Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in San Antonio?
The local steps are quoted from San Antonio agency pages and the Texas rules from state law, each with a link. Checked September 17, 2026.
The short answer
San Antonio sits in Bexar County. A crash claim of $20,000 or less can be filed by yourself as a small claims case in one of the Bexar County Justice of the Peace Courts, which have four precincts across the county. Anything larger is filed with the Bexar County District Clerk for the Bexar County District Courts, which take new personal injury and damage suits. Before any of that, the insurer will want the San Antonio 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 San Antonio you get it here.
Where your report comes from
San Antonio crash reports are sold online through the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System, not through a city portal. The police department links it from its own open records page, and you search for your crash there.
“The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) provides an easy online system for finding and ordering vehicle accident reports.”
How long you wait for it
A San Antonio crash report can take up to 14 days after the crash to show up in the TxDOT system where you buy it.
“Reports can take up to 14 days to appear in the system.”
Whose name is on it
The San Antonio Police Department works crashes inside the San Antonio city limits. Call 9-1-1 if anyone is hurt or a crime is in progress. If it is not an emergency, call 210-207-7273, the number the city also writes as 210-207-SAPD.
The bill that grows while you decide
Towing and storage in San Antonio
A car that cannot be driven away from a San Antonio crash is towed to the San Antonio Impound Facility at 3625 Growdon Rd., open 24 hours a day. The tow contractor is Alanis Wrecker Service, LLC, at 210-881-8440. Look your car up on the Autura site the city links, and claim it quickly, because a car left unclaimed for 30 days after notice can be sold at auction.
“Vehicles that remain unclaimed after 30 days, after the owner has been appropriately notified, are eligible to be sold at public auction.”
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 San Antonio case is filed, and when you don't need a lawyer at all
The court that would hear it
San Antonio sits in Bexar County. A crash claim of $20,000 or less can be filed by yourself as a small claims case in one of the Bexar County Justice of the Peace Courts, which have four precincts across the county. Anything larger is filed with the Bexar County District Clerk for the Bexar County District Courts, which take new personal injury and damage suits.
“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 San Antonio 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.