Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in Fort Worth?
The local steps are quoted from Fort Worth agency pages and the Texas rules from state law, each with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
Fort Worth sits in Tarrant County, and the Tarrant County courthouse is downtown at 100 West Weatherford Street. A crash claim worth $20,000 or less is filed in one of the eight Tarrant County justice of the peace courts, which are built for people without a lawyer. Anything bigger goes to the Tarrant County courts at law or district courts. Before any of that, the insurer will want the Fort Worth 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 Fort Worth you get it here.
Where your report comes from
Fort Worth does not sell its crash reports through a city portal. Since December 15, 2024 the police department sends everyone to the Texas Department of Transportation Crash Report Online Purchase System, the CRIS purchase site at cris.dot.state.tx.us.
“Effective December 15, 2024, requestors should use the website below to request an accident report(s):”
How long you wait for it
Your Fort Worth crash report can take up to 14 days from the date of the crash to show up in the state search. If it is still not there after 14 days, call the Fort Worth police Records unit at 817-392-4160.
“It can take up to 14 days from the date of the crash for your crash to appear in the search results.”
Whose name is on it
The Fort Worth Police Department works crashes inside the Fort Worth city limits. Call 911 if anyone is hurt. If it is not an emergency, the department's Police Communications non-emergency line is 817-392-4222.
The bill that grows while you decide
Towing and storage in Fort Worth
A car towed after a Fort Worth crash goes to one of the city's rotational tow and impound providers, dispatched under a city contract by AutoReturn. Look your car up at the AutoReturn Fort Worth find a vehicle page or call 817-349-4022. City approved charges are $180.00 for a standard tow, a $32.00 administrative fee, a $22.85 preservation and impoundment fee, and $22.85 a day for storage.
“Storage fee: $22.85 per day. Over 25 feet: $39.99 per day”
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 Fort Worth case is filed, and when you don't need a lawyer at all
The court that would hear it
Fort Worth sits in Tarrant County, and the Tarrant County courthouse is downtown at 100 West Weatherford Street. A crash claim worth $20,000 or less is filed in one of the eight Tarrant County justice of the peace courts, which are built for people without a lawyer. Anything bigger goes to the Tarrant County courts at law or district courts.
“The Justice Court is a trial court for both civil cases (jurisdictional limit is $20,000), and many different types of misdemeanor criminal cases.”
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 Fort Worth 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.