How Long Does a Car Accident Settlement Take in Dallas?
In just a few seconds, a car accident can throw your life into chaos. We know that in the days following a crash, your main goal isn't to strike it…
Recovering from a car accident is difficult enough without dealing with insurance adjusters, tracking down police reports, and figuring out how your medical care will be paid for. When another driver’s negligence causes serious injuries, the financial and emotional strain can build quickly, especially as bills start to arrive.
Freese & Goss brings 77+ years of combined experience and have recovered over $1 billion for clients nationwide. We handle every aspect, from investigating the crash to negotiating with insurers who undervalue claims.
Our goal is to hold the at-fault party fully accountable and recover compensation that reflects both your current losses and the care you may need in the future.
Call (214) 761-6623 now for your free case review with a dedicated Arlington car accident lawyer who will give your case the focus and attention it needs.
My experience with Freese and Goss was amazing. They were very communicative throughout my entire claims process. After my car accident, Blanca Trevino jumped right on my case and started handling everything, which really helped ease the stress. Throughout my treatment, she always had words of encouragement. I wouldn’t choose any other law firm and would recommend Freese and Goss to anyone.
— Rudy A., Client.
Types of Car Crash Cases Our Arlington Attorneys Handle
In Arlington, a large share of serious crashes are concentrated in specific areas. About 70% of fatal and injury crashes occur on just 6% of the city’s roads, often on major highways and at busy intersections.
That includes:
- Rear-end collisions on I-20, I-30, and SH-360;
- Intersection crashes along roads like Cooper Street, Division Street, and Collins Street;
- Head-on collisions;
- Multi-vehicle accidents during rush hour or around large events near AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Field; and
- Rollover accidents.
Our team also represents clients in hit-and-run crashes, rideshare accidents involving Uber and Lyft, and other complex claims.
What Are the Leading Causes of Car Accidents in Arlington, TX?
Knowing what caused your crash matters. It tells us who is responsible, what evidence to go after, and how to build the strongest case for the compensation you are owed.
Preliminary TxDOT reports show an average of 9.8 traffic deaths per day across Texas, and the causes behind the worst crashes rarely change from year to year.
The leading causes of car accidents in Arlington and across Texas include:
- Speeding accounted for more than 135,000 crashes in 2024 and remains the leading contributor to fatal collisions statewide.
- Distracted driving is responsible for 86,384 crashes in Texas in 2025, leading to 299 deaths and 2,437 serious injuries.
- Drunk driving, which accounts for roughly 40% of Texas traffic fatalities, is one of the highest rates in the country, with crashes peaking between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. on weekends.
- Failure to drive in a single lane, the single biggest contributor to fatal crashes in Texas in 2024, is often linked to drowsiness, impairment, or distraction.
- Intersection crashes, which kill more than 1,000 people across Texas each year, are often tied to drivers running red lights or failing to yield on left turns.
If any of these caused your crash, you have the right to hold that driver accountable. Let a top-rated Arlington car accident attorney investigate exactly what happened and fight for the full value of your claim.
Catastrophic Injuries Resulting from Local Auto Accidents
A car crash can leave you with injuries that take months or years to recover from, and some that never fully heal. Many require emergency surgery, long hospital stays, and ongoing treatment that reshapes your daily life and that of your family.
Some of the most serious injuries our Arlington clients suffer include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal organ injuries
- Neck and whiplash injuries,
- Severe cuts or burns
- Amputations and crush injuries
Before you talk to any insurance adjuster about your injuries, stop. Adjusters will push for a recorded statement in the hours or days after your crash, when you may not yet know the full extent of what is wrong.
Statements made to adjusters could be used to downplay your injuries or suggest that your condition worsened for reasons unrelated to your accident. Allow an Arlington auto accident attorney to manage these communications on your behalf.
What Should You Do Immediately After a Crash in Arlington?
The choices you make in the first hours after a crash can affect your health, your safety, and your ability to recover compensation. Even if you feel mostly okay, take the following steps before going home or talking to anyone from the other driver’s insurance company.
- Call 911 and get medical attention. Report the crash, ask for an ambulance if anyone is hurt, and let paramedics evaluate you at the scene. Adrenaline can mask serious injuries in the moments after a collision.
- Call the police. Arlington officers will arrive at the scene, prepare a crash report, and document what happened. That report becomes key evidence in your claim.
- Photograph everything. Take pictures of the vehicles, license plates, road conditions, skid marks, traffic signs, and your visible injuries. Capture the full scene from multiple angles.
- Get witness information. Ask for the names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the crash. Independent witnesses can be critical when the other driver disputes fault.
- Exchange basic information, including the other driver’s name, phone number, license plate, insurance company, and policy number. Avoid unnecessary conversation and do not apologize or accept blame.
- See a doctor within 24 hours. Some of the most serious injuries, including concussions and soft tissue damage, do not show symptoms right away. A prompt medical exam also ties your injuries directly to the crash.
- Do not post on social media. Insurance companies actively monitor claimants’ accounts for anything they can use against you. Even an innocent photo can be twisted to suggest you are not really hurt.
- Call an Arlington car accident attorney before talking to any insurer. The other driver’s insurance company is not on your side, and even your own insurer has reasons to pay you as little as possible.
Don’t face the insurance company alone. Call Freese & Goss at (214) 761-6623 or contact us online now for a free case review from an Arlington car accident lawyer ready to fight for you.
How Does Texas’s 51% Bar Rule Affect My Arlington Car Accident Claim?
