How to Protect a Texas Injury Claim Before the Filing Deadline Passes
A serious injury rarely arrives with a calendar reminder. The weeks after a crash or fall tend to fill up with doctor visits, missed shifts, repair estimates and calls from insurance adjusters. Meanwhile, a legal clock has already started running, and in Texas that clock is shorter than many people expect. Most injured Texans have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Some have far less. The steps below explain how that deadline works, where the exceptions are and what injured people can do early to keep a valid claim from being lost on a technicality. Key Takeaways Most Texas personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the injury, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003. Claims involving a city, county or state agency can require written notice in as little as six months, and Houston’s charter sets a 90-day notice window. Ongoing talks with an insurance company do not pause the filing deadline. Courts generally dismiss late cases, and not knowing ab...