How a Speeding Ticket After a Crash Can Make or Break Your Texas Car Accident Claim – Guest Post

You’re driving home, running a few minutes late, and you see red and blue lights in the rearview mirror. After the dust settles, you’re not just shaken and in pain from a car accident — you also have a speeding ticket in your hand.

Most people think, “I’ll just pay the ticket and let the insurance company handle the rest.” But when a speeding citation and an injury crash collide, your Texas car accident claim becomes much more complicated.

In Texas, speeding remains a leading factor in serious collisions and deadly crashes. Recent data from the Texas Department of Transportation shows that speed contributed to nearly 160,000 crashes and more than 1,400 deaths in a single year, making it the number one contributing factor in Texas traffic fatalities. Speed-related crashes aren’t “minor problems” — they are a major source of catastrophic injuries and life-changing losses.

From Traffic Ticket to Personal Injury Claim: What Really Happens

After a serious crash, several things often happen very quickly:

• Police arrive, investigate, and write a crash report.
• One or more drivers receive citations (often for speeding, failure to yield, running a red light, or following too closely).
• Insurance companies request the crash report and start building their side of the story.

On paper, that might sound routine. In reality, the combination of injuries, a traffic ticket, and aggressive insurance adjusters can put you at a serious disadvantage if you handle everything alone.

The officer’s ticket is not the final word on fault, but insurers treat it as powerful evidence. If the report says you were speeding, they will use that to argue you caused — or mostly caused — the crash, even if the other driver was texting, ran a stop sign, or changed lanes dangerously.

Does a Speeding Ticket Automatically Make You Liable in Texas?

No — a speeding ticket does not automatically make you 100% liable for the accident. Civil injury claims and traffic cases are separate matters:

• The ticket deals with whether you broke a traffic law.
• Your personal injury claim deals with who was negligent and how much each party’s negligence contributed to the crash.

However, a citation for speeding, failure to control speed, or failing to maintain a single lane is strong evidence that you breached your duty of care as a driver. Texas law expects every driver to operate their vehicle with reasonable care for others on the road. When you drive faster than conditions allow, tailgate, or weave through traffic, you break that duty.

If you plead guilty or no contest to the ticket, that decision can also be used as evidence that you accepted responsibility for violating the law. That is exactly what insurance companies want to see when they try to limit or deny your injury claim.

Texas Negligence and the 51% Rule: How Fault Really Works

Texas uses a modified comparative negligence system, often called the 51% rule. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, you cannot recover any damages if you are more than 50% at fault for the crash. If you are 50% or less at fault, you can still recover, but your compensation is reduced by your percentage of blame.

For example:

• If a jury finds you 30% at fault for speeding and the other driver 70% at fault for running a red light, and your damages are $100,000, your recovery could be reduced to $70,000.
• If a jury finds you 51% at fault because of speeding and unsafe lane changes, you recover nothing, even if your medical bills are huge.

A single traffic ticket can be the piece of evidence an adjuster or defense lawyer points to when arguing that you crossed that 50% line. That’s why what you do with the ticket — and how you handle your claim — matters so much.

How Insurance Companies Use Your Ticket Against You

Insurance companies know how powerful a ticket looks on paper. They often:

• Blame you for everything because of the citation, even when the other driver also broke the law.
• Push you to give a recorded statement where they ask leading questions about your speed, your lane position, or whether you “could have avoided it.”
• Argue that your injuries are minor because the property damage looks small or the police called it a “low-speed crash,” even when soft tissue injuries, concussions, or back injuries emerge later.
• Offer lowball settlements and say you should be grateful to get anything because “you were speeding.”

When you are recovering from injuries, worried about missing work, and getting medical bills in the mail, it’s easy to feel pressured into accepting a poor offer. That’s exactly the moment when strong legal guidance makes a huge difference.

What to Do If You Were Hurt and Ticketed After a Crash

If you suffered injuries in a speeding-related wreck and received a ticket, you can still protect your health and your claim:

• Get medical care immediately. Tell doctors about all pain and symptoms, even if something feels “small.” Medical records are critical evidence.
• Do not rush to pay or plead to the ticket before you understand how it could affect your civil case. Talk with a lawyer first.
• Avoid giving detailed statements to any insurance company (even your own) before you know your rights.
• Gather evidence if you can do so safely: photos of the scene, vehicle damage, skid marks, weather conditions, and contact info for witnesses.

To protect your rights and focus on healing, you can contact an attorney today and get a free case review before you deal with the insurance company on your own.

Damages You Can Recover After a Speeding-Related Crash in Texas

Even if a ticket makes your case more complicated, you may still recover significant compensation when another driver’s negligence contributed to the crash.

Common damages in a Texas personal injury claim include:

• Medical expenses: ER visits, hospital stays, surgery, physical therapy, medication, and future care needs.
• Lost wages and lost earning capacity: Time you missed from work and any long-term impact on your ability to earn a living.
• Property damage: Repair or replacement of your vehicle and damaged personal items.
• Pain and suffering: Physical pain, limitations, and the emotional toll of the crash.
• Mental anguish and loss of enjoyment of life: Anxiety, depression, PTSD, and the ways your injuries change your daily life.

The more severe your injuries and the stronger your evidence, the more value your claim may have — and the harder insurers will fight to pay less than it’s worth.

Why Timing Matters Under Texas Law

Texas gives you a limited window to file a lawsuit after a car accident. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003, most personal injury claims must be filed within two years from the date of the crash.

Waiting too long has serious consequences:

• Evidence such as skid marks, surveillance footage, and vehicle data can disappear.
• Witness memories fade or people move away.
• If you miss the deadline, the court can bar your claim completely, no matter how strong it might have been.

Getting legal advice early helps you preserve evidence, understand your ticket, and build a strategy that accounts for both the traffic citation and your injury claim.

When a Texas Car Accident Lawyer Makes the Biggest Difference

You should strongly consider working with a Texas car accident lawyer if:

• You suffered serious injuries (fractures, surgery, head trauma, chronic pain).
• There is a dispute over who was at fault, especially if you received the ticket.
• The crash involved speeding, drunk driving, or reckless driving.
• There were multiple vehicles or a commercial truck involved.
• The insurance company is already downplaying your injuries or blaming you.

An experienced attorney can:

• Investigate the crash beyond what’s in the police report.
• Challenge assumptions made just because a ticket was issued.
• Work with accident reconstruction experts when needed.
• Negotiate directly with insurers and, if necessary, take your case to court.

The Bottom Line: A Ticket Doesn’t Have to Destroy Your Injury Claim

A speeding ticket after a crash does not automatically end your right to compensation, but it will shape the way insurers and defense lawyers look at your case. Texas’ 51% rule and the two-year statute of limitations make it even more important to act quickly and strategically.

If you were hurt in a speeding-related accident in Houston or anywhere in Texas, don’t assume you have to accept blame, live with the bills, or let the insurance company decide what your injuries are worth. Get informed, protect your record, and take the next step toward the recovery you deserve.

You don’t have to go through this alone.