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence system, often called the 51% bar rule. Under this rule, you can recover compensation as long as you are no more than 50% responsible for the crash. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover anything at all.
If you are partially at fault but still below that 51% threshold, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if your damages total $200,000 and you are found 20% at fault, you would recover $160,000.
This is exactly why insurance companies work so hard to assign blame to you. Every percentage point they can push onto your side of the ledger is money they do not have to pay.
Adjusters may argue you were speeding, distracted, or not paying attention, even when the other driver is clearly responsible for the crash.
Our Arlington car accident lawyers push back with evidence. We pull crash reports, secure traffic camera and surveillance footage, review phone records, interview witnesses, and work with accident reconstruction experts when needed. Our job is to make sure fault lands where it actually belongs.
What Compensation Is Available for Arlington Accident Victims?
The money you recover after a crash should cover every cost your injuries have caused, not just the bills sitting on your kitchen table today. A serious injury can follow you for years, and your claim needs to account for what is ahead of you, not only what is behind you.
Compensation an Arlington car crash lawyer can help you recover may include:
- Medical expenses, including emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, imaging, prescriptions, and any follow-up treatment you still need.
- Future medical costs, such as physical therapy, specialist visits, mental health treatment, assistive devices, and in-home care.
- Lost wages for the time you missed from work because of your injuries.
- Lost earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from returning to your old job or from working at all.
- Pain and suffering for the physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment caused by the crash.
- Wrongful death benefits for families who lost a loved one, including funeral costs, loss of financial support, and loss of companionship.
- Punitive damages in cases involving extreme misconduct, such as drunk driving or street racing, are meant to punish the at-fault party beyond standard compensation.
Martindale-Nolo research shows that clients represented by an attorney recover nearly 3.5 times more compensation than those who handle their claims on their own. Our team knows how to identify every category of damages that applies to your case and pursue the full amount you are owed.
Can You File a Claim Against an Uninsured Driver in Arlington?
Yes, and you have more options than many injured drivers realize. Texas requires every driver to carry liability insurance, but a large share of drivers on the road are uninsured or carry minimum policies that do not come close to covering a serious injury claim.
If the driver who hit you is uninsured or underinsured, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may apply. This coverage steps in where the at-fault driver’s insurance falls short, covering medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering up to your policy limits.
There may also be other responsible parties beyond the driver. An employer could be liable if the at-fault driver was working at the time of the crash. A bar or restaurant could face a dram shop claim if it overserved a driver who then caused a drunk driving collision. A vehicle or parts manufacturer could share responsibility if a defective component contributed to the crash.
Our team will look at every possible source of recovery so you are not left paying for someone else’s mistake.
Tactics Insurers Use to Devalue Your Arlington Injury Claim
The insurance company is not your friend, no matter how pleasant the adjuster sounds on the phone. Their job is to close your claim quickly and cheaply, and they use the same playbook in nearly every case.
Tactics you should watch for include:
- Fast lowball offers. An adjuster may contact you within days of the crash with a settlement check, hoping you will sign before you know the full extent of your injuries. Once you sign, your claim is closed for good.
- Recorded statements. Adjusters use these conversations to catch you in small inconsistencies or to get you to downplay your injuries while you are still in pain and on medication.
- Delay strategies. Insurance companies lose paperwork, request duplicate documents, and go silent for weeks at a time, counting on financial pressure to wear you down.
- Disputing your medical treatment. Insurers often argue your care was unnecessary, excessive, or unrelated to the crash, especially if you had any prior injuries.
- Shifting blame to you. Expect the adjuster to look for any way to argue you caused or contributed to the crash so they can pay less under the 51% bar rule.
- Surveillance and social media monitoring. Insurers may hire investigators to watch you or scrape your accounts for any photo or post that contradicts your injury claim.
When Freese & Goss takes your case, the adjusters stop calling you. Every communication goes through us, and we answer their tactics with evidence, pressure, and, when it comes down to it, willingness to take the case to trial.
When Is the Deadline to File a Car Accident Claim in Texas?
Texas gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss that deadline, and you lose the right to pursue compensation altogether, no matter how strong your case is.
A few situations can change the timeline. If the crash involved a government vehicle or occurred on government property, you may have as little as six months to put the responsible agency on notice. If the injured person is a minor, the clock may not start until their 18th birthday. Wrongful death claims follow their own two-year window, measured from the date of death.
Waiting is one of the worst things you can do after a serious crash. Witnesses forget details, surveillance footage is overwritten in automatic loops, and vehicles are repaired or scrapped. The sooner you bring us in, the more evidence we can preserve.
Reach Out to a Local Arlington Auto Accident Lawyer
After a car accident, your attention should be on your recovery. Medical appointments, physical therapy, vehicle repairs, and lost income can quickly add pressure at a time when you need stability.
Freese & Goss provides experienced guidance when it matters most.
With more than 77 years of combined experience and over $1 billion recovered for injured clients, the firm has a record of securing meaningful results. Our Arlington car accident lawyers take a hands-on approach to each case, examining the facts, identifying responsible parties, and building a strong claim for compensation.
From the start, Freese & Goss manages all communication with the insurance company, so you are not left handling calls, paperwork, or negotiations on your own. Every step is handled with care and attention, giving you the space to focus on your health and your future.
If another driver’s negligence caused your crash, you deserve a legal team that will fight for the full recovery you are owed. Call Freese & Goss today at (214) 761-6623 or fill out our online form to schedule a free case review with an Arlington car accident lawyer.
