A Houston brain injury lawyer helps people hurt in a crash, fall, or other accident pursue a claim for a traumatic brain injury, and in Texas the main filing deadline is two years counted from the day the claim accrues. Because symptoms can show up late, the first step is a doctor visit, and the second is to confirm your dates early.
What counts as a traumatic brain injury after a Houston accident?
A traumatic brain injury is an injury to the brain caused by an outside force, such as a blow to the head, a violent jolt, or an object that penetrates the skull.
It can follow a car or truck crash, a fall, a pedestrian or bicycle collision, or an assault. A person can have a brain injury without a visible head wound. Only a doctor can diagnose one, and nothing on this page is medical advice.
Whether an injury supports a legal claim depends on how it happened, who was at fault, and what the medical records show. That is why the dates and the records matter as much as the diagnosis. This page covers brain injuries after Houston accidents under Texas law only, and it is general information, not legal advice for your situation.
Where does Houston send brain injury patients for trauma care?
The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) lists three Level I trauma centers in Houston (list current October 28, 2026).
DSHS lists Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital as a Level I (Comprehensive) trauma center in Houston.
DSHS lists Memorial Hermann – Texas Medical Center as a Level I (Comprehensive) trauma center in Houston.
DSHS lists Texas Children’s Hospital as a Level I (Comprehensive) trauma center in Houston, and it marks that entry “CONTINGENT”.
The list does not say where any one patient will be taken, and this page cannot tell you that. A hospital’s trauma level is the designation on the DSHS list, nothing more. The records created at whichever hospital treats you can matter later to a claim, so ask for copies of what you are given and keep them together.
What TBI symptoms show up days or weeks after the accident?
Some brain injury symptoms can appear days or weeks after an accident, so see a doctor if anything seems wrong later, even if you felt fine at the scene.
People sometimes leave the scene, or even the emergency room, believing they escaped serious injury. If you hit your head or were thrown or shaken hard, and you later notice new headaches, confusion, memory trouble, or changes in mood or sleep, get medical care and tell the doctor about the accident. That is a warning, not a diagnosis, and this page cannot say what your symptoms mean.
A late visit can also affect a claim. A long gap between the crash and the first medical record is something an insurance company may point to, so it helps to be seen promptly and to say plainly when and how you were hurt. Write down what you notice and when, and keep every record, referral, and bill. Family members often notice changes first, so write down what they see too.
How long do I have to file a brain injury lawsuit in Houston?
A Texas personal injury lawsuit must generally be brought within two years after the day the cause of action accrues, so confirm your start date early rather than assuming it.
The statute carves out a few claim types that follow different rules, so confirm which period applies to yours rather than assuming it is two years. If the injured person died, more than one deadline can be in play, and they do not all start on the same day, so that is a reason to ask early rather than late.
Texas law also pauses the clock in some situations. One of them is legal disability: if the person entitled to sue is under a legal disability when the claim accrues, meaning younger than 18 or of unsound mind, the time of the disability is not counted. A person cannot stack one disability onto another to stretch the period, and a disability that begins after the clock has started does not suspend it. Whether a particular injury counts as unsound mind is a legal question that depends on the facts, so do not assume it applies to you.
Do you know which day your two years started counting from?
The clock runs from the day the claim accrued, a death starts a separate clock, and a claim against the City or METRO has its own shorter notice period.
Can I still recover if I was partly at fault for my own accident?
Possibly, because under Texas law a claimant may not recover damages if the claimant’s percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.
A claimant found exactly 50 percent responsible is not barred by that rule. If you are not barred, the court reduces the damages by a percentage equal to your percentage of responsibility, and it also reduces them by the dollar amount of any settlements with others. That is how the statute reads for the cases it covers, and how it applies to yours depends on the facts.
Fault is argued over evidence, so the facts about your own conduct matter. Tell your lawyer everything about how the accident happened, including anything you worry will count against you. A lawyer can only plan around facts that are known.
What should I do right after a suspected brain injury?
Get medical care, tell the doctor how you were hurt, and if the accident was a crash, say plainly that someone is injured.
Houston Police Department General Order 600-09 tells call takers to direct many crash callers to report at a police station within 24 hours. It lists an injury as one of the conditions under which an officer is sent, so make sure the dispatcher hears that someone is hurt.
Afterward, keep what you can. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries. Save the names and contact details of witnesses and other drivers. Keep every medical record, bill, and follow-up appointment, and keep notes on new symptoms with their dates. Before giving a recorded statement to any insurance company, consider speaking with a lawyer, because what you say early can be used later when fault is divided.
Who can be held responsible for a Houston brain injury?
Whoever’s conduct caused the accident may be responsible, and because Texas assigns responsibility by percentage, more than one person or company can share it.
Who that is depends on the facts: a driver, an employer, a property owner, or a government body. Claims involving a truck, an uninsured driver, or a death each bring their own rules, and a lawyer can tell you which apply to you.
If a government body may be involved, the two-year deadline is not the whole story. A claim against the City of Houston needs written, notarized notice within 90 days after the injury, and METRO’s own claim form asks for notice within 180 days of the incident. If more than 90 days have already passed, do not assume the claim is over, since whether that notice period bars a particular claim depends on the facts. Those are separate notice periods that belong to those bodies, so raise any possible government involvement with a lawyer right away.
Why work with Thanos Simoudis and David Merabi on a Houston TBI case?
Thanos Simoudis and David Merabi are the firm’s Texas-licensed lawyers, and the State Bar of Texas directory lists each as eligible to practice in Texas.
A brain injury case turns on dates, medical records, and fault, and those are the things a first conversation covers: when the claim accrued, what the records show, who may share responsibility, and whether any government notice period is running. No lawyer can promise an outcome, and this page does not.
Nothing here is legal advice, and your situation may differ from anything described. If you are unsure about a date, ask early, because some of the periods above are short.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a traumatic brain injury?
It is an injury to the brain caused by an outside force, such as a blow, a violent jolt, or a penetrating object. Only a doctor can diagnose one, and symptoms can appear days or weeks after an accident, so see a doctor if anything seems wrong.
What should I not tell an injury lawyer?
Do not hold back facts, including anything about your own part in the accident. Texas bars recovery only when a claimant’s responsibility is greater than 50 percent and otherwise reduces damages by the claimant’s percentage, so a lawyer needs the full picture to plan around it.
Does a TBI automatically qualify for disability?
Nothing on this page says it does, and disability benefit rules are separate from an injury lawsuit. A diagnosis alone is not a guarantee either way, so ask the benefits agency or a lawyer about your situation.
Is it worth getting a lawyer after a Texas car accident?
That depends on the facts, and no one can promise a result. The two-year deadline, the 50 percent fault rule, and short government notice periods are reasons many people ask a lawyer early, especially when a brain injury may be involved.
What is the hardest injury to prove?
This page cannot rank injuries. A brain injury whose symptoms show up late can leave a gap before the first medical record, which is why seeing a doctor promptly and saying how you were hurt helps.
If you or someone you love may have a brain injury from a Houston accident, a conversation with Thanos Simoudis or David Merabi can help you confirm your dates and decide what to do next. We work on contingency, which means no fee unless we win and no case costs charged if there is no recovery, and case expenses are advanced by the firm and repaid from the recovery. Attorney responsible for this page: Thanos Simoudis, licensed in Texas, primary office Los Angeles, California. Call (214) 269-1184 for a free case review, or send us the details and we will call you back. More on Houston personal injury claims.
