Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in Austin?
The local steps are quoted from Austin agency pages and the Texas rules from state law, each with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
Austin sits in Travis County, and a car crash claim from Austin is filed in the Travis County justice of the peace courts, five precinct courts that hear small claims. A small claims case can be for no more than $20,000. Filing one costs $54 plus $90 to serve one defendant, which is $144 in all. Anything larger goes to the Travis County civil district courts at 1700 Guadalupe Street, which take civil matters of $200 or more. Before any of that, the insurer will want the Austin crash report, and if your car was towed the storage bill is growing while you decide. Nobody who is paid to take your case can tell you honestly whether you need one, so this page shows you the three things that actually decide it: what your own paperwork says, what Texas does about fault, and how much time is left.
Before you call anyone, get the report
Every insurer and every lawyer will ask for the crash report first. It is the document that says who the officer believed caused it. In Austin you get it here.
Where your report comes from
Austin crash reports are sold online through LexisNexis, which the police department links from its own crash report page. Austin Police Department is agency code TX2270100 in that system.
“Purchase online crash reports for the Austin Police Department jurisdiction with LexisNexis® Police Reports.”
Whose name is on it
The Austin Police Department works crashes inside the Austin city limits. Call 9-1-1 if anyone is hurt or a driver is still in danger. For a crash that is not an emergency, call 3-1-1, or 512-974-2000 if you are calling from outside Austin.
The bill that grows while you decide
Towing and storage in Austin
A car towed after an Austin crash goes to the storage lot of the wrecker company that hauled it. Austin police let the driver pick a company off the approved list, and dispatch one through the AutoReturn system when the driver has no preference. To find your car, call 3-1-1 with your vehicle information, search by plate or VIN at search.autoreturn.com, or call 888-217-9731.
“For vehicles towed from a public road, please call 3-1-1 with your vehicle information, visit www.search.autoreturn.com or call them at 888-217-9731.”
Storage is charged by the day, and an impound lot can sell a car that nobody claims. That clock runs whether or not anyone has admitted fault, so deal with the car first and argue about blame after.
Where a Austin case is filed, and when you don't need a lawyer at all
The court that would hear it
Austin sits in Travis County, and a car crash claim from Austin is filed in the Travis County justice of the peace courts, five precinct courts that hear small claims. A small claims case can be for no more than $20,000. Filing one costs $54 plus $90 to serve one defendant, which is $144 in all. Anything larger goes to the Travis County civil district courts at 1700 Guadalupe Street, which take civil matters of $200 or more.
“The claim can be for no more than $20,000, excluding statutory interest and court costs but including attorney fees, if any.”
A small claim you file yourself costs a filing fee and an afternoon. A claim worth more than the small claims limit, or one where you are hurt, is the kind people bring a lawyer into. Neither choice is ours to make for you.
How fault changes what you get
If you were partly at fault
Texas uses modified comparative fault, called proportionate responsibility. You cannot recover any money if your own share of fault is greater than 50 percent.
“a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
How long you have
- 2 years
- to sue for injuriesTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)
- 2 years
- to sue for car or property damageTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(a)
- 2 years
- for a family to sue after a deathTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.003(b)
- 6 months
- to notify the government if a public vehicle or road was involvedTex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101(a)
How injury lawyers charge in Texas
Contingency fee rules
Texas has no dollar or percentage cap on personal injury contingency fees. The fee has to be reasonable, and the contingent fee agreement must be in writing.
“A contingent fee agreement shall be in writing and shall state the method by which the fee is to be determined.”
Questions to ask any lawyer before you sign
- What percentage do you charge, and does it change if the case goes to trial?
- Who pays case costs like records and expert fees if we lose?
- Will you handle my case yourself, or pass it to someone else?
- How long do cases like mine usually take here?
- What is the deadline for my claim, and when will you file?
Other Texas rules that can change what you get
- If a Austin vehicle or a road defect was involved
If a Texas or local government vehicle or a government's road or property caused your crash, the government must receive written notice within 6 months of the crash, unless it already actually knew about the death, injury, or property damage.
Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101(a)- If the insurer is the problem
You can file a complaint against an insurance company with the Texas Department of Insurance online through the Consumer Complaint Portal, or by calling the TDI Help Line.
Texas Dept of Insurance, Consumer Complaints
Sources on this page
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
The state law behind these steps
Each one was opened and checked on September 17, 2026.
Know My Claim is not a law firm or a government agency, and this page is not legal advice. Laws change, so check the linked source before you rely on a deadline.