Answers Before You Ask

Generally, you may have a case if someone else's carelessness or wrongdoing caused you real harm—but the only way to know for sure is to have the facts reviewed. Most personal injury claims turn on four questions: Did someone owe you a duty to act reasonably? Did they fail to meet it? Did that failure cause your injury? And did you suffer real damages as a result?

Those questions are easy to state and hard to answer without looking closely at what happened. That's exactly why the review is free and confidential—so you can find out where you stand without any cost or obligation.

Most personal injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis—meaning you pay no attorney's fee unless and until we recover for you. The fee is an agreed percentage of the recovery, set out in a written agreement we go over together before any work begins. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney's fee.

How case expenses (things like records, filing fees, and expert witnesses) are handled is also spelled out clearly up front, so there are no surprises. The goal of the contingency model is simple: it lets people pursue accountability regardless of what's in their bank account, and it aligns our interests with yours.

Yes. Reviewing your situation costs you nothing, and there is no obligation to hire the firm afterward. You can tell me what happened, ask whatever you'd like, and get an honest read on whether there's a case worth pursuing.

Even if I'm not the right fit, you'll walk away knowing more than you did—and, where I can, pointed toward the next step.

The firm focuses on serious injury and wrongful death matters—the kinds of cases where the harm is significant and accountability has to be fought for. That includes negligent security and apartment crime, wrongful death, child injury, workplace injuries, oilfield and industrial accidents, premises liability, and commercial and 18-wheeler crashes.

You can read more about each on the Practice Areas page. If your situation isn't listed but involves a serious wrong, it's still worth asking—and if it isn't something I handle, I'll help you find someone who does.

I am always happy to review a case, and if it isn't one I can take, I will assist you in finding the best attorney for it. Whether a matter fits my practice or not, no one who reaches out should be left without direction.

If I'm not the right lawyer—because of the type of case, a conflict, or simply because someone else is better suited to it—I would rather point you to the right person than see a legitimate claim go unaddressed. Getting you to the right advocate is part of the job.

Because focus wins cases. By accepting a limited number of matters, every client gets the time, preparation, and personal attention their case deserves—not a file passed down an assembly line. It lets the firm investigate deeply, prepare thoroughly, and stand toe-to-toe with well-funded corporate defendants and their insurers.

It's a deliberate choice. I would rather give a smaller number of clients everything their case needs than give a large number of clients only a fraction of it.

You work directly with me—not a rotating cast of case managers—and your matter is built with the care a serious case demands. High-volume firms are designed to settle large numbers of cases quickly; that model can leave clients feeling like a number and can leave money and accountability on the table.

This firm is built around the opposite idea: take fewer cases, know each one inside and out, and prepare every matter as though it is going to trial. Clients have my direct access and never have to wonder what is happening with their case.

In most Texas personal injury cases the deadline (the "statute of limitations") is two years from the date of the injury—but several exceptions can shorten or extend it. Claims involving minors may be paused until the child turns 18, and the "discovery rule" can delay the clock when an injury wasn't immediately apparent. On the other hand, claims against governmental entities often carry much shorter notice deadlines—sometimes just months.

Because missing a deadline can permanently end a valid claim, and because evidence disappears long before the legal deadline runs, it's best to have your case reviewed as soon as possible.

It depends—some cases resolve in months, while serious or contested cases can take a year or more—and faster is not always better. The timeline is driven by the severity of your injuries, how clear the liability is, how cooperative the insurance company is, and whether a lawsuit and litigation become necessary.

One important point: it's often unwise to settle before you've finished treating and the full extent of your injuries is known, because you generally can't reopen a case once it's settled. I'll keep you informed at every stage so the timeline never feels like a mystery.

Most personal injury cases settle without a trial—but cases are best prepared as if they will be tried, because that is what drives fair settlements. Insurers offer more when they see a firm that is genuinely ready and willing to take a case in front of a jury.

If a fair resolution can be reached without trial, that's often the best outcome for a client. But the decision to settle is always yours, and I won't pressure you to accept less than your case is worth simply to avoid the courtroom.

Most cases move through a familiar arc: investigation, medical treatment, a demand to the insurer, negotiation, and—if needed—filing suit and litigation. Early on, the focus is on preserving evidence and making sure you get the care you need. Once your treatment stabilizes, we can put a value on the case and present a demand.

If the other side won't be reasonable, we file suit and move into discovery, depositions, and, ultimately, mediation or trial. Every case is different, but you'll always know which stage yours is in and what comes next.

Once you're represented, you generally won't have to—communications run through the firm, which keeps you from being pressured or talked into a low settlement. Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize what their company pays, and early recorded statements are often used against injured people later.

Handing those conversations to your lawyer lets you focus on healing while someone whose job is to protect your interests does the talking.

There is no one-size-fits-all number—value depends on the severity of your injuries, your losses, the available insurance, and the strength of the evidence. Be cautious of anyone who promises a specific figure before reviewing the facts; a responsible answer requires understanding your medical care, how the injury has affected your life and work, and who is responsible.

