Personal injury claims in Houston, TX.
What Houston residents need to know before settling a personal injury claim. Local court, 2-year filing deadline, fault rules, and the practical math behind settlement value in Harris County.
Where Houston personal injury cases are filed
PI suits are typically filed in Harris County District Court (201 Caroline St). Texas SoL is 2 years (CPRC § 16.003).
What Texas law means for your claim
Texas applies modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar (CPRC § 33.001) and caps non-economic damages in medical malpractice claims at $250,000 per defendant.
How settlement value is built in Houston
Settlement value in Houston comes from the same building blocks as anywhere in the US: documented medical bills, lost wages, and a non-economic component (pain and suffering) calculated using the multiplier method. Local venue matters at the margins — a Harris County jury pool will value the same injury differently than a rural county in the same state.
The biggest single driver of your case value is not the city; it is the strength of the medical documentation, the available insurance policy limits, and how clearly fault is established. Because Texas is a fault state, the at-fault driver's liability policy is the primary source of recovery.
Houston filing deadline
Texas personal injury claims must generally be filed within 2 years of the injury. Government claims: 6-month notice. Claims against government entities (Texas DOT, the city of Houston, transit authorities) usually carry much shorter notice deadlines, sometimes 60 to 180 days.
Case types we cover
Related reads
How Texas's modified comparative — 51% bar rule shapes auto settlement value.
Multi-party liability, FMCSA regulations, and the 30-day evidence window.
Helmet laws, rider bias, and comparative fault.
Premises liability and the negligence elements you must prove.
Standard of care and Texas's med-mal rules.
Strict liability vs one-bite rule by state.
State law deep dive
For the full state-by-state breakdown of negligence rules, damages caps, and statute of limitations, read the Texas state hub.
Frequently asked questions
Different city? See all city hubs.