Best Car Accident Lawyers Lubbock, TX Of 2024 (2024)

Whether you’re a Lubbock, TX native or are just visiting, a car accident can derail your plans. And whether or not you’re at fault, you may need a good car accident attorney in the Lubbock area, such as the ones listed below, to help you navigate the legal system, negotiate with insurers and recoup any medical expenses or costs to repair your vehicle.

The following guidance can help you find the right attorney for your particular legal situation.

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• Best Car Accident Lawyers in Lubbock
• Compare Top Lubbock Car Accident Attorneys
• Filing a Car Accident Lawsuit in Lubbock, Texas
• How Can an Attorney Help You?
• How To Find the Best Car Accident Lawyer in Lubbock, Texas
• Our Methodology for Finding the Best Lubbock Car Accident Attorneys
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Car Accidents in Lubbock

• Kevin Glasheen
• Ted Liggett
• R. Rafe Foreman
• David L. Kerby
• Valeri Stiers Malone
• Davis W. Smith
• Robert Hogan
• Nick L. Olguin
• Kyra K. Blankenship

Located in the northwest part of Texas, which is ranked the fifth-most dangerous state in the nation for drivers, Lubbock has its share of car accidents. The following is a guide to filing a car accident lawsuit that explains how the statute of limitations for such claims works, how fault is determined among the parties in Texas and the various types of insurance drivers must carry.

Texas Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Cases

Lawsuits filed over injuries sustained in a car accident in Texas are governed by the state’s personal injury laws. Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code section 16.001 sets a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury suits, meaning individuals hurt in a car accident have up to two years to file a suit.

Exceptions apply, however. The two-year statute of limitations may be tolled or paused if the suit involves individuals who are under age 18 or are mentally incapacitated.

A lawsuit filed over the death of an individual in a car accident must be brought within two years of the individual’s death from their injuries sustained in the accident.

Identifying Fault for Car Accidents in Texas

Like most other states, Texas is an at-fault state. The parties’ insurance companies investigate at-fault accidents and assign responsibility. The insurer of the party determined to be at fault covers the cost of the injuries and damage incurred.

Of course, more than one party may be responsible for a plaintiff’s injury. In that case, a court will determine what is known in Texas as proportionate responsibility However, a plaintiff is not entitled to recoup damages if they are found more than 50% liable for the car accident.

Texas Insurance Laws for Car Drivers

Texas requires car drivers to carry certain insurance in order to register their vehicle and insurance companies offer additional coverage options to reduce drivers’ liability. These requirements and options include:

• Liability insurance. Texas drivers must carry liability insurance, which covers injuries to others and damage to other vehicles. The minimum amounts of insurance legally required are:
  • $30,000 in bodily injury liability per person
  • $60,000 total bodily injury liability
  • $25,000 property damage
• Collision insurance. Insurers require drivers to have collision insurance to repair or replace their car after an accident, but only if they owe money on the vehicle. Texas does not require drivers to carry collision insurance.
• Personal injury protection. To cover a driver and their passengers’ medical expenses and lost wages in a car accident—regardless of fault—Texas insurance companies are required to offer personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. Insured drivers are not required to have PIP coverage, however.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. Another optional coverage is uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM), which covers personal injuries and damage to your car if the driver who caused the accident didn’t have insurance or didn’t have enough insurance to pay your medical and car repair costs. Note that drivers who decide not to obtain UM/UIM must do so in writing.

When do you need an attorney if you’ve been in a car accident? If no one is injured and the vehicles are only minimally damaged, you may not need representation beyond your insurance company. But if the stakes are higher—someone is injured, the vehicles are more seriously damaged and/or fault for the accident is in dispute—you’ll need an experienced personal injury attorney to advocate for your interests and help you navigate both the legal system and the insurance process.

A personal injury attorney specializing in car accidents can help you by:

• gathering evidence to build a case against the liable party or parties
• communicating and negotiating with insurance companies, including your own insurer
• handling the legal paperwork and procedures
• explaining your options and offering advice in making key decisions
• representing you in settlement negotiations, legal proceedings and at trial if necessary

Finding the right car accident attorney can seem overwhelming, especially in the aftermath of a stressful event such as a traffic accident that may have left you injured with a damaged vehicle and a potential legal battle on your hands. Here’s how to narrow down your options to hire the best attorney for your situation.

• Seek out referrals. Ask family, friends, colleagues and other connections for references. Be sure to ask them about their experiences with the attorney—both positive and negative.
• Search online resources. The State Bar of Texas has a searchable “Find a Lawyer” directory that includes profiles of all licensed attorneys in the state. The Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) has a searchable database of board-certified attorneys in 27 areas of law, including personal injury trial law.
• Compare expertise. Look at what the personal injury attorneys on your list specialize in. Valuable expertise includes, for example, a focus on car accident cases, significant trial experience, a strong record of settling car accident disputes and experience negotiating with insurance companies.
• Understand the attorney’s fee structure. It’s important to know upfront how an attorney charges for their services and what various fee arrangements involve. Personal injury attorneys often work on a contingency basis, in which the attorney is paid only if you receive a settlement or win a damage award at trial. Other types of common fee arrangements include hourly fees and flat fees.
• Meet candidates in person. A visit to an attorney’s office for a consultation will allow you to see how they work and meet their support staff. Interacting in person will help you gauge whether you can work with this person during a stressful time in your life.

Forbes Advisor ranked attorneys offering services in car accident law within a 50-mile radius of Lubbock, TX using data points across the categories of qualifications, experience, reputation, client experience and diversity and inclusivity. We pulled data for these categories from reliable, third-party resources such as state bar associations and individual firm websites. Data is accurate as of July 2024.

We evaluated attorneys based on the following metrics.

Qualifications (15%):

• Active business license
• Public records check
• Practice areas
• Overall reputation of law school

Experience (15%):

• Years of membership in state bar
• Ethics and bar disciplinary history

Reputation (30%):

• High regards in top legal publications
• Positive reviews
• Accolades from colleagues

Client Experience (25%):

• Free consultations

Diversity and Inclusivity (15%):

• Bilingual services

We considered only attorneys without disciplinary history who have been licensed for at least five years.