A car accident lawyer in El Paso deals with the insurance company and gathers the records your claim rests on. Texas law decides who pays, how fault is shared and how long you have to file.
Zinda Law Group offers a free consultation about your car accident at (800) 863-5312. You pay nothing unless we win.
Article summary
Key things to know
- Uninsured motorist coverage comes with a Texas auto policy unless an insured named in it rejected it in writing.
- TxDOT counted 66 fatal crashes inside El Paso city limits in 2024.
- El Paso County’s courts at 500 E San Antonio hear injury lawsuits.
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Was another driver at fault in your El Paso crash?
We can look at whose insurance applies and how much time Texas law gives you.
What an El Paso car accident lawyer does
Car accident lawyers and other personal injury lawyers handle personal injury claims for people hurt by a negligent driver. Some people search for a car wreck lawyer or a crash attorney.
A car accident attorney collects the police reports, your medical records and the witness statements. The attorney also answers the adjuster and checks each offer against your medical bills and lost wages.
A car accident lawyer can review the police report and insurance policies. The same state rules guide Texas car accident lawyers in every city. Personal injury cases off the road, such as falls, go to El Paso personal injury lawyers.
Car accidents in El Paso
TxDOT recorded 15,253 crashes inside the city limits in 2024. Of those, 66 were fatal crashes that killed 69 people. TxDOT also counted 243 suspected serious injuries.
Auto accidents in El Paso are not limited to two cars. A bus passenger hurt in a collision may have an El Paso bus accident claim. Cyclists struck by drivers turn to a bicycle accident lawyer. An El Paso wrongful death claim benefits the deceased’s surviving spouse, children and parents.
Ask an El Paso dog bite lawyer about a dog attack.
What to do after a car crash in El Paso
Accident victims can seek legal assistance and protect a claim early.
- Call the police. Texas law requires a report right away when someone is hurt or a vehicle cannot be driven safely.
- Stay and help. A driver in a collision that injures someone must stop, remain at the accident scene and give reasonable help.
- Seek medical attention immediately. A same-day visit puts your injuries on record.
- Exchange contact and insurance information. Get the other driver’s name, plate number and insurance company.
- Photograph the accident scene. Capture the vehicle damage, the traffic signs and the traffic signals.
- Wait on recorded statements. The other driver’s insurance company may call soon. Do not admit fault or apologize at the scene or on that call. Talk to an injury lawyer first.
The crash report number lets you request an accident report in El Paso later. If a driver hits your parked car, photograph the damage and report it the same way.
Insurance questions an El Paso auto accident lawyer answers
In Texas, the at-fault driver’s insurance company may be responsible for covered vehicle damage, medical expenses and other losses. An auto accident lawyer reads that policy and yours.
Texas requires drivers to establish financial responsibility, and liability insurance is one way to do it. Section 601.072 of the Transportation Code sets these minimums.
| Coverage | Texas minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury to one person | $30,000 |
| Bodily injury to two or more people in one collision | $60,000 |
| Property damage | $25,000 |
Uninsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection
That same policy includes uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage unless a named insured rejected it in writing. Personal injury protection works the same way.
Your own auto coverage matters when the other driver has none. After being injured by an uninsured motorist, check your own policy first. Health insurance, PIP coverage and the at-fault driver’s policy can each help get your medical bills paid.
Hit and run accidents can raise the same problem, but this coverage requires that the unknown driver’s vehicle actually hit you or your property. Photographs of the point of contact help after a hit and run.
Fault in El Paso car accident claims
Texas calls its fault rule proportionate responsibility, often called comparative negligence. You can recover damages when you were 50 percent or less responsible. Your percentage reduces the amount under sections 33.001 and 33.012 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
An insurer may argue you were partially at fault to reduce what it pays. Fault in a right-turn accident can turn on who had the right of way.
Car accident cases often turn on negligence, which requires a duty, its breach and damages proximately caused by that breach. Distracted driving, speeding and drunk driving are examples. In 2023, NHTSA found 24 percent of car drivers in fatal crashes alcohol-impaired.
Phone records can show texting while driving. A blown tire may point to tire defects and tread separation. Federal trucking rules can apply to an El Paso 18-wheeler accident with a semi truck.
Common injuries in car accident cases
Car accident cases involving serious injuries in El Paso call for more records. Car accidents can cause injuries like these.
- Whiplash and other neck injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
Catastrophic injuries can change daily life for good. Whiplash and broken bones are among the common injuries in these crashes. Seek medical attention even when the pain seems minor, especially if you got whiplash.
Harm from medical errors goes to our El Paso medical malpractice lawyers.
What El Paso car accident claims can cover
A claim lets accident victims ask the liable parties to pay for what the wreck cost them. Texas law and the proof decide which losses you can recover compensation for.
Losses with a receipt
Medical expenses come first, from the ambulance to future medical care. For medical expenses already incurred, Texas limits recovery to the amounts actually paid or incurred. Lost wages and other lost income come next. Economic damage compensation can include bills and lost pay.
A driver hurt while working may also have an El Paso workplace accident claim.
Property damage, such as property damage to your car, is its own part of the claim.
Losses without one
Pain, emotional distress and the limits an injury puts on daily life have no receipt. Texas law treats these as non-economic damages. Emotional distress is harder to show than a bill.
Fair compensation can include both kinds of loss. Accident victims with serious injuries need records that show each one.
Filing deadlines
Questions about how much time you have?
How the claims process works
In most car accident cases, the claims process starts with notice to the insurance company. Have your insurance information ready.
If you hire us, our legal team can gather the records, send a demand and negotiate with the insurer for fair compensation. Accident victims decide on any offer.
A lawsuit can be the next step in the legal process when the insurance company will not reach a fair agreement. El Paso County’s district courts and county courts at law hear injury lawsuits at the county courthouse at 500 E San Antonio.
Before you sign a release, ask how the car accident settlement check will be split.
When you are ready
Talk through the next step.
Free consultation with an El Paso car accident attorney
Start with a free case evaluation by phone or online. Ask our personal injury lawyers about the collision and the deadline that may apply.
Zinda Law Group is an accident law firm with an El Paso office at 2300 George Dieter Drive, El Paso, TX 79936. The same Texas rules apply after a car wreck in Lubbock or Amarillo.
Our firm works on a contingency fee basis, so there is no out-of-pocket cost to secure the legal representation you need. Ask about the cost to hire a lawyer when you call.
Founder and CEO
John C. (Jack) Zinda
Jack founded Zinda Law Group and focuses his practice on catastrophic personal injury, 18-wheeler accidents and wrongful death.
