After a motorcycle accident in Texas, move to safety, call 911, check for injuries, document the scene, and exchange information with all drivers involved. Seek medical care the same day, report the accident to your insurer, and contact a Texas motorcycle accident lawyer. Texas law gives you two years to file a personal injury claim.
Move to safety, call 911, check for injuries, collect witness information, document the scene, exchange information, seek medical care, report to your insurer, and contact a lawyer. These are the nine steps to take after a motorcycle accident in Texas:
The most damaging mistakes after a Texas motorcycle crash are leaving the scene, skipping medical care, admitting fault, and posting about the accident on social media.
These mistakes don’t just hurt your claim; they can end it. Riders involved in any Texas crash face common mistakes after an accident and knowing them in advance puts you in a stronger position.
The most important evidence after a Texas motorcycle crash includes photos of the scene, witness contact information, the police report number, medical records from the same day, and repair estimates.
The stronger your evidence, the harder it is for an insurer to dispute your version of what happened after a crash in Texas.
Three Texas laws directly shape what happens to your claim: the helmet requirement, the modified comparative fault rule, and the two-year deadline to file. Understanding all three before you talk to an insurer puts you in a stronger position.
| Law | What It Says | Why It Matters for Your Claim |
| Helmet law (Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003) | Texas requires riders under 21 to wear helmets. Riders 21 and older may opt out if they carry qualifying medical insurance or have completed an approved safety course. | Insurers will raise helmet use as a factor in your injuries, even when you had the legal right to ride without one. |
| Modified comparative fault | You can recover damages as long as you are less than 51% at fault. Your percentage of fault reduces your award. | If an insurer argues you were 20% at fault, your compensation drops by 20%. Fault allocation is negotiable, and having legal representation matters. |
| Statute of limitations (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003) | You have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. | Missing this deadline ends your right to compensation, with very limited exceptions. Two years sounds like a long time until the evidence is gone and witnesses have moved on. |
These rules apply to every rider across Texas, whether the crash happened on a rural highway or in a city. For Dallas motorcycle accident victims, local traffic patterns and highway conditions add another layer to how fault gets assigned.
Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer immediately after the crash, before giving any recorded statement to an insurance company. Three situations make legal representation especially critical.
Thompson Law offers Texas motorcycle accident victims a free consultation with no fee unless we win. You tell us what happened, we review your case, and you decide if you want to move forward. No pressure, no obligation. If another driver caused your crash, contact us to get started.
Move to safety, call 911, and check for injuries. Document the scene with photos, exchange information with all drivers involved, and get medical care the same day. Evidence disappears fast, so acting in the right order protects both your health and your claim.
Two years from the date of the accident, under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003. Missing that deadline ends your right to compensation. Acting early matters because witnesses become harder to locate and physical evidence disappears well before the two-year mark.
Riders under 21 are required to wear a helmet. Riders 21 and older may opt out under Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003 if they carry qualifying medical insurance or have completed an approved safety course. Even when helmet use was legal, insurers will raise it as a factor in your injuries, so document your compliance either way.
The most damaging mistakes are leaving the scene early, skipping medical care, admitting fault at the scene, and giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer without a lawyer. Each one gives the insurance company a reason to reduce or deny your claim.
The three-collision rule describes what happens to your body in a crash. The first collision is the bike hitting the object. The second is your body hitting the bike or the ground. The third is your internal organs hitting the inside of your body.
Most straightforward claims resolve in three to six months. Cases involving disputed fault, serious injuries, or uncooperative insurers can take one to two years or longer. The factors that extend a timeline most often are ongoing medical treatment, multiple liable parties, and delays in the insurance company’s investigation.
Sí, Thompson Law cuenta con abogados y personal que hablan español. Si fuiste víctima de un accidente de motocicleta en Texas, puedes comunicarte con nosotros en español para recibir una consulta gratis y no cobramos a menos que ganemos tu caso. Contáctanos.
Thompson Law charges NO FEE unless we obtain a settlement for your case. We’ve put over $2.1 billion in cash settlements in our clients’ pockets. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your accident, get your questions answered, and understand your legal options.
State law limits the time you have to file a claim after an injury accident, so call today.
