Carabin Shaw is one of the leading personal injury law firms in Austin and Texas. They have extensive experience in car accident cases, focusing on securing compensation for clients that reflects the full extent of their medical bills, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Specialization: Personal injury, truck accidents, car accidents, wrongful death, 18-wheeler accidents.
Why choose them? Carabin Shaw Law Firm offers a complimentary initial consultation, and their team is recognized for aggressively advocating for their clients’ rights.

Austin Car Accident Lawyers – What to Do After a Crash

A car accident in Austin can turn an ordinary day into a nightmare in seconds. Between the pain of your injuries, the stress of dealing with a damaged vehicle, and the uncertainty about how you are going to pay your medical bills, the aftermath of a crash can feel overwhelming. The steps you take immediately after a wreck have a direct impact on your ability to recover fair compensation. Austin car accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw have helped thousands of crash victims across Central Texas protect their rights and fight for the money they need to rebuild their lives.

Austin’s rapid growth has brought an explosion of traffic that the city’s infrastructure was never designed to handle. I-35 through downtown, MoPac Expressway, Highway 183, and Loop 360 are packed with vehicles at nearly all hours of the day, and the resulting congestion leads to accidents that range from fender benders to fatal collisions. Experienced car accident attorneys in Austin at Carabin Shaw understand the unique driving conditions that make Austin roads so dangerous and bring the legal firepower needed to take on insurance companies that try to shortchange injured victims.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in an Austin car wreck, taking action quickly is essential. Car accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw offer a free initial consultation to evaluate your case and explain your legal options so you can make informed decisions from the start.

Check for Injuries and Call 911 Immediately

Your first priority after any car accident is the safety and health of everyone involved. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries and call 911 right away. Even if injuries seem minor at the scene, requesting an ambulance ensures that trained medical professionals can evaluate everyone involved. Many serious car accident injuries — including whiplash, concussions, and internal bleeding — do not show symptoms immediately. Having paramedics on scene creates an official medical record connecting your condition to the crash.

Calling 911 also brings law enforcement to the scene. A police report is one of the most important pieces of evidence in any car accident claim. The responding officer will document the crash, interview drivers and witnesses, note any traffic violations, and record observations about the cause of the wreck. Request a copy of the report or obtain the report number before you leave the scene.

Document Everything at the Accident Scene

If your physical condition allows it, use your phone to take photographs and video of the accident scene from every angle. Capture the damage to all vehicles involved, skid marks, debris, road conditions, traffic signals, and any visible injuries. These images become critical pieces of evidence as your case develops. Exchange information with the other driver — name, phone number, insurance company and policy number, license plate, and driver’s license number. If witnesses stopped, get their contact information as well.

Write down your own account of what happened while the details are fresh in your mind. Memory fades quickly, and having a contemporaneous written account can help your lawyers and strengthen your testimony if the case goes to trial. Note the time, weather conditions, visibility, and anything unusual you observed about the other driver’s behavior.

See a Doctor Within 24 to 48 Hours

Even if you feel fine after the crash, see a doctor promptly. Many car accident injuries have delayed symptoms that do not appear for hours or even days. Herniated discs, soft tissue damage, and mild traumatic brain injuries are notorious for delayed onset. A prompt medical evaluation creates the documentation needed to connect your injuries to the accident, which is essential for your legal claim. Follow your doctor’s treatment plan completely — gaps in treatment give insurance companies ammunition to argue your injuries are not serious.

Do Not Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company

After an Austin car accident, the at-fault driver’s insurer will contact you quickly. The adjuster will sound concerned and friendly, but their job is to minimize what their company pays. They may request a recorded statement, ask leading questions to get you to downplay your injuries, or push a fast settlement offer before you understand the full extent of your damages. Politely decline to give a statement and direct them to your lawyers. Anything you say can and will be used against you later.

Stay Off Social Media

Insurance companies routinely monitor claimants’ social media accounts. A photo of you smiling at a birthday party or mentioning that you went for a walk can be twisted into evidence that your injuries are not as serious as claimed. The safest approach is to avoid posting anything related to your accident, your health, or your daily activities while your case is pending. Ask friends and family not to tag you in posts as well.

