You do not always feel the damage right away after a car crash. That’s not just true for your car – it is true for your body, too. An accident might leave you walking, talking, and thinking you are fine. Then, weeks pass. Pain creeps in. A diagnosis lands. Suddenly, what felt like a minor impact has turned into a life-altering situation. The question becomes urgent: How long after a car accident can you claim an injury in Texas?
You’ve got rights, but Texas does not give you forever to act. If you wait too long, you risk losing access to compensation entirely. Timing matters, but so does strategy. Our car accident attorneys at Dow Law Firm do not believe in running the same old playbook that every other firm uses. We think ahead, work fast, and stay sharp.
Understanding the Clock: It Might Not Start When You Think
The timeline to file an injury claim in Texas is generally two years from the crash date. That’s true whether you were driving, riding, or walking. But people often misunderstand what those two years really represent. It is not just about filing a lawsuit before the deadline. It is about recognizing that some injuries are not obvious in the immediate aftermath of a wreck.
You might suffer a concussion and not realize it until memory issues begin disrupting your daily routine. A back injury might seem like a minor strain until an MRI months later reveals disc damage. What seems like harmless neck pain can suddenly become something much worse.
Assuming the clock starts ticking only when you discover your injuries, you could set yourself up for trouble. Courts consider the accident date, not your diagnosis, as the starting point unless an exception applies.
That does not mean you are out of luck if symptoms are late. It means you need a car accident attorney who can argue for a delayed discovery exception or pinpoint other legal mechanisms that preserve your claim. Plenty of insurers will pretend you should have connected the dots sooner. Your lawyer will not let them off the hook that easily.
Silent Injuries Do Not Mean Small Injuries
Some of the most expensive injuries are the ones that hide at first. Traumatic brain injuries often develop in silence. Internal bleeding might not trigger pain until damage has already been done. Nerve damage, too, can take weeks to surface fully. You don’t want to dismiss discomfort just because it does not scream in volume.
Our attorneys look deeper at medical records, second opinions, and long-term care forecasts. We don’t chase settlements that only address short-term recovery. We focus on outcomes that reflect your entire medical journey – even if it starts slowly.
Insurers love to use the phrase “delayed treatment” as an excuse to minimize your claim. If you did not rush to the ER immediately, they will argue that your injury could not be that serious. However, you do not need to defend your every move. Your Dow Law Firm Texas car accident lawyer will turn the focus back on facts. When your symptoms developed, how they progressed, what the imaging showed – we tie all of it together so there’s no wiggle room.
How Long After a Car Accident Can You Claim an Injury in Texas? The Answer is Different for an Insurance Claim
Again, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years. That means if you are filing a lawsuit, you must do it within that window. But let’s be clear – that’s not the same thing as making an insurance claim.
In reality, many insurers have internal deadlines for notifying them of an injury, which can be as short as a few weeks after a crash. That’s where a delay can hurt you, especially if you file a claim later and the insurer questions its legitimacy. Your attorney will move quickly to protect your timeline while building your case.
Contact Our Texas Car Accident Attorneys Now
Find out more about how Dow Law Firm can help you meet all deadlines by contacting us online for a free consultation. You can also call 512-240-9951 to speak with one of our legal professionals.