Within a day or two of your accident, an insurance adjuster will probably call. They will sound helpful, ask how you are feeling, and try to settle before anyone knows how badly you were hurt.
That early lowball offer is not a mistake. The less you know about your claim, the cheaper it is for them to close it.
Keith & Lorfing represents injured people and families across Houston, from freeway wrecks to refinery and plant accidents. We are trial lawyers led by an award-winning former prosecutor, and we do not get paid unless you do.
Before you sign anything or give a recorded statement, speak with a West Texas Personal Injury Lawyer and find out where your case really stands.
The Houston injury cases we handle
Most serious injuries in the Houston area come from the same handful of situations. Harris County sits at the meeting point of some of the busiest freeways in the country, alongside the plants and refineries that keep the region running.
We help people injured in cases such as:
- Car and truck accidents: Rear-end collisions, highway wrecks, and 18-wheeler crashes on Houston’s freeway system.
- Motorcycle and pedestrian accidents: Cases where an injured person is often blamed unfairly for someone else’s mistake.
- Refinery, plant, and industrial accidents: Refinery explosions, plant fires, chemical exposure, and other on-site injuries, including third-party contractor claims that go beyond workers’ comp.
- Slip, trip, and fall injuries: Falls caused by unsafe property conditions a business failed to fix or warn about.
- Dog bites and animal attacks: Serious wounds caused by an owner who did not control a dangerous animal.
- Wrongful death: Claims brought by families who lost a loved one because of another party’s negligence.
Each type of case has its own rules and its own evidence, but the core question is always the same. Did someone fail to act with reasonable care, and did that failure cause your injury?
If your situation is not on this list, that does not mean you are out of options. Ask us about your specific accident and we will tell you honestly whether you have a claim.
What your Texas injury claim can recover
Texas law lets you seek money for the harm an accident caused you. Lawyers group that money into two main categories, and it helps to understand both.
Economic damages cover losses with a clear dollar figure. These include:
- Medical expenses: Past and future hospital bills, surgery, therapy, and medication.
- Lost income: Wages you missed during recovery, plus any lost future earning ability.
- Out-of-pocket costs: Property damage, home or vehicle modifications, and other expenses tied to the injury.
Non-economic damages cover harm that is real but harder to price. These include:
- Pain and suffering: The physical pain and discomfort caused by the injury.
- Mental anguish: The emotional toll, including anxiety, depression, and loss of sleep.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: The activities and relationships the injury takes away from you.
Here is a point most firms leave out. In an ordinary Texas injury case, there is no cap on your economic or non-economic damages — the amount is based on the facts, not an arbitrary limit.
The main exception is medical malpractice, where Texas law does cap certain non-economic damages. Every case is different, so the value of yours depends on the specific injuries and losses involved, not a promised figure.
Want a straight answer about what your case may be worth? Have our attorneys review it before an adjuster puts a number in your head.
Can you still recover if you were partly at fault?
Many injured people never call a lawyer because they assume the accident was partly their fault, so they have no case. That assumption costs families real money, and it is usually wrong.
Texas uses a rule called modified comparative negligence. Under this rule, you can still recover compensation as long as your share of the fault is not greater than 50 percent.
If you are found partly responsible, your award is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if your total damages are valued at a certain amount and you are found 20 percent at fault, you would recover 80 percent of that amount.
The catch is the 51 percent line. If your responsibility is found to be greater than 50 percent, you cannot recover at all — which is exactly why insurance companies work so hard to pin extra blame on you.
That fight over fault is one of the most important parts of any case. Our job is to make sure the blame is placed where the evidence actually puts it.
How long you have to file an injury claim in Texas
Texas gives you a limited window to bring a personal injury claim, and missing it usually ends the case for good. This deadline is called the statute of limitations.
For most personal injury claims, the deadline is two years from the date of the injury under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. If you do not file suit within that window, the court will likely refuse to hear your case.
A few situations can change how that two-year clock runs:
- Injuries to a minor: The deadline may be delayed, since the clock generally does not run against a child in the same way.
- The discovery rule: In limited cases where an injury could not reasonably be discovered right away, the clock may start later.
- Wrongful death: The two-year period generally runs from the date of the person’s death.
- Claims against a government entity: These carry much shorter notice deadlines, sometimes only a matter of months, on top of the filing deadline.
Because these exceptions are narrow and easy to get wrong, the safe move is to treat two years as a hard limit. The sooner you act, the more evidence we can protect while it still exists.
If you are unsure how much time you have left, call us at 325-480-8100 rather than guessing.