Contact Austin Car Accident Lawyers Right Away

The sooner you get experienced legal representation, the better positioned you are to protect your rights and maximize your recovery. Early legal involvement means evidence is preserved, witnesses are interviewed while memories are fresh, and the insurance company knows you have professional representation from day one. Carabin Shaw’s Austin car accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis — you pay nothing unless they win your case. Contact them today for a free consultation and let their team start fighting for you.

T-Bone Car Accidents in Austin Texas — Who Is at Fault and What You Can Recover

Austin’s explosive growth has turned once-quiet intersections into high-traffic danger zones where T-bone collisions happen with alarming regularity. A T-bone crash — also called a broadside or side-impact collision — occurs when the front of one vehicle slams into the side of another, usually at an intersection where one driver has failed to yield, run a red light, or misjudged a gap in oncoming traffic. The door panels and side windows of a car offer far less protection than the front or rear crumple zones, which is why T-bone wrecks produce some of the most devastating injuries of any car crash. Shaw Cowart’s personal injury team in Austin represents victims of broadside collisions across Travis County and the surrounding communities, and the firm has seen how quickly a routine trip through an intersection can turn into a life-changing disaster.

T-bone car crashes are especially common on Austin’s busiest corridors, where high speed limits, heavy traffic, and poorly timed signals create the perfect conditions for broadside impacts. Intersections along Lamar Boulevard, South Congress, Research Boulevard, and FM 620 see these wrecks on a regular basis. Drivers who are distracted by phones, rushing to beat a yellow light, or unfamiliar with Austin’s rapidly changing road configurations cause the vast majority of these collisions. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, intersection crashes account for a significant percentage of all traffic fatalities and serious injuries statewide every year, and Travis County is consistently among the hardest-hit areas. Experienced lawyers at Shaw Cowart understand how to investigate these wrecks, establish fault through traffic camera footage, witness statements, and accident reconstruction, and fight for full compensation on behalf of injured Austin residents.

Determining fault in a T-bone wreck is not always as simple as it looks. The driver who entered the intersection against a red light or stop sign is usually presumed to be at fault, but insurance companies routinely dispute the signal timing, argue that the other driver was speeding through the intersection, or claim that both parties share blame. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule that can reduce or eliminate your compensation if the other side convinces a jury you were partially responsible. That is why having skilled lawyers who handle car wreck cases in Austin on your side from the beginning is critical to protecting your rights and your recovery.

Why T-Bone Collisions Cause Such Severe Injuries

The human body is far more vulnerable to side impacts than to frontal or rear collisions. In a head-on crash, the engine compartment, airbags, and seatbelt system absorb and distribute the force of impact across several feet of crumple zone. In a T-bone wreck, the only thing between the occupant and the striking vehicle is a thin door panel, a side window, and perhaps a side-curtain airbag if the car is equipped with one. The distance from the point of impact to the occupant’s body can be measured in inches.

This lack of structural protection means that T-bone crash victims frequently suffer traumatic brain injuries from their head striking the window or door frame, broken ribs and pelvic fractures from the intrusion of the door panel, spinal injuries from the sudden lateral force, and internal organ damage from compression against the seatbelt or armrest. Occupants seated on the struck side of the vehicle face the highest risk, and passengers in the rear seat are not immune — the force of a high-speed broadside impact can deform the entire passenger compartment.

Common Causes of T-Bone Wrecks in Austin

Running red lights and stop signs is the most obvious cause, but it is far from the only one. Left-turn accidents are a leading source of T-bone collisions in Austin, particularly at intersections with unprotected left-turn signals where drivers must judge gaps in oncoming traffic. A driver who misjudges the speed of an approaching vehicle or assumes the oncoming car will slow down can pull directly into its path, creating a devastating broadside impact.

Distracted driving plays a massive role. A driver checking a text message or adjusting a GPS may not see a red light until it is too late. Impaired drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs have slower reaction times and impaired judgment at intersections. Speeding through yellow lights — a habit that is practically a sport on some Austin roads — turns a marginal timing decision into a catastrophic collision.

Poor intersection design contributes to these wrecks as well. Obstructed sight lines from overgrown vegetation, parked vehicles, or construction barriers can prevent drivers from seeing cross traffic until a collision is unavoidable. Several Austin intersections have been flagged by transportation safety advocates for design deficiencies that increase the risk of broadside crashes.

