Experienced personal injury attorneys serving Corpus Christi and Nueces County across every practice area. Car and truck accidents. Workplace injuries. Wrongful death.
The insurance adjuster called before you left the hospital. The number they offered will not cover your first surgery. That is how these cases start for most people.
A personal injury lawyer corpus christi families trust recovers money for medical bills and lost wages and the pain you live with after someone else was careless. You pay nothing up front. The fee comes out of the recovery and only if there is one. Texas gives most injury victims two years from the date of injury to file suit and that clock does not stop while you heal.
The Lopez Law Group represents people hurt in Corpus Christi and across South Texas. If you've been injured and the bills are already arriving you can reach a personal injury lawyer Corpus Christi TX residents call at any hour. Dial (956) 968-7800 for a free consultation.
- No fee unless we win your case
- Free case consultation available 24 hours a day
- English y español
- More than 18 years in practice and over millions of dollars recovered
Below you will find who we are and how injury claims work in Texas and what the deadlines are and what our clients have recovered.
A personal injury lawyer in Corpus Christi Texas represents people hurt by someone else negligence. That includes car crashes and 18 wheeler wrecks and refinery accidents and falls on unsafe property. The Lopez Law Group handles Corpus Christi and Nueces County claims on a contingency fee basis with no fee unless we recover. Texas gives most injury victims two years from the date of injury to file suit under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003.
About Fernando J. Lopez. A Trial Lawyer for Corpus Christi Injury Victims
Attorney Fernando J. Lopez built this firm around one idea. An injured person should never have to argue with a billion dollar insurance carrier alone. He has spent more than 18 years handling personal injury law for people across the state of Texas and he still takes the calls himself when a case turns serious.
Our team handles cases from the Rio Grande Valley to the Gulf Coast. That range matters in a city like Corpus Christi where a single crash can involve a commercial carrier and a refinery contractor and three different insurance policies at once. Mr. Lopez explains the strategy in plain language at the first meeting and then keeps you updated as the file moves.
- More than 18 years practicing Texas personal injury law
- Over millions of dollars recovered for injured Texans
- Licensed by the State Bar of Texas
- National Trial Lawyers Top 100
- Bilingual service in English and Spanish
- Offices in Weslaco and McAllen and Harlingen and Edinburg and Brownsville and Houston and Dallas and Austin
What Is Personal Injury Law. A Corpus Christi Personal Injury Attorney Explains
Personal injury law and negligence in plain English
Personal injury law lets someone hurt by another party negligence recover money for medical care and lost income and pain. To win a personal injury claim in Texas you must prove four things. That the other party owed you care. That they failed to give it. That the failure caused your harm. That the harm cost you something real.
Attorney Lopez puts it this way to new personal injury clients. Fault and damages are two separate fights and you have to win both.
Negligence and gross negligence and strict liability
| Concept | What it means | Corpus Christi example | Effect on your claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary negligence | Failure to use reasonable care | A driver runs a red light on SPID | Standard compensatory damages |
| Gross negligence | Conscious indifference to extreme risk | A trucking company sends out a driver it knows is over the hours of service limit | Opens the door to exemplary damages |
| Strict liability | Fault is not required | A defective tire blows out on Highway 358 | The manufacturer can be liable no matter how careful it was |
| Premises liability | Duty owed by a property owner | An unmarked wet floor in a Corpus Christi grocery store | The duty level depends on why you were there |
Settlement or verdict. Why insurance companies prefer one of them
| Settlement | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| Who decides | You and the insurance carrier | A judge or a Nueces County jury |
| Timeline | Weeks to months | 12 to 30 months or longer |
| Certainty | High | None |
| Appeal risk | None | Yes |
| Typical use | About 95 percent of every personal injury case | Files where the carrier refuses fair compensation |
A complex personal injury file with disputed liability and a surgical injury behaves very differently from a soft tissue claim. Both deserve real legal representation.
Corpus Christi Personal Injury Practice Areas. Who We Represent
Our practice areas cover the full range of personal injury work in Corpus Christi and surrounding communities including car accidents and truck wrecks and workplace claims. An accident lawyer in Corpus Christi should be able to handle the small file and the catastrophic one with the same care.
