries aren’t just plane crashes. They include tarmac injuries to baggage handlers, helicopter maintenance failures, and manufacturing defects. These cases involve both federal FAA and NTSB regulations and Texas state law, making them extremely specialized.
Premises Liability: Injuries on Someone Else’s Property
Property owners in Texas have a legal duty to keep their premises safe. When they fail, and someone gets hurt, they can be held liable.
Negligent Security: This is a growing area of law in Fort Worth. If you were assaulted, mugged, or shot at an apartment complex, bar, hotel, or parking garage, the property owner may be responsible if they failed to provide adequate security. Texas law requires owners to protect visitors from “foreseeable” crimes. Our attorneys prove foreseeability by pulling crime grids (police call logs for a specific address) showing the owner knew the area was dangerous but did nothing to install gates, cameras, or proper lighting.
Slip, Trip, and Fall Accidents: Texas law classifies visitors into three categories, and your classification determines how much protection you’re owed. An “invitee” (like a customer at a store) gets the highest protection. The owner must actively inspect for dangers and fix them. A “licensee” (like a social guest) gets less protection. The owner only has to warn about known dangers. A trespasser gets almost no protection. Understanding this hierarchy is essential to any premises liability case.
Dog Bites: Texas follows what’s commonly called the “One Bite Rule.” Unlike states with strict liability, Texas generally requires victims to prove the owner knew the dog was aggressive. However, Lillian’s Law (Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 822) imposes both criminal and civil penalties when a loose dog causes serious bodily injury or death, even without a prior bite history.
Dram Shop Liability: When Bars Over-Serve
If a drunk driver injures you, and that driver was served alcohol while already visibly intoxicated, the bar or restaurant can be held liable under Texas’s Dram Shop Act (Alcoholic Beverage Code Chapter 2). This is particularly relevant in Fort Worth’s active nightlife districts like West 7th and the Stockyards.
Bars often raise a “safe harbor” defense, claiming all their employees were TABC certified. A skilled attorney knows how to challenge this by showing the establishment fostered a culture of over-serving despite the certification.
Car, Truck, and Motorcycle Accidents
With I-35W, I-30, and I-20 cutting through the city, Fort Worth sees thousands of vehicle crashes each year. Commercial trucks heading to and from the Alliance logistics hub add to the danger. Truck accident cases are more complex than car crashes because multiple parties may be liable, including the driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, and the truck manufacturer. Federal regulations govern how long drivers can be on the road and how trucks must be maintained. When trucking companies cut corners, people die.
In a recent Tarrant County case, our team represented a family whose vehicle was rear-ended by a commercial truck on I-35W. The trucking company initially denied liability. Through discovery, we obtained the driver’s log books and electronic data from the truck’s “black box.” The evidence showed the driver had been on the road for 14 hours, violating federal hours-of-service regulations.
The First 72 Hours: What to Do After Any Accident
The steps you take immediately after an accident can make or break your case. Insurance adjusters start building their defense the moment a claim is filed.
Get Medical Attention Immediately
This applies to every type of accident. If you wait two weeks to see a doctor, the insurance company will argue you weren’t really hurt. Their adjusters are trained to say, “If you were in that much pain, you would have gone to the ER right away.” Even if you feel okay after an accident, adrenaline masks pain. Soft tissue injuries, concussions, and internal bleeding often don’t show symptoms for days. Get checked out within 24 to 48 hours, and keep every medical record.
A gap in treatment is the number one reason cases lose value. Don’t give the insurance company that ammunition.
Report the Accident Properly
How you report depends on what happened:
For vehicle crashes, you need the official crash report (called a CR-3) from the responding police department. You can request your report online through the Texas Department of Transportation’s Crash Report Portal.
For workplace injuries, report the accident to your supervisor immediately and make sure it’s documented in writing. Request a copy of the incident report. If your employer doesn’t have a formal reporting process, create your own written record and email it to your supervisor so there’s a timestamp.
For premises liability cases (injuries at a business, apartment complex, or someone else’s property), report the incident to the property manager or owner. Ask them to create an incident report, and get a copy. If they refuse, document your request in writing.
For dog bites, report the attack to Fort Worth Animal Control. This creates an official record and may reveal whether the dog has a history of aggression.
Document Everything
Take photos of the accident scene, your injuries (as they heal over time), and any property damage. Save text messages, get witness contact information, and keep a journal of your pain levels and how the injury affects your daily life. This evidence disappears quickly. Once the scene is cleaned up and witnesses forget details, it’s gone forever.
