Insurance made an offer. We make them pay more.

If you've been injured in a car accident in Dallas and reached out to the at-fault driver's insurance company, there's a strong chance you've already received a phone call containing some version of this: "We've reviewed your claim and we'd like to offer you $X. This offer is good through Friday."

Every time, the tactic accomplishes the same thing: it creates artificial pressure designed to get you to sign before you understand what you're giving up.

The deadline is not real.

Under Texas law, you have two years from the date of your injury to file a personal injury claim — that's your actual legal deadline. An adjuster's "72-hour offer" has no legal basis whatsoever. There is no statute, no rule, and no consequence to letting it expire. Insurance companies use it because it works on people who don't know better.

What you're actually signing away.

When you accept a personal injury settlement, you sign a release. That document typically waives your right to any future claims arising from the incident — including treatment you haven't had yet, surgeries your doctors haven't yet recommended, and pain that won't fully manifest for months. The adjuster won't explain this. The form is drafted by their legal department to be as broad as possible.

What to do when you get the call.

Tell the adjuster you need time to consult with an attorney. Do not apologize. Do not negotiate. Do not confirm or clarify facts about the accident. Simply say: "I'd like to speak with an attorney before making any decisions." That's it. That single sentence protects you.

Then call us. The consultation is free, it takes fifteen minutes, and it will tell you whether that offer is remotely fair — or whether it's the opening move in a negotiation the insurance company is counting on you to lose.

One of the most effective tools insurance adjusters in California use to undercut claims is the fault argument. If you were involved in a car accident, a slip and fall, or any other incident where liability isn't perfectly clear, you've probably heard some version of this: "Our investigation indicates you were partially at fault. Given that, we think this offer is fair."

What they're not telling you is that under California law, partial fault doesn't eliminate your claim. It adjusts it.

How pure comparative fault actually works.

California follows a "pure comparative fault" system under Civil Code § 1431.2. This means that even if you were 40% at fault for an accident, you can still recover 60% of your total damages. Even if you were 80% at fault, you can recover 20%. There is no percentage threshold that bars you from recovery — unlike Texas, where you're barred from any recovery if you're found 51% or more at fault.

This is a significant protection. And adjusters routinely exploit the fact that most claimants don't know it exists.

The "shared fault" lowball in practice.

Here's how it typically plays out: you're rear-ended on the 405. You were slightly over the speed limit. The adjuster tells you that because you were speeding, you share some responsibility — and offers you 50% of what they'd otherwise owe. But they never actually quantified your fault. They assigned you a number that sounds plausible and hoped you'd accept it.

The proper response is to challenge the fault allocation — with documentation, with expert analysis if necessary, and with the willingness to litigate if the carrier won't negotiate in good faith.

Within days of a car accident, most people receive a call from an insurance adjuster asking for a "recorded statement." The request sounds routine. It isn't.

What an adjuster is actually doing.

An insurance adjuster's job is not to help you. Their job is to investigate the claim and minimize what the company pays. A recorded statement is a tool to accomplish exactly that. They will ask questions designed to get you to say things like: "I'm doing okay." "I wasn't really paying attention." "I think the light might have been yellow." Each of those answers can be weaponized later.

You are not legally required to give one.

Under Texas law, you have no obligation to provide a recorded statement to the opposing party's insurer. None. This is one of the most important things you can know after an accident, and it's one of the first things we tell every client: do not give a recorded statement without an attorney present, or without at minimum consulting an attorney first.

What to say if they call.

You are allowed to say: "I'd like to speak with my attorney before I provide any recorded statement." If they push back, that's a sign of exactly why you should not give one. A professional, competent adjuster will acknowledge your right to counsel. Those who push are the ones hoping you don't know your rights.

If you were injured in an Uber or Lyft accident in California, the first question isn't "was the driver at fault?" — it's "which insurance policy was active at the time of the crash?" The answer determines how much coverage is available, who the adverse party is, and how aggressively you can pursue your claim.

The three coverage periods.

Rideshare coverage operates in phases. Period 1 — the driver has the app on but hasn't accepted a ride. Coverage is minimal: only the driver's personal policy (which often excludes commercial activity) plus limited contingent liability from the platform. Period 2 — the driver has accepted a trip and is en route to pick up the passenger. The platform's full $1 million commercial policy becomes primary. Period 3 — the passenger is in the vehicle. The same $1 million policy covers the entire trip.

Most injured passengers are in Period 2 or 3 — meaning significant coverage exists. But carriers will not volunteer this information. They will default to minimizing, claiming the driver's personal policy applies, or denying coverage outright.

What you need to document immediately.

If you were injured in a rideshare accident, the most critical pieces of evidence are: the trip receipt (which establishes the phase of the ride), screenshots of the app showing the active trip, and the accident report. Preserve all of these immediately. The platform's records are time-stamped and difficult to manipulate — they are your strongest evidence for establishing which coverage tier applies.

One of the most common calls we receive goes like this: "I was hit by another driver, I'm in pain, and I have no health insurance. What do I do?" The answer is Letters of Protection — and understanding this tool could be one of the most important things you do after an accident.

What a Letter of Protection is.

A Letter of Protection (LOP) is a written agreement between your attorney, you, and a medical provider. It states that the provider will treat you now, and that they agree to be paid from the proceeds of your personal injury settlement or verdict. No insurance required. No upfront payment required. You receive the treatment you need while your case is pursued.

Why this matters for your case.

Continuous, documented medical treatment is the backbone of a strong personal injury claim. Insurance companies look for gaps in treatment as a reason to minimize or deny claims — arguing that if you weren't hurt enough to keep going to the doctor, you weren't really that hurt. An LOP removes the financial barrier that creates those gaps.

It also creates a documented paper trail linking your injuries to the accident, which is essential for calculating both economic and non-economic damages.

The hours and days immediately after an accident are the most important period of your entire case — and they're the period when most people make the mistakes that cost them.

What to do at the scene.

Get medical attention — even if you feel fine. Adrenaline is a painkiller, and injuries that feel minor at the scene often manifest fully hours or days later. The absence of immediate pain does not mean the absence of injury. A medical record from the day of the accident creates a critical evidentiary anchor connecting your injuries to the event.

Document everything you can: photos of vehicle damage, photos of the scene, the other driver's insurance information, contact information from witnesses, and your own physical condition on video if possible.

What not to do.

Do not post about the accident on social media. Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company. Do not accept an offer — no matter how reasonable it seems — without speaking to an attorney first. Do not sign anything without legal review. And do not delay seeking treatment; gaps in medical care give adjusters their most powerful argument against you.

When to call an attorney.

Now. Not after you've spoken to the adjuster. Not after you've received an offer. Now. Evidence degrades quickly. Surveillance footage is routinely overwritten on 72-hour cycles. Black box data in commercial vehicles is similarly time-sensitive. The sooner an attorney is involved, the more leverage you have.