Car accidents on SPID and Interstate 37. Rear end and lane change wrecks spike during refinery shift change. Our car accident attorneys pull the crash report and the traffic camera footage before either disappears.
Truck accidents near the Port of Corpus Christi. An 18 wheeler or tanker case turns on federal safety rules. A truck accident lawyer can send a preservation letter within days and stop the carrier from wiping the black box data.
Motorcycle wrecks on Ocean Drive and the Harbor Bridge approaches. Adjusters carry a bias against riders and they show it in the first offer. A motorcycle accident lawyer prepares for that from day one.
Refinery and plant and industrial injuries. Burns and falls from height and crush injuries happen across the local petrochemical corridor. If your employer carries no workers compensation coverage the case changes completely and a workplace injury lawyer should look at it right away.
Offshore and dock injuries. Ship channel and Gulf work carries its own federal rules. We handle offshore and maritime injury claims under the Jones Act.
Slip and fall and premises cases. Spills with no warning cone and broken stair treads and dark parking lots put people in the hospital every week. A slip and fall lawyer can get the incident report and the video before the store recycles it.
Rideshare crashes. Uber and Lyft coverage shifts based on whether the app was on and whether a passenger was in the car. That single fact can move a case by six figures.
Wrongful death. If you lost a loved one because someone else was careless a wrongful death lawyer can explain who has the right to file and what a family can recover.
Dog bites. Texas follows a one bite rule and there is a negligence path around it when the owner knew the animal was dangerous.
Pedestrian and bicycle crashes. Right of way disputes downtown and along the bayfront turn on witness statements more than any other case type.
What to Do After an Accident in Corpus Christi. Step by Step
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1Call 911 and get the crash report. Corpus Christi police or Texas DPS will write a CR-3 report. That document becomes the spine of your liability case. Ask the officer for the report number before you leave.
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2Let the paramedics check you. Refusing transport hands the insurance carrier its favorite argument. They will say you were not hurt because you walked away.
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3Photograph everything before the vehicles move. Final rest positions and skid marks and the debris field and the traffic signals. Then photograph your injuries.
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4Get witness names and phone numbers. People scatter within minutes. The police report often lists one witness and sometimes none.
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5Report the crash to your own carrier and stick to facts. Say what happened. Do not guess about fault and do not guess about how badly you are hurt.
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6Say no to a recorded statement from the other insurance company. You are not required to give one. It exists to be used against you later.
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7See a doctor within 72 hours and keep every appointment. Gaps in treatment are the single most common reason a claim value falls apart.
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8Keep the evidence and stay off social media. Keep the damaged vehicle and the torn clothing and the shoes. Assume the adjuster reads every post you make.
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9Contact an attorney before you sign anything. Early counsel means evidence gets preserved and deadlines get calendared and the adjuster starts calling us instead of you.
Corpus Christi and Nueces County Accident Numbers
Statewide averages do not describe this city. Port traffic and refinery shift patterns and hurricane season road conditions all shape how people get hurt here. The numbers below come from public agencies and should be confirmed against the most recent published year before you rely on them.
| Statistic | Year | Source | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total motor vehicle crashes in Nueces County | 2024 | TxDOT Crash Records Information System | Sets the local crash volume baseline |
| Fatal crashes inside the City of Corpus Christi | 2024 | TxDOT and Texas DPS | Shows how severe local wrecks run |
| Crashes involving alcohol in Nueces County | 2024 | Texas DPS | Supports a gross negligence claim for exemplary damages |
| Large truck crashes across Texas | 2024 | NHTSA | Ties directly to port truck volume |
| Fatal work injuries in Texas | 2024 | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | Backs the refinery and industrial injury discussion |
| Emergency room visits for falls nationwide | 2021–2023 | CDC | Backs the premises liability discussion |
You can pull county level crash data yourself through TxDOT and national crash and vehicle safety data through NHTSA.
