Temple Car Accidents

Car Accident Lawyer in Temple, TX

After a crash in Temple, the medical bills start before the insurance company decides anything, and the other driver's adjuster is already working. Ted Smith Law Group has handled Central Texas injury claims from its Killeen office since 1976.

Request a consultation Call (254) 690-5688

Deadline

Texas gives you two years, and evidence fades faster than that.

The statute of limitations for most Texas personal injury lawsuits is two years from the date of the accident, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. That is the outside limit, not the working timeline. Skid marks get rained on, vehicles get repaired or scrapped, business security footage is overwritten on a loop measured in days or weeks, and witnesses who were certain at the scene become vague a month later. The practical deadline for preserving what proves your case is much shorter than the legal one.

A woman beside her car after a collision

The corridor

I-35 traffic runs straight through Temple.

Temple sits on the I-35 corridor, which carries interstate through-traffic and freight alongside local drivers. Interstate-speed collisions and multi-vehicle pileups behave differently from city-street crashes: injuries tend to be more serious, more than two insurers are often involved, and commercial policies can enter the picture when a truck is part of the wreck. Temple also has significant local medical traffic, so a crash can generate treatment records across several providers, which is helpful evidence but takes organizing.

What matters in these cases.

The adjuster

The other driver's insurer is not neutral, and it starts early.

Within days of a crash the other driver's adjuster often calls asking for a recorded statement and, not long after, floats a settlement number. Both happen while you are still in pain, still being diagnosed, and least able to judge what the claim is actually worth. A recorded statement given before you know the full extent of an injury can be quoted back at you later, and an early offer is usually built on the bills that exist today rather than the treatment still ahead. There is no obligation to give that statement before speaking with a lawyer.

Fault

Texas splits fault by percentage, and the split is arguable.

Texas uses modified comparative negligence: each party is assigned a share of the blame. Above 50% at fault and you recover nothing; below it, your compensation is reduced by your percentage. Insurers know this, which is why an adjuster's early questions often steer toward what you could have done differently. How fault is documented and argued directly changes what a claim is worth.

Your own coverage

PIP is on most Texas policies whether or not you remember choosing it.

Texas auto policies include Personal Injury Protection unless the named insured rejected it in writing, and it pays medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can also apply when the at-fault driver has no policy or too small a one. Confirm what you carry from the policy or the insurer rather than from memory.

Not sure where your situation fits? Request a free consultation or call (254) 690-5688.

Where it is filed

Temple crashes are Bell County cases, filed in Belton.

Temple is in Bell County, so a lawsuit arising from a Temple crash is generally filed in the Bell County courts in Belton rather than in Temple itself. The Killeen office handles that routing, and most of the work before any filing happens by phone and document exchange rather than in person.

Call (254) 690-5688 Request a consultation

How we help

What to have ready after a Temple crash

The first call should turn a confusing legal issue into a clearer next step.

The crash report
The report number, responding agency, and any photos you or a passenger took at the scene.
Insurance and adjuster contact
Both policies if you have them, plus any adjuster letters, recorded-statement requests, or settlement offers already received.
Medical record so far
Where you have been seen, what has been diagnosed, and what treatment is still ahead.

Why Ted Smith Law Group

A local office, not a call center.

Injury claims from Temple are handled from the Killeen office on E. Stan Schlueter Loop, by the same firm that has practiced in Central Texas since 1976.

1976: Ted Smith opened the Killeen practice after Fort Hood JAG service.
No fee unless you recover: Injury consultations are free and you will not see a bill until compensation is secured.
4.6 stars: Rated 4.6 out of 5 across 536 public Google reviews.Read the reviews

4.6536 reviews

“Ted Smith is the best in the area! I can't say enough good things. The whole office cares about their clients and make sure your case is taken care of swiftly and done perfectly.”

Tramesiya H. · public Google review

Questions

Temple Car Accidents FAQ.

How long do I have to file a car accident claim in Texas?

Texas generally gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. There are exceptions, but evidence and witness memory fade long before the deadline does, so waiting costs you either way.

What does it cost to hire the firm for a car accident case?

Consultations for personal injury are free, and you will not see a bill until compensation is secured on your behalf. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.

Should I give the other driver's insurance company a recorded statement?

Talk to a lawyer first. An adjuster does not work for you, and an early recorded statement taken while you are still in pain and short on facts can be used against the claim later.

What if the crash was partly my fault?

Texas uses modified comparative negligence. Each party is assigned a percentage of fault; if you are more than 50% at fault you cannot recover, and below that your compensation is reduced by your percentage. How fault gets argued matters, which is why the early evidence is worth preserving.

Does my own insurance help before the other driver's insurer pays?

It often can. Personal Injury Protection is included on Texas auto policies unless the named insured rejected it in writing, and it pays medical bills and some lost wages regardless of who caused the crash. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may also apply.

Tell the firm what happened in Temple.

Injury consultations are free, and you will not see a bill until compensation is secured. The sooner the facts are preserved, the stronger the claim.

Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.