If you've been hurt in an Austin car accident, the insurance company on the other side is already working to pay you less. The clock has already started — on medical treatment, on evidence preservation, and on the playbook adjusters use against ordinary victims. Our job is to take the legal weight off your shoulders while we go after what your case is really worth.
The Longhorn Law Firm handles car accident claims throughout Austin and Travis County — including crashes on I-35, MoPac, US-183, SH-130, Loop 360, and the surface streets across the metro. See our full overview of Texas car accident cases →
Austin crashes by the numbers.
Major Roadways
I-35 (running straight through central Austin), MoPac (Loop 1) on the west side, US-183, the SH-130 tollway, and Bee Cave Road.
Local Courts
Travis County Civil District Courts at the Heman Marion Sweatt Travis County Courthouse (1000 Guadalupe St.) and the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, Austin Division.
Trauma Care
Dell Seton Medical Center (Level I trauma), St. David's Medical Center, and the Ascension Seton hospital system.
Why It Matters Here
Austin's freeway system was built for a much smaller city and is now notoriously congested. I-35 in particular ranks as one of the most accident-prone stretches in Texas, and the rapid growth across Travis and Williamson Counties has put added pressure on every major road.
Austin's growth has outpaced its road infrastructure. I-35 through central Austin is now consistently ranked among the most accident-prone stretches of interstate in the state, and the rapid expansion across Travis and Williamson Counties has put strain on every major artery. Our office handles cases throughout the metro from Round Rock to Buda, with deep familiarity with the Travis County Civil District Courts.
Common Austin car accident injuries.
- Whiplash and cervical injuries — often dismissed by insurers but capable of becoming chronic
- Herniated discs and back injuries — frequently requiring injections or surgery
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI), including delayed-symptom concussions
- Fractures — wrists, ribs, ankles, pelvis
- Internal injuries from seat belt and airbag impact
- Post-traumatic stress and anxiety — real and compensable
The evidence that builds your case.
- The crash report filed by APD, DPS, Travis County Sheriff, or the responding agency
- 911 audio and dispatch records
- Photographs of the vehicles, scene, lane positions, and injuries
- Surveillance footage from nearby businesses — frequently overwritten within 7-30 days
- Cell phone records if distracted driving is suspected
- Event data recorder ("black box") showing speed, braking, and pre-impact data
- Witness statements taken while memories are fresh
- Your contemporaneous medical records
Insurance companies routinely call victims within hours, sounding friendly, asking for a "quick recorded statement," and floating a fast lowball offer before the victim has seen a doctor. Don't give a recorded statement. Don't accept an offer. Read our full guide on insurance company tactics before you say anything.
What your case could be worth.
Honest answer: it depends on the injuries, the liability, the available insurance, and the lost income. Texas car accident damages can include past and future medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, property damage, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and — in drunk-driving or grossly negligent cases — punitive damages. We never quote a specific figure before reviewing a case, but we'll give an honest range during your free consultation.
Austin-specific case scenarios.
Patterns we see often in our Austin practice:
- Rear-end crashes on I-35 during congestion — frequently involving a chain of vehicles and contested liability
- Left-turn crashes at busy surface street intersections, particularly during peak hours
- Drunk-driving crashes on weekend nights in the downtown and South Congress entertainment districts
- Rideshare-related crashes — Uber and Lyft are heavily used across Austin, especially around 6th Street and ABIA
- Commercial vehicle crashes involving DSP delivery vans and last-mile trucks running between Austin warehouses
- Tourist and visitor drivers unfamiliar with Austin's mixed grid/freeway pattern
Texas deadlines.
Two years from the date of the crash to file (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §16.003). Cases against governmental entities require notice within much shorter windows — sometimes as little as six months. Texas applies modified comparative fault: you can still recover if you were 50% or less at fault. See our FAQ for more →
What we do differently.
The Longhorn Law Firm is not a volume mill. Founder Shawn Barnett has personally been hit head-on by a drunk driver and, separately, struck on the side of his truck by an 18-wheeler. He grew up in Austin — and in Round Rock and Cedar Park — and built professional relationships across the state. He understands recovery — surgery, rehab, the mental toll — in a way most attorneys cannot. We're licensed in Texas and New Mexico, we work in English and Spanish, and we don't charge anything unless we win.