Proving Fault and Fighting the Insurance Company

Insurance companies defending T-bone claims often try to create doubt about which driver had the right of way. They may argue that the traffic signal was yellow rather than red, that the victim was exceeding the speed limit, or that the victim failed to take evasive action. To counter these tactics, your legal team needs to move quickly to preserve evidence.

Traffic camera footage from nearby intersections, red-light cameras, and business surveillance systems can provide definitive proof of which driver violated the signal. Witness statements taken shortly after the wreck carry significant weight. Accident reconstruction experts can analyze skid marks, vehicle damage patterns, and electronic data from the vehicles’ event data recorders to determine the speed and direction of both cars at the moment of impact.

Compensation You May Be Entitled To

Victims of T-bone car crashes in Austin may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and in severe cases, permanent disability. If the at-fault driver was intoxicated or acting with extreme recklessness, punitive damages may also be available under Texas law. The value of your claim depends on the severity of your injuries, the strength of the liability evidence, and the insurance coverage available. An experienced legal team will fight to make sure you receive every dollar your case is worth, not just whatever the insurance adjuster offers in the first phone call.

Texas gives you two years from the date of the wreck to file a personal injury lawsuit. Do not wait to speak with a lawyer — the evidence that proves your case is most available in the days and weeks immediately following the crash.

Here are more locations we serve around Austin, Texas
Cedar Park
George Town
Hutto
Kyle
Leander
Pflugerville
Round Rock
San Marcos

This Blog was published by Carabin Shaw Personal Injury Lawyers – San Antonio Car Accident Attorneys

Texas Highway Car Accidents: Dangers and Legal Options

Texas is home to some of the busiest and most dangerous highways in the United States. From the sprawling interchanges of Interstate 35 cutting through Austin and San Antonio to the congested corridors of Interstate 10 through Houston, millions of drivers share these roads every day. The sheer volume of traffic, combined with high speed limits and aggressive driving behavior, makes Texas highways the setting for some of the most devastating car accidents in the country. If you have been injured in a highway crash, the car accident lawyers in Houston at Carabin Shaw have the experience and resources to handle even the most complex high-speed collision cases. These car accident attorneys understand that highway accidents often produce catastrophic injuries that require long-term medical care and carry enormous financial costs, and they fight to make sure victims receive every dollar they are entitled to.

Highway car accidents differ from crashes on city streets in several important ways. Higher speeds mean greater force of impact, more severe injuries, and a higher likelihood of fatalities. Multi-vehicle pileups are more common on highways, complicating questions of fault and liability. The car accident attorneys in Austin at Carabin Shaw have handled highway accident cases involving multiple vehicles, commercial trucks, and even highway construction zone crashes. Experienced car accident lawyers know that these cases require a more intensive investigation and a deeper understanding of traffic engineering, vehicle dynamics, and accident reconstruction.

The aftermath of a highway car accident can be overwhelming. Victims face painful recoveries, overwhelming medical bills, and the stress of dealing with insurance companies that are looking for ways to minimize their payout. Car accident attorneys at Carabin Shaw are ready to take that burden off your shoulders and fight for the compensation you need to move forward with your life.

Why Highway Accidents Are More Dangerous

The physics of a car accident are straightforward — the faster a vehicle is traveling, the more kinetic energy is involved in the crash, and the more severe the injuries tend to be. Texas highways with posted speed limits of 75 or even 80 miles per hour mean that crashes regularly occur at velocities that produce devastating results. At those speeds, a vehicle covers more than 100 feet per second, leaving almost no time to react when something goes wrong.

Highway crashes also tend to involve secondary collisions. A vehicle that is struck and spins out of control may be hit again by other traffic before coming to rest. Multi-car pileups on highways can involve dozens of vehicles and cause injuries across a wide range of severity. The chaos of these scenes makes evidence gathering particularly important and complex.

Common Causes of Highway Car Accidents

Several factors contribute disproportionately to highway accidents in Texas. Speeding and driving too fast for conditions top the list. Even though speed limits on Texas highways are among the highest in the nation, many drivers exceed them, and nearly all drivers fail to reduce speed adequately in rain, fog, or heavy traffic.

Lane change accidents are extremely common on multi-lane highways. Drivers who fail to check blind spots, signal their intentions, or wait for adequate space before merging cause sideswipe crashes that can send vehicles careening across multiple lanes of traffic. Tailgating at highway speeds is particularly dangerous because it eliminates the reaction time needed to respond to sudden stops or slowdowns.

