Personal injury lawyers in Austin

Austin's $398 median tops the State Bar's 2025 metro figures, ahead of Dallas-Fort Worth ($388) and Houston ($377), against a statewide median of $368 for full-time private practitioners. Injury work is usually paid differently. A Texas contingent fee contract must be in writing and signed by both you and the lawyer, and it must state how the fee is calculated, any different percentages for settlement, trial or appeal, and which expenses are deducted and when.

Ads that offer contingency fees must say whether you will still owe expenses such as litigation costs. Ask the lawyer to walk you through how the fee and each expense would come out of a settlement, and compare written offers from more than one firm. More on fee structures is in our Texas attorneys guide.

State Bar lookups for Austin attorneys

The State Bar's Find a Lawyer directory lists every lawyer licensed in Texas and filters by board certification, languages and fee options. The same site shows a lawyer's disciplinary history, recent disciplinary actions and the Ineligible Attorney List. A lawyer may advertise as "Board Certified" only if certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, which includes a Personal Injury Trial Law specialty.

Austin referral services for injury cases

The State Bar lists the Lawyer Referral Service of Central Texas, based in Austin, among its certified local services, and that service offers a free first consultation of up to 30 minutes. The State Bar's own Lawyer Referral & Information Service, (800) 252-9690, refers callers to a lawyer for up to 30 minutes for no more than $20. TexasLawHelp.org has free legal information and a directory of legal aid.

Solicitation rules after an Austin crash

Texas generally bars lawyers from sending written injury or wrongful death solicitations about an accident before the 31st day after it, and ethics rules generally forbid in-person or live-phone solicitation. Paying someone to solicit clients is barratry, a third-degree felony. A client whose contract came from barratry can void it and recover fees paid plus a $10,000 penalty. Someone who approaches you at the hospital or calls the week of the crash may be breaking these rules.

• Two years for most Texas personal injury suits, counted from the day the cause of action accrues, and two years from the date of death for wrongful death. Time while the injured person is under 18 generally isn't counted, but health care claims follow a separate rule (a child under 12 has until age 14).
• Six months to give notice of a claim against a governmental unit under the Texas Tort Claims Act, and a city charter can set its own period. If a City of Austin vehicle or property is involved, ask a lawyer about the city's deadline right away. In Tort Claims Act cases against the state or a city, damages are capped at $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence.
• 60 days' written notice before suing in a health care liability claim, where noneconomic damages against physicians and health care providers are capped at $250,000 per claimant.

Fault is shared in Texas. A claimant found more than 50 percent responsible recovers nothing, and otherwise the award is reduced by their own percentage. Civil injury cases in Travis County district courts are filed with the Travis County District Clerk, who keeps the records and accepts electronic filing through re:SearchTX.

These rules have exceptions, and nothing here predicts how a case will turn out. Confirm deadlines and options with a licensed Texas lawyer. The Austin hub has other local services, and attorneys in Round Rock are listed for comparison.