Never Give a Recorded Statement Without a Lawyer
The insurance company will call you. They’ll sound friendly and concerned. Then they’ll ask you to give a “recorded statement” about what happened. This is a trap. These statements are designed to get you to say something that can be used against you later. “I’m feeling okay” becomes evidence that you weren’t hurt. “I didn’t see the wet floor” becomes an admission that you weren’t paying attention. Politely decline and tell them to contact your attorney.
What Your Accident Case Is Worth: Understanding Damages
People want to know what their case is “worth.” The honest answer depends on several factors, but Texas law allows accident victims to recover three main categories of damages.
Economic Damages
These are your out-of-pocket losses with clear dollar amounts. They include past and future medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and property damage. For catastrophic injuries like paralysis or traumatic brain injury, attorneys work with life care planners to calculate the cost of care for the next 40 to 50 years, accounting for inflation, future surgeries, and home modifications. This can turn what looks like a modest case into one worth millions.
Non-Economic Damages
These compensate for losses that don’t have receipts. Pain and suffering, physical impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life all fall into this category. Texas does not cap non-economic damages in most personal injury cases (medical malpractice is an exception).
The “Billed vs. Paid” Fight
Insurance companies don’t want to pay what your medical care actually cost. They’ll argue they should only pay the “discounted” rate that your health insurance negotiated, not the full billed amount. This is a complex legal battle involving Chapter 18 affidavits and medical billing records. Without an experienced attorney, you’ll likely leave money on the table.
Texas Laws Every Accident Victim Must Understand
Three legal rules can determine whether you recover anything at all.
The 51% Rule (Modified Comparative Negligence)
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33, if you are found to be 51% or more at fault for the accident, you recover nothing. Zero. Insurance companies know this, and their entire strategy revolves around pinning just enough blame on you to avoid paying. They’ll comb through your social media, interview witnesses, and hire experts to argue you were responsible. You need an attorney who can fight back.
The Two-Year Statute of Limitations
You have exactly two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. If you wait two years and one day, your case is dead. Period. The insurance company knows this deadline, and some will drag out negotiations hoping you’ll miss it.
Texas Minimum Insurance Limits
For vehicle accidents specifically, Texas only requires drivers to carry $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in liability coverage, plus $25,000 for property damage. That’s not enough to cover a serious injury. Many drivers carry no insurance at all. This is why Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is so important. If the at-fault driver can’t pay, your own UM/UIM policy can cover the gap.
Wrongful Death Claims in Texas
When an accident kills someone, the legal process changes entirely.
Who Can File?
Texas law strictly limits who can bring a wrongful death claim. Only spouses, parents, and children of the deceased have standing to sue. Siblings cannot file a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas. This breaks many hearts, but it’s the law.
Wrongful Death vs. Survival Action
These are two different claims. A wrongful death claim compensates the family for their loss, including lost income the deceased would have earned, loss of companionship, and loss of guidance. A survival action compensates the estate for the pain and suffering the victim experienced between the accident and death. If someone survived even a few minutes in agony, the estate can claim damages for that suffering.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a Fort Worth accident lawyer cost?
Most personal injury attorneys, including Varghese Summersett, work on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront. We only get paid if we win your case. This means there’s no financial risk to you.
Should I accept the insurance company’s first settlement offer?
Almost never. First offers are typically lowball amounts designed to close the case quickly before you understand its full value. Once you accept, you can’t go back for more money, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than expected.
What if I was hurt at work? Can I still sue?
It depends. If your employer has workers’ compensation insurance, that’s typically your only remedy against them. But if a third party caused your injury (a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or another company’s employee), you can file a personal injury lawsuit for full damages. Many injured workers don’t realize they have this option.
What if the accident was partially my fault?
You can still recover damages as long as you were less than 51% at fault. Your recovery will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you’re found 20% at fault and your damages are $100,000, you’ll recover $80,000.
How long will my case take?
Simple cases may settle in a few months. Complex cases involving serious injuries, multiple defendants, or disputed liability can take a year or more. Rushing to settle usually means leaving money behind.
Get Help from an Experienced Fort Worth Accident Lawyer
After any serious accident, you’re dealing with pain, medical appointments, missed work, and mounting bills. The last thing you need is an insurance company trying to minimize your claim or deny it altogether.
At Varghese Summersett, our Fort Worth personal injury team fights for accident victims every day. We know the local courts, the insurance defense lawyers, and the tactics adjusters use to avoid paying fair compensation. With over 70 team members and offices throughout Texas, we have the resources to take on the biggest insurance companies and the track record to prove we can win.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in Fort Worth, Dallas, or anywhere in North Texas, call us today at (817) 203-2220 for a free consultation. There’s no obligation and no fee unless we win your case. The statute of limitations is running. Don’t wait.
