What your Houston car accident case is worth depends on the type of crash, the type of injury, and Texas comparative fault rules. Hank Stout of Sutliff & Stout walks Abby Arnold through it. Questions answered in this episode: What is Texas's 51% rule for car accident compensation? What is Texas's $2,500 PIP minimum? What if your Texas insurance claim is denied? Topics covered: rear-end and head-on collisions, T-bone right-of-way, pileups, joint and several liability, hit-and-runs, road-hazard claims, Texas 51% bar, whiplash, $2,500 PIP minimum, mild moderate and severe TBI, 12-18 month recovery, broken bones, burns, disfigurement, life care planners, treatment gaps, MMI, lost wages, Texas Tort Claims Act caps, Harris County juries, and settlement reserves. Texas statutes referenced: Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 33.001 (proportionate responsibility, 51% bar), § 33.013 (joint and several liability), Chapter 101 (Texas Tort Claims Act), and Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1952 (PIP, $2,500 minimum). Hank Stout on Texas's 51% rule: "In Texas, if you're 40% at fault, then your overall damages, let's say it was a hundred dollars, would be reduced by $40 and you would get $60. And so that's the way it works." Hank Stout on Texas's $2,500 PIP minimum: "The minimum amount of PIP coverage that you can have in the state of Texas is $2,500. That is no fault money that's on your insurance policy that goes to help pay for lost wages." Hank Stout is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout. Texas Super Lawyers since 2012. Free consultation: sutliffstout.com Phone: (713) 987-7111 Office: Houston, TX #HoustonCarAccident #Texas51PercentRule #TexasPIP #HoustonTBILawyer #TexasTortClaimsAct #HarrisCountyJury The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every case is different. To discuss your specific situation, contact Sutliff & Stout or a licensed Texas attorney. Chapters 00:00:00 Texas Car Accident Types, Injury Types, and Compensation 00:00:40 What Are the Most Common Houston Car Accident Types? 00:01:20 How Strong Is Your Houston Rear-End Car Accident Case? 00:02:00 Why Do Head-On Collisions in Houston Drive Larger Claims? 00:02:36 How Is Fault Determined in a Houston T-Bone Accident? Right of Way 00:03:20 How Do Fault Percentages Affect Texas Car Accident Recovery? 00:04:17 How Do Texas Compensation Claims Work for Pileups and Hit-and-Runs? 00:05:37 Road Hazard Claims in Houston: Cargo Spills and Falling Debris 00:07:10 What Is Texas's 51% Rule? Modified Proportionate Responsibility 00:09:28 How Are Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injuries Valued in Texas? 00:10:47 What Is Texas's $2,500 PIP Minimum? Personal Injury Protection 00:11:51 What Is the Texas TBI Recovery Window? 12-18 Month Healing 00:14:14 How Do Broken Bones Affect Houston Car Accident Compensation? 00:15:54 How Are Burn Injuries and Disfigurement Evaluated in Texas? 00:18:10 What Role Do Medical Experts Play in Texas Injury Cases? 00:21:51 How Do Treatment Gaps Affect a Texas Car Accident Claim? 00:24:18 What Is Maximum Medical Improvement in a Texas Injury Case? 00:27:13 How Do Lost Wages Affect Texas Injury Compensation? 00:29:30 Texas Tort Claims Act: Damage Caps for Government Vehicle Suits 00:32:07 How Do Texas Insurance Companies Calculate Settlement Offers? 00:35:04 When Should You Hire a Houston Car Accident Lawyer? 00:36:16 What Evidence Wins a Texas Car Accident Injury Claim? 00:38:50 How Do Houston Lawyers Negotiate Better Settlements? 00:40:03 What If Your Texas Car Accident Claim Is Denied 00:42:20 How to Reach Sutliff & Stout for a Free Consultation