Commercial trucks move in and out of the port around the clock and that traffic shares the same roads families use to get to work and school. Add rain and standing water during storm season and the risk climbs again. Local knowledge is part of the reason experienced Corpus Christi injury lawyers value a case differently than a firm that has never driven these roads.
Compensation You May Recover in a Corpus Christi Personal Injury Claim
No honest lawyer quotes you a settlement number before reading your medical records. Anyone who does is selling something. What we can tell you early is the range that similar injuries have produced in this county and what has to happen for your file to reach the high end of it. Our job is to help you secure the compensation you deserve and not the first number an adjuster types into a letter.
| Type of damages | Description | Examples | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Economic. Medical | Past and future treatment | Emergency room and surgery and physical therapy and injections | Documented to the dollar |
| Economic. Wage loss | Income lost and future earning capacity | Missed shifts and reduced hours and a forced career change | A vocational expert helps in serious injury cases |
| Economic. Property and out of pocket | Vehicle and devices and travel | Repair or total loss and mileage to appointments | Keep every receipt |
| Non economic. Pain and suffering | Physical pain and mental anguish | Chronic pain and sleep loss and post traumatic stress | Texas sets no cap in an ordinary injury case |
| Non economic. Disfigurement and impairment | Scarring and loss of function | Burn scarring and a permanent limp | Often the largest piece of a severe injury case |
| Loss of consortium | Harm to the family relationship | A spousal claim | It rides along with the primary claim |
| Exemplary damages | Punishes conscious indifference | A drunk driver or a knowingly unsafe employer | Capped by Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 41.008 |
Texas Personal Injury Laws and Deadlines Every Corpus Christi Injury Victim Should Know
Texas rules are strict and several of them can end a good case on a technicality. These are the ones that come up most often for our personal injury clients.
- Two year statute of limitationsTexas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 gives most injury victims two years from the date of injury to file suit. Miss it and the claim is gone no matter how strong it was.
- Modified comparative fault and the 51 percent barSection 33.001 reduces your recovery by your share of fault and blocks it entirely once your share passes 50 percent.
- Wrongful death standingSection 71.004 allows a surviving spouse and children and parents to bring the claim. The estate survival claim runs on a separate track.
- Caps on exemplary damagesSection 41.008 limits exemplary damages to the greater of $200,000 or two times economic damages plus non economic damages up to $750,000.
- Claims against a city or a government unitThe Texas Tort Claims Act notice period can run as short as six months and a local charter can be shorter still. Check it early.
- Medical malpracticeChapter 74 requires an expert report within 120 days of filing.
- Injured childrenThe limitations clock is generally paused until the child turns 18.
- Crash reportingTexas requires a report when a crash causes injury or death or disabling vehicle damage.
The two year clock never pauses while you heal. Get a free consultation today.
(956) 968-7800 Free ConsultationHow Our Corpus Christi Personal Injury Law Firm Handles Your Case
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1Free case consultation. Same day by phone or video or at your bedside. Nothing is owed and nothing is signed until you are ready.
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2Investigation. We pull the CR-3 and canvass for video and download the engine control module data on commercial trucks. Where fault is contested we retain an accident reconstruction expert.
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3Medical documentation. We help you get treatment and we build the medical record that ends up driving value.
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4Demand letter. Liability analysis and a medical summary and proof of lost wages go to the carrier with a supported demand.
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5Negotiation. We take every adjuster call. You never negotiate alone and you never talk to the other side.
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6Litigation when the carrier will not move. We file in Nueces County District Court and work the file up for a jury.
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7Recovery. We negotiate the hospital and health plan liens down and then release funds with a line by line accounting.
Common Mistakes That Hurt a Corpus Christi Injury Claim — and Tips From Our Attorneys
Common Mistakes That Hurt a Corpus Christi Injury Claim
- Giving a recorded statement to the other driver adjuster. It is taken to find contradictions and not to find facts.
- Taking the first offer. Opening offers are anchored low and they usually arrive before you finish treatment.
- Posting on social media. One photo of you at the beach becomes the exhibit the defense uses on damages.
- Skipping medical appointments. Every gap gets argued as proof that you healed.