Fatigue plays a major role in highway crashes, especially on long, monotonous stretches of Texas interstate. Drowsy drivers experience reduced reaction times, impaired judgment, and microsleep episodes that can cause them to drift out of their lane or fail to notice stopped traffic ahead.

Construction zones are another significant hazard on Texas highways. Narrowed lanes, shifting traffic patterns, uneven road surfaces, and reduced speed limits create a dangerous mix, especially when drivers fail to slow down or pay attention to warning signs.

Catastrophic Injuries From Highway Crashes

The severity of highway car accident injuries reflects the violent forces involved in these crashes. Common injuries include traumatic brain injuries ranging from concussions to severe diffuse axonal injuries, spinal cord injuries that may result in partial or complete paralysis, multiple bone fractures requiring surgical repair, internal organ damage and internal bleeding, severe burns from vehicle fires or contact with hot surfaces, crush injuries in vehicles that are compressed by impact, and amputation of limbs.

These injuries frequently require emergency surgery, extended hospital stays, intensive rehabilitation, and long-term or lifelong medical care. The financial impact can easily reach hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars when you account for future medical expenses, lost earning capacity, and the cost of adaptive equipment and home modifications.

Determining Fault in Multi-Vehicle Highway Accidents

Establishing fault in a multi-vehicle highway accident is one of the most challenging aspects of these cases. When several vehicles are involved, each driver’s insurance company will attempt to shift blame to other parties. Determining the sequence of collisions, identifying which driver’s negligence initiated the chain reaction, and allocating fault among multiple parties requires sophisticated investigation and expert analysis.

Accident reconstruction experts play a vital role in highway crash cases. These professionals analyze physical evidence including vehicle damage patterns, skid marks, gouge marks in the pavement, final rest positions of the vehicles, and data from electronic data recorders to reconstruct the accident sequence and determine speeds, angles of impact, and driver actions in the moments before the crash.

Sharing the Road With Commercial Trucks

Many highway car accidents in Texas involve commercial trucks, adding additional layers of complexity. Crashes between passenger vehicles and 18-wheelers or other large trucks almost always result in severe or fatal injuries to the occupants of the smaller vehicle. These cases may involve liability on the part of the truck driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, or the vehicle manufacturer.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations impose strict requirements on commercial truck drivers and their employers regarding hours of service, vehicle maintenance, driver qualifications, and cargo securement. Violations of these regulations can serve as powerful evidence of negligence in a car accident lawsuit.

Take Action After a Highway Crash

If you have been injured in a highway car accident in Texas, you owe it to yourself and your family to explore your legal options. The car accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw have handled highway crash cases of every type and severity. They offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, so there is absolutely no financial risk to reaching out. Do not let the insurance company dictate the value of your suffering. Contact Carabin Shaw today and get experienced legal representation fighting for you.

Wrongful Death From a Car Accident in Texas

Losing a family member in a car accident is a pain that no amount of money can undo. But when that death was caused by another person’s negligence, recklessness, or wrongful conduct, Texas law gives surviving family members the right to hold the responsible party accountable through a wrongful death lawsuit. A wrongful death claim exists to deliver financial compensation to the people who depended on the person who was killed — compensation for the income they will never receive, the care and companionship that was taken from them, and the emotional devastation that follows. Our San Antonio car accident lawyers at J.A. Davis Injury Lawyers have stood beside grieving families through this process, and we handle every detail of the legal fight so our clients can focus on what matters most during the hardest time of their lives.

The Texas Department of Transportation reported 4,150 traffic fatalities across the state in 2024 — one death every two hours and seven minutes. San Antonio ranked among the deadliest cities in Texas for traffic crashes, and our McAllen car accident lawyers have seen fatal wrecks devastate families throughout Hidalgo County and the Rio Grande Valley. Behind every one of those statistics is a family that will never be the same.

If you lost a spouse, parent, or child in a car accident caused by someone else’s negligence, our personal injury lawyers offer free, confidential consultations. Call us today and let our team explain your legal rights and what your family may be entitled to recover.

