Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyers

Why Fort Worth Families Trust Patterson Law Group

A car crash can turn an ordinary Tuesday into a medical emergency, a financial crisis, and an insurance nightmare — all at once. You're dealing with pain, missed work, mounting bills, and an insurance adjuster who gets paid to minimize your payout. That's not a fair fight. Not unless you have experienced legal representation on your side.

Patterson Law Group has been fighting for injured Fort Worth residents for over 30 years. We know every tactic insurance companies use to devalue car accident claims, and we know exactly how to counter them. Our attorneys have recovered over $100 million for injured Texans, and we're ready to put that experience to work for you.

We represent car accident victims throughout Tarrant County on a contingency fee basis — meaning you pay nothing upfront and nothing at all unless we win. If we don't recover compensation for you, our fee is zero.

Understanding Your Legal Rights After a Car Crash in Texas

Texas is an "at-fault" state, which means the driver who caused the accident is responsible for compensating everyone they injured. If another driver's negligence — speeding, running a red light, texting, drunk driving — caused your wreck, you have the legal right to pursue compensation for your full range of losses.

Those losses include not just the obvious costs like medical bills and car repairs, but also less tangible damages like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and the impact the injury has had on your quality of life. Texas law also allows recovery for future losses — future medical care, future lost earning capacity — if your injuries are long-term or permanent.

Insurance companies routinely try to convince accident victims to accept far less than their case is worth. Having an attorney in your corner — before you speak with any adjuster — makes a significant difference in the outcome.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in Tarrant County

Fort Worth's growth has made its roads and highways increasingly dangerous. I-35W, I-20, Loop 820, and the downtown interchange consistently rank among the most dangerous stretches of road in North Texas. Common causes our attorneys see include:

No matter what caused your accident, our team investigates thoroughly to identify every liable party and build the strongest possible case on your behalf.

Car Accident Injuries We Handle

Car accidents are the leading cause of traumatic injury in the United States. Even crashes at moderate speeds can produce serious, lasting harm. Our attorneys handle the full range of car accident injuries, including:

Some injuries — particularly traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding — are not immediately apparent. This is why it's critical to seek medical attention right away, even if you feel "okay" after the crash. Gaps in medical treatment are one of the most common ways insurance companies attack the value of your claim.

What To Do After a Car Accident in Fort Worth

The steps you take in the hours and days following an accident significantly affect your ability to recover full compensation. Here's what we advise:

1. 1
   Call 911: Report the accident and request medical assistance. A police report creates an official record that is important for your claim.
2. 2
   Seek medical attention immediately: Even if you feel fine, get evaluated by a doctor. Adrenaline masks pain, and some injuries worsen significantly without prompt treatment.
3. 3
   Document the scene: Take photos of vehicle damage, skid marks, traffic signals, road conditions, and your visible injuries.
4. 4
   Get the other driver's information: Name, license, insurance company, policy number, and vehicle registration.
5. 5
   Gather witness information: Bystander testimony can be invaluable. Get names and phone numbers.
6. 6
   Do NOT give a recorded statement to any insurance company: Insurance adjusters use your words against you. Speak with an attorney first.
7. 7
   Contact Patterson Law Group: The sooner you hire an attorney, the better protected you are. We can preserve evidence, handle all communication with insurers, and begin building your case immediately.

Dealing With Insurance Companies After a Texas Car Crash

Insurance companies are for-profit businesses. Every dollar they pay you is a dollar off their bottom line. Their adjusters are professionally trained to identify weaknesses in your claim, get you to make statements that reduce your recovery, and push you toward a quick settlement that is typically far below the true value of your case.

Common insurance tactics include: disputing the severity of your injuries, arguing a pre-existing condition caused your symptoms, claiming you were partially at fault, and making a fast lowball offer hoping you'll accept before you understand what your case is really worth.

When Patterson Law Group represents you, all communications with insurance companies go through us. We do the negotiating. We know what your case is worth, and we know when to take a case to trial if an insurer refuses to offer fair compensation.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

Texas law allows injured accident victims to recover two broad categories of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. In some cases involving drunk drivers or grossly negligent behavior, punitive (exemplary) damages may also be available.

What If You Were Partially At Fault?

Texas follows a "modified comparative fault" rule (Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 33.001). Under this rule, you can still recover compensation even if you were partly responsible for the accident — as long as your share of fault was 50% or less. However, your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

For example: if a jury finds your damages were $200,000 but you were 20% at fault for the accident, you would recover $160,000.

Insurance companies routinely try to inflate your percentage of fault to reduce what they owe. Don't assume that because an adjuster told you that you were "partly responsible," you cannot recover significant compensation. Let us evaluate your case before you make any assumptions about what you can or cannot recover.

Texas Statute of Limitations: Don't Wait Too Long

In Texas, you generally have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit (Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003). If you miss this deadline, you will almost certainly lose your right to recover anything, regardless of how strong your case is.

Two years sounds like a long time, but evidence disappears quickly. Surveillance footage gets overwritten. Witnesses become harder to locate. Vehicles get repaired or destroyed. The sooner you contact an attorney, the better position you'll be in to preserve the evidence that wins cases.

There are limited exceptions to the two-year rule — for example, if the injured party is a minor or the defendant is a government entity (where the deadline can be shorter). Contact us as soon as possible to protect your rights.

How We Build Strong Car Accident Cases

Insurance companies have teams of adjusters, investigators, and attorneys working to limit your recovery from day one. We level the playing field. Here is what our team does when you hire us:

• ✓ Conduct a thorough independent investigation of the accident scene
• ✓ Obtain and preserve police reports, traffic camera footage, and surveillance video before it is deleted
• ✓ Work with accident reconstruction experts to establish exactly how the crash occurred and who was at fault
• ✓ Gather medical records and work with your treating physicians to document the full extent of your injuries
• ✓ Consult with life-care planners and economists to calculate the true cost of your future medical needs and lost earning capacity
• ✓ Handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies so you can focus on healing
• ✓ Prepare your case for trial if the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation — our willingness to litigate consistently leads to better settlements