Personal injury attorney in Dallas: what your attorney does at each stage

Hiring a personal injury attorney in Dallas means handing someone the calls, the paperwork and the negotiation while you heal. Here is what our attorneys do at each stage, what we ask of you, and how to check any attorney before you sign.

This page is written by LAWBOSS – Harris, Nelsen & Uvalle, PLLC. Injury Claim Lawyer Dallas is our Dallas website, and the attorney responsible for it is Michael Uvalle, who founded the firm after working for several of the largest insurance companies in Texas. The attorneys described here work from our Dallas office at 5001 Spring Valley Road.

The first conversation

The first call is a consultation, and it is free. You tell us what happened, who was involved, what injuries you have and what has happened since: calls from insurers, a repair estimate, a doctor’s visit. An attorney reviews it and tells you plainly whether we can help, what the strong and weak points are, and what the next steps would be.

You are not committed to anything by calling. Nothing you say makes us your lawyers until you and the firm sign a written agreement, and what you tell us about a possible case is kept confidential either way. If we cannot help, we say so.

The written agreement

If you decide to hire us, the terms are written down. Our cases are handled on a contingency basis: No Fees or Costs Unless We Win. The firm advances case costs, and you owe no attorney’s fee and no case costs unless money is recovered for you. We explain how the fee and the case costs are handled before you sign, and you get a copy of everything.

Read any fee agreement closely, ours included. It should say who the firm is, what the fee is based on, how case costs are handled and what happens if you decide to change lawyers. If something is unclear, ask. A good attorney would rather answer the question now than have you wonder later.

What your attorney takes off your hands

The insurance calls

Once you hire us, the insurers talk to us. That includes the other driver’s insurer, which will want a recorded statement, and your own insurer, which you may need for PIP, uninsured motorist coverage or property damage. You do not have to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and we explain on our insurance tactics page why that matters.

The evidence

We request the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, which an investigating officer must file with TxDOT within ten days of a crash with an injury (Transportation Code section 550.062), and we collect the photographs, witness names and statements. When video or vehicle data might exist, we send letters asking that it be kept. For trucking cases, federal rules require carriers to keep duty-status records for at least six months (49 CFR 395.8), which is one reason those letters go out early.

The medical file

As your treatment goes on, we gather the records and bills from every provider, from the ambulance and the emergency room to physical therapy. We keep them in order, because the timeline of your care is part of the proof. You focus on getting better; we keep track of the paperwork.

The deadlines

Texas generally allows two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (Civil Practice and Remedies Code section 16.003). Claims involving a city, county or other government unit generally need written notice within six months (section 101.101), and some city charters require it sooner. We calendar every deadline in your case from the first week.

The demand and the negotiation

When your treatment is far enough along that the injury is understood, we prepare a demand. It lays out how the crash happened, why the other side is responsible under Texas law, and everything the injury has cost you, with the records to prove it. The insurer then answers with an offer or a denial.

Negotiation is where an attorney who knows the other side’s process earns their keep. Insurers often argue that you were partly at fault, because under Texas law your recovery is reduced by your share and barred if it is above 50 percent (sections 33.001 and 33.012). They may argue your injury came from something else. We answer with the evidence we have built. Every offer comes to you, with our advice; the decision to accept is always yours.

If the insurer will not deal fairly

Most claims are resolved without a lawsuit. When an insurer will not deal fairly, we talk with you about filing suit before the deadline. A Dallas County personal injury lawsuit is filed in the civil district courts, which sit in the George L. Allen, Sr. Courts Building at 600 Commerce Street. Filing does not mean a trial is certain; many cases are resolved after suit is filed, at mediation or before trial.

A lawsuit has its own stages: the petition, the exchange of documents and questions, depositions, mediation and, if the case does not resolve, trial. We explain each one before it happens and prepare you for anything you need to do, such as answering written questions or giving a deposition.

How you hear from us

A claim can take months, and long quiet stretches are when people worry. We tell you at the start who your contact at the firm is and how to reach them, and we update you when something changes: a record arrives, an insurer answers, an offer comes in or a deadline approaches. You can call the office at any hour; the phones are answered 24/7. When we need something from you, we say exactly what and why.

What we ask of you

• Get the medical care you need and keep your appointments.
• Tell us about new treatment, new bills and changes in your work.
• Send us letters and calls from insurers instead of answering them yourself.
• Keep photos and receipts, and do not post about the crash online.
• Tell us the truth, including the parts that are hard to say. We can only plan around what we know.

Your Dallas attorneys

Michael Uvalle, founding attorney, licensed in Texas since 2010 (State Bar of Texas). Before law school he worked for several of the largest insurance companies in Texas. He is the attorney responsible for this website.

Rolando Reyna, Jr., attorney, licensed in Texas since 2021. Rolando handles claims before a lawsuit is filed: building the file, preparing the demand and negotiating with the insurer. He earned his law degree at Texas A&M School of Law.

Joseph Massey, attorney, licensed in Texas since 2024. Before law school Joseph worked as a workers’ compensation adjuster and manager and in insurance defense roles, so he has handled claim files from the insurer’s side. He earned his law degree at Western State University College of Law.

If a lawsuit is filed, the firm’s litigation attorneys work with the Dallas team. Among them is Jonathan Harris, Board Certified, Personal Injury Trial Law – Texas Board of Legal Specialization, who spent more than a decade as a senior trial attorney for a major auto insurer before joining LAWBOSS. Meet the team on our about page.

How to check any attorney before you hire

Every licensed Texas lawyer has a public profile on the State Bar of Texas website. It shows whether the lawyer is eligible to practice, the date of licensure, the primary practice location and any public discipline. Look up the attorneys you talk to, including ours. Ask who will handle your file day to day and how you will hear about progress.

Be careful with anyone who puts a dollar figure on your claim on the first call or promises an outcome. No honest attorney can know what a claim is worth before the injury and the coverage are understood. Texas law also limits written solicitation of accident victims in the weeks after a crash, so treat unexpected letters and calls with care.

To read about the claim itself, see our pages on a personal injury lawyer in Dallas, an injury lawyer in Dallas and an accident lawyer in Dallas. For the firm, see our page on LAWBOSS as a personal injury law firm in Dallas.