What Is a Wrongful Death Claim Under Texas Law

Texas wrongful death law is governed by Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 71. Under this statute, a wrongful death claim arises when a person’s death is caused by the negligent act, wrongful act, omission, or default of another individual, company, or entity. Every state has its own wrongful death statutes with its own specific rules, and there is no federal wrongful death law. In Texas, the statute is designed to compensate the surviving family for their losses and to hold the negligent party financially responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Wrongful death from a car accident is one of the most common scenarios our lawyers handle, but these claims can arise from many different situations. Medical malpractice that results in a patient’s death, nursing home negligence and abuse, workplace exposure to toxic substances like asbestos, commercial truck and bus accidents, and deaths that occur during supervised recreational activities can all give rise to wrongful death lawsuits. The common thread is always the same: someone’s carelessness or misconduct caused a death that should not have happened.

Who Can File a Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Texas

Texas law limits who has standing to bring a wrongful death claim. The surviving spouse, children, and parents of the deceased person are the individuals recognized as eligible to file. These family members, sometimes referred to as statutory beneficiaries, can file the lawsuit individually or together. If none of these family members file a wrongful death action within three months of the death, the personal representative of the deceased person’s estate — the executor named in their will or appointed by the court — may file the claim on behalf of the estate.

In addition to the wrongful death claim itself, a separate legal action called a survival claim may also be pursued. A survival claim addresses the pain and suffering the deceased person experienced before they passed away, along with any medical expenses and other costs incurred between the time of the accident and the time of death. The personal representative of the estate files the survival claim, and any compensation recovered becomes part of the estate. Our lawyers evaluate both avenues in every fatal accident case because pursuing both the wrongful death and survival claims together often results in significantly greater total compensation for the family.

What Damages Can a Family Recover

Wrongful death damages in Texas are meant to compensate the surviving family for everything they lost when their loved one was killed. The recoverable damages typically fall into several categories. Loss of financial support covers the income and benefits the deceased would have provided to the family over their expected remaining lifetime. Our lawyers work with economists who project those future earnings and calculate a present-day value that accounts for raises, promotions, and career trajectory the victim would have experienced.

Loss of care, maintenance, and support accounts for the non-financial contributions the deceased made to the household — cooking meals, maintaining the home, driving children to school, caring for aging parents, and handling the countless daily responsibilities that kept the family running. Loss of companionship, comfort, and guidance recognizes the emotional bond that was severed. For a surviving spouse, that means the loss of a partner. For children, it means growing up without a parent’s love and direction. For parents, it means burying a child they expected to outlive them.

Mental anguish and emotional pain suffered by the surviving family members are also compensable under Texas law. Funeral and burial expenses are recoverable, as are any medical bills the deceased person accumulated between the accident and the death. In cases where the at-fault party’s conduct was especially reckless or egregious — such as extreme intoxication or intentional disregard for safety — the family may also be entitled to pursue exemplary damages, which are designed to punish the wrongdoer and deter similar behavior.

Why You Need Experienced Lawyers for a Wrongful Death Case

Insurance companies treat wrongful death claims differently than standard injury claims because the dollar amounts are much larger. They deploy teams of defense lawyers, accident reconstruction experts, and corporate investigators to challenge liability, dispute the value of the deceased person’s future earnings, and minimize the family’s emotional losses. Going up against that kind of opposition without experienced legal representation puts your family at a severe disadvantage.

Our lawyers match and exceed that effort. We conduct independent investigations, retain our own accident reconstruction specialists, work with forensic economists, and present medical evidence that tells the complete story of what happened and what it cost your family. We handle every piece of communication with the insurance company so that no adjuster pressures you into a premature settlement while you are still mourning.

Texas imposes a two-year statute of limitations on wrongful death claims, meaning your family generally has two years from the date of death to file suit. Missing that deadline means losing the right to pursue compensation permanently, no matter how strong your case may be. The sooner our team gets involved, the better we can preserve evidence, identify all liable parties, and build the strongest possible case on your family’s behalf.

Call Our Lawyers at J.A. Davis Injury Lawyers

No family should have to fight an insurance company while grieving the loss of someone they loved. Our lawyers at J.A. Davis Injury Lawyers carry that fight for you. We offer free, confidential consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, which means your family pays nothing unless we recover compensation. Call our San Antonio office at 210-732-1062 or our McAllen office at 956-994-0565 and let us start protecting your family’s rights today.