- Signing a blanket medical authorization. It hands the carrier your entire lifetime history to mine for a pre existing condition.
- Repairing or scrapping the vehicle too soon. You destroy the physical proof of the impact forces.
- Guessing at the scene. I am fine and I did not see him both end up in the report and both get quoted back to you.
- Waiting too long to call a lawyer. Store video overwrites in days. Witnesses move. The two year clock never pauses.
Tips From Our Experienced Personal Injury Attorneys
Why Choose The Lopez Law Group as Your Corpus Christi Personal Injury Law Firm
You have options and you should compare them. Here is what we bring and what backs it up.
- No fee unless we win. We work on a contingency fee basis. The percentage goes in writing before you sign anything.
- More than 18 years and over millions of dollars recovered for people injured in an accident across Texas.
- Bilingual from the first call to the last check. Your case runs in English or Spanish at every step and not through a translation line.
- Available 24 hours a day to schedule a free consultation including nights and weekends.
- Offices across Texas and beyond. Weslaco and McAllen and Harlingen and Edinburg and Brownsville and Houston and Dallas and Austin.
- We file. Carriers price a case differently when the firm across the table takes cases to verdict.
Our experienced attorneys handle personal injury trial law work that other firms refer out. That includes serious injuries like spinal surgery and burns and brain trauma where the medical proof has to be built from the ground up. If you've been in an accident anywhere in South Texas we can talk today about the best course of action for your situation. An experienced injury attorney in Corpus Christi can tell you within one call whether you have a case worth pursuing.
Benefits of Working With a Corpus Christi Personal Injury Lawyer
| Benefit | What it means for you | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Contingency fee | Zero cost to start | A client with no income after back surgery still gets full representation |
| Adjuster shield | The carrier calls us instead of you | All contact routes to the firm from day one |
| Evidence preservation | The proof survives | A spoliation letter goes to a trucking company within 48 hours |
| Medical coordination | Treatment without money up front | Letters of protection arranged with treating providers |
| Case valuation | You learn what fair looks like | Comparable Nueces County verdicts and settlements reviewed |
| Lien reduction | More money reaches your pocket | Hospital and health plan liens negotiated down at closing |
| Trial readiness | More weight at the negotiation table | The file is built for a jury and not only for a claim reviewer |
Case Results. Verdicts and Settlements
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different and depends on its own facts.
| Case type | Injuries | Outcome | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 wheeler collision | Cervical fusion and lost earning capacity | $[amount] settlement | [year] |
| Rear end vehicle accident | Lumbar disc herniation and injections | $[amount] settlement | [year] |
| Workplace fall | Multiple fractures and surgery | $[amount] recovery | [year] |
| Premises liability | Shoulder tear with surgical repair | $[amount] settlement | [year] |
These case results reflect files our legal team handled to conclusion. What your claim could be worth depends on your injuries and the available coverage and the strength of the liability proof.
What Our Clients Say
"They took the adjuster calls the same day I signed. I never spoke to the insurance company again and I could focus on getting my shoulder fixed."
"My husband was hurt at work and nobody would give us a straight answer. Attorney Lopez sat with us for an hour and explained the whole legal process in Spanish."
"I called on a Sunday night expecting a machine. A real person answered and had my crash report the next morning."
"They told me what my case was worth and why. No promises and no pressure. That is why I hired them."
Corpus Christi and Texas Service Areas
We represent injury victims in Corpus Christi and Nueces County and across South Texas and beyond. If you were hurt outside these cities call anyway. We handle cases across Texas and we will tell you honestly whether we are the right fit.
Texas personal injury lawyers at our firm cover the Gulf Coast and the Rio Grande Valley and the major metros in between.
Frequently Asked Questions About Personal Injury Lawyer Corpus Christi TX
How much does a personal injury lawyer in Corpus Christi cost
Nothing up front. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis which means our fee comes as a percentage of what we recover for you. If we recover nothing you owe us no attorney fee. The percentage is disclosed in writing before you sign the agreement.
Case expenses like filing fees and expert costs are also advanced by the firm and reimbursed out of the recovery.