Once those pieces are clear, we can give you a realistic, honest assessment—and then work to maximize the recovery your case will support.

Depending on the case, you may recover medical expenses, lost income and earning capacity, pain and suffering, mental anguish, impairment, disfigurement, and more—both for what you've already endured and for what lies ahead. In wrongful death cases, eligible family members can recover for their own losses, and in cases of gross negligence, exemplary (punitive) damages may be available.

Properly valuing future losses—long-term medical care and diminished earning capacity in particular—is one of the most important parts of a serious case, and often requires medical and economic experts.

You may still recover. Texas follows a "modified comparative fault" rule—you can recover as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, with your recovery reduced by your percentage of responsibility. So if you are found 20% at fault, you can still recover 80% of your damages.

Because the at-fault party's insurer will often try to pin as much blame on you as possible to reduce or eliminate what they pay, having someone investigate and push back on those arguments early can make a real difference.

In the short term, bills are usually handled through your own health insurance, certain auto coverages, or arrangements with providers—not by waiting on the at-fault party, who typically doesn't pay anything until the case resolves. Part of a lawyer's job is to help you navigate this so you can keep getting care while the claim proceeds.

At settlement, certain bills or liens may need to be repaid out of the recovery; we work to account for and, where possible, reduce those amounts so more of the recovery stays with you.

Under a contingency-fee agreement, if there is no recovery you owe no attorney's fee—and how case expenses are handled is spelled out in writing before we begin. The point of this arrangement is to remove the financial risk that would otherwise keep people from pursuing valid claims.

We'll go through the agreement together so you understand exactly how fees and expenses work before you decide whether to move forward.

Get medical care, document everything you can, keep records, and avoid giving statements to the other side's insurer before getting advice. Photograph the scene and your injuries, get the names and contact information of any witnesses, and hold on to anything connected to what happened—bills, reports, and the physical objects involved.

Seeking prompt medical attention matters both for your health and your case: gaps in treatment are routinely used by insurers to argue an injury wasn't serious. The sooner a lawyer is involved, the more evidence can be preserved before it disappears.

No. It's best to stay off social media about your accident—insurers and defense lawyers look for posts they can twist to undermine your claim. Even an innocent photo of you smiling at a family event can be taken out of context to suggest you aren't really hurt.

Until your case resolves, the safest approach is to avoid posting about the incident, your injuries, or your activities, and to set your accounts to private. Assume anything you post could end up in front of the other side.

Be very cautious. People who reach out uninvited may work for the at-fault company or its insurer—or may be illegally soliciting your case, which is a crime in Texas known as barratry. Unsolicited calls, texts, or visits soon after an accident, especially ones pushing you to sign up or give a statement, are a red flag.

Don't discuss your case with anyone who contacts you out of the blue about your or a loved one's accident. Speak only with a lawyer you have chosen yourself—and if you're unsure whether contact you received was legitimate, ask.

Be careful. Early offers are often far below what a claim is worth and are designed to close it out before the full extent of your injuries is known. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you usually give up the right to seek anything more—even if your injuries turn out to be worse than they first appeared.

Before accepting any offer or signing anything, it's worth having someone evaluate whether it fairly accounts for your full losses, including future medical care and lost earning capacity.

For minor matters, you may not need one—but for serious injuries, going it alone usually means leaving money and accountability on the table. Insurers know that unrepresented people are easier to underpay, and the rules of evidence, deadlines, and procedure can quietly sink a valid claim.

An honest lawyer will tell you if your situation is something you can handle on your own. If that's the case here, I'll say so—part of a free review is getting a straight answer about whether you even need to hire anyone.

Yes. Every client who entrusts me with their representation has direct, personal access to me—that's a core reason the firm takes a limited number of cases. You won't be handed off to someone you've never met, and you won't have to wonder who is actually working on your matter.

I know my clients, treat them like family, and make myself available throughout the case. That personal commitment is the whole point.

The firm is based in Dallas but handles serious injury and wrongful death matters across Texas where it's the right fit. Oilfield and industrial cases in particular often arise far from any city.

If your case is somewhere I'm not the best-positioned advocate, that's one more situation where I'll help connect you with the right attorney rather than leave you without options.

Often, yes. Texas law allows certain family members—a surviving spouse, children, or parents—to bring a wrongful death claim when a loved one is killed by another's wrongful act, alongside a related "survival" claim brought on behalf of the person's estate. These claims can provide both answers and financial security for a grieving family.

These matters are handled with care and discretion. You can read more on the Wrongful Death page, or simply reach out for a confidential conversation.

Just reach out—by phone or through the contact form—and share whatever you have: any police or incident reports, photos, medical records or bills, insurance information, and the names and contact details of anyone involved or who witnessed what happened. Don't worry if you don't have everything; we can help gather the rest.

The most important step is simply starting the conversation. From there, I'll let you know honestly whether it's a case I can take—and if it isn't, where to turn next.