What happens after you hire us, step by step
One of the hardest parts of an injury is not knowing what comes next. Here is the general path a Houston case follows so you know what to expect.
- Free consultation: We listen to what happened, answer your questions, and explain whether you have a claim — at no cost.
- Investigation: We gather the police report, photos, video, witness statements, and other proof while it is still available.
- Medical treatment and documentation: You focus on getting better while we document your injuries and their effect on your life.
- Demand and negotiation: We send the insurance company a demand backed by evidence and push for a fair settlement.
- Filing suit: If the insurer will not be fair, we file your lawsuit, usually in the Harris County civil district courts at the civil courthouse, 201 Caroline St., Houston.
- Discovery and mediation: Both sides exchange evidence and take depositions, and many cases resolve at mediation.
- Trial: When the other side still refuses to be reasonable, we are prepared to take your case in front of a jury.
Most cases settle before trial, but preparing every case as if it will go to trial is what gives you leverage. Insurance companies pay fair value when they believe a firm is truly ready to try the case.
Medical bills and liens: who gets paid, and when
Medical bills are the fear that keeps injured people up at night, and few firms explain how they are actually handled. Knowing how this works early can ease a lot of stress.
When you are hurt, some bills may be paid through a hospital lien, your health insurance, or a coverage called Med-Pay. Each of these can create a right to be repaid out of your settlement.
That repayment is called subrogation, and it means part of your recovery may go back to whoever covered your care. The good news is that these amounts are often negotiable.
Part of our job is to fight those liens down so more of the settlement stays with you. A larger settlement does not help you if the bills quietly eat all of it — so we treat lien reduction as part of winning the case, not an afterthought.
If bills are already piling up, talk to our team about how we handle them.
Why choose Keith & Lorfing for your Houston injury case
Injured people have many firms to choose from, so it is fair to ask what makes ours different. Our answer is trial experience, real courtroom readiness, and a commitment to working people.
Through our West Texas Personal Injury Lawyer practice, we help injured clients stand up to insurance companies after serious accidents, workplace incidents, and life-changing injuries.
- A trial-tested, award-winning team. Managing partner Russell Lorfing is a multiple-award-winning trial lawyer and former prosecutor who has handled hundreds of jury trials.
- A firm built for working families. We come from humble beginnings and focus on leveling the field against big insurance companies, not representing them.
- No fee unless we win. We handle injury cases on a contingency basis, so you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover money for you.
- We advance the costs. We front the expenses to investigate and build your case, so a lack of money up front never keeps you from quality representation.
- Real courtroom readiness. Our attorneys have tried cases at the state and federal level, which is the leverage that drives fair settlements.
We will also tell you the truth about your case, even when it is not what you hoped to hear. Past results never guarantee a future outcome, and every case turns on its own facts.
Talk to a Houston injury lawyer before you sign anything
An injury can leave you feeling powerless, especially when the bills arrive faster than the answers. You do not have to face the insurance company alone, and you do not have to figure this out on your own.
Keith & Lorfing helps injured people and families across Houston pursue the compensation they are owed. We will listen, explain your options in plain language, and start protecting your claim right away.
Call us any time at 325-480-8100, or schedule your free case review with our team today.
Frequently asked questions
Do I actually have a personal injury case?
You likely have a case if someone else’s careless or wrongful act caused you a real injury and real losses. The clearest way to know is a free review, where we look at the facts and tell you honestly.
How much is my Houston injury case worth?
It depends on your injuries, your medical bills, your lost income, and how the accident happened. Be cautious of anyone who promises a specific number before reviewing the facts, because ordinary Texas cases have no fixed cap and no guaranteed figure.
What does it cost to hire an injury lawyer?
We work on a contingency fee, so you pay no attorney’s fees up front and none at all unless we recover compensation for you. The first consultation is free.
How long do I have to file a claim in Texas?
Most personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury under Section 16.003. Some situations shorten or extend that window, so it is safest to speak with a lawyer early.
Can I still recover if the accident was partly my fault?
Often, yes. Texas allows you to recover as long as your share of the fault is not greater than 50 percent, with your award reduced by your percentage of responsibility.
Which court will my Houston injury case be filed in?
Most Harris County injury lawsuits are filed in the civil district courts through the Harris County District Clerk, at the civil courthouse located at 201 Caroline St., Houston.
Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer?
Usually not without advice. First offers are often low and are designed to close your claim before you know the full extent of your injuries.
Will my case go to trial?
Most cases settle, but some do not. We prepare every case for trial, because that readiness is what pushes insurers to offer fair value.