How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Texas
Two years from the date of injury for most claims under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. Claims against a city or another government unit can require written notice in as little as six months. A claim for an injured child is generally paused until that child turns 18.
Waiting hurts the case long before the deadline arrives because video and witnesses disappear first.
What is my Corpus Christi injury case worth
That depends on the severity of your injuries and the cost of your medical care and how much income you lost and how much insurance coverage exists. Two clients with identical crashes can end up with very different numbers because one needed surgery and the other did not.
Any lawyer who quotes a figure before reading your records is guessing.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident
You can still recover under Texas modified comparative fault rules as long as your share of the blame stays at 50 percent or below. Your recovery gets reduced by your percentage of fault. Once your share passes 50 percent Section 33.001 bars recovery completely.
Adjusters routinely overstate your fault. That number is negotiable and it is often wrong.
Do I have to go to court
Most likely no. Around 95 percent of injury cases resolve through settlement without a trial. We still prepare every file as though a Nueces County jury will decide it because that preparation is what moves the offer.
If your case does go to trial we walk you through the testimony well in advance.
How long does a personal injury case take
A straightforward claim with completed treatment can resolve in three to six months. A disputed liability case with surgery and litigation often runs 12 to 30 months. The single biggest factor is your medical treatment because value cannot be calculated until doctors know your long term condition.
We do not rush a settlement while you are still healing.
Should I talk to the other driver insurance company
You are not required to give the other carrier a recorded statement and we recommend you decline. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that produce answers they can use to reduce or deny your claim. Give your own insurer the basic facts and route everything else through your lawyer.
One sentence can cost you real money.
What if the at fault driver had no insurance
Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may pay for your injuries. Many Texas drivers carry this coverage without realizing it. We request and review every policy in the household because coverage can stack in ways people do not expect.
We also check for other liable parties such as an employer or a vehicle owner.
Do you handle cases in Spanish
Yes. Our firm is bilingual and every stage of your case can run in Spanish. That includes the first call and the medical coordination and the settlement discussion. Hablamos español.
You will not be handed off to an outside translator who does not know your file.
What if my employer does not carry workers compensation
Texas lets employers opt out of workers compensation and many do. If yours is a non subscriber you may be able to sue directly for negligence and recover pain and suffering that a workers compensation claim would never pay. That path often produces a much larger result.
Tell us about your employer coverage at the first meeting.
Can I still recover if I have a pre existing condition
Yes. Texas law allows recovery when a crash aggravates a condition you already had. The carrier will argue everything traces back to the old injury so the medical records have to draw a clean line between before and after.
Your treating doctor opinion on aggravation carries real weight here.
Who can file a wrongful death claim in Texas
Section 71.004 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code allows a surviving spouse and children and parents to file. Siblings cannot. If no family member files within three months the personal representative of the estate may bring the claim unless the family objects.
A separate survival claim belongs to the estate.
What should I bring to my free consultation
Bring the crash report or the incident number and photos from the scene and the names of any doctors you have seen. Add your insurance declarations page and any letter you received from an adjuster. If you do not have these items call anyway because we can request most of them.
Contact Us for a Free Case Consultation
You are dealing with medical bills and time off work and a carrier that is not returning your calls. That is the moment to bring in a personal injury attorney who does this every day. The Lopez Law Group has spent more than 18 years helping injury victims across Corpus Christi and the state of Texas receive the compensation they deserve. We cannot promise a result and no lawyer honestly can. What we can promise is that we will evaluate your case straight and tell you what we think the best possible outcome looks like.
Corpus Christi's injured families deserve real answers and not a runaround. Talk to an experienced Corpus Christi personal injury lawyer today and find out where you stand.
Call (956) 968-7800 for a free consultation. Available 24 hours a day. Hablamos español.
You can also schedule a free consultation through our online case form or reach us by live chat or WhatsApp. Prefer email. Write to [email protected] and our legal team will respond the same day.
If you want a second opinion on a case another firm already opened we will look at it. A Texas personal injury lawyer from our office can review the file and tell you whether the offer on the table is fair compensation or an insult.
(956) 968-7800 Free Case Review Hablamos español
