713-225-5050
After a serious Houston crash, injured people often face two problems at once: a body that is not working the way it did before and an insurance company already looking for reasons to limit the claim. Charles J. Argento has handled that conflict from both sides. He spent the first decade of his legal career defending insurance companies and other defendants, and he now uses that experience to represent injured people throughout Houston and Harris County.
Charles personally reviews the evidence, develops the case strategy, communicates with the insurers, and prepares the litigation claim when a fair resolution is not offered. Whether a collision happened during rush hour on I-45, in construction traffic along the I-610 Loop, or at a neighborhood intersection in Spring Branch, the work begins with the same question: what evidence will prove how the crash happened and what it has taken from the client?
Most Texas car accident lawsuits must be filed within two years after the claim accrues under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. Shorter notice requirements can apply when a governmental unit may be responsible. The City of Houston, for example, generally requires a verified written notice within 90 days under Article IX, Section 11 of its charter. Do not assume the ordinary two-year period protects a claim involving a city vehicle, dangerous public property, or another government defendant.
Charles J. Argento & Associates has represented Houston auto accident victims since 1988, spent the first decade of practice defending insurance companies, and works on a contingency fee — no charge unless we recover for you. Call (713) 225-5050 for a free consultation, available 24/7.
In Charles’s experience, not every fender bender requires legal representation. A person with no injury, no disputed fault, and a straightforward property-damage claim may be able to work directly with the insurer. Hiring a lawyer should add value and protection, not create unnecessary complexity.
The picture changes when injuries require ongoing treatment, the insurer disputes responsibility, several vehicles are involved, or available coverage may not be enough. Legal help is also important when a commercial vehicle, rideshare driver, defective product, uninsured motorist, fatal injury, or government entity is part of the case.
Warning signs that a claim deserves prompt legal review include:
A Houston car accident lawyer can take over the insurer communications, preserve evidence, identify every potentially responsible party, and measure damages before a release is signed. The point is not to turn every collision into a lawsuit. It is to keep a serious claim from being reduced to whatever the insurer is willing to acknowledge during the first few weeks.
Charles has seen how claims are evaluated within the defense system, including which facts prompt adjusters to take a claim seriously and which gaps they use to discount it. That perspective shapes the way he builds a file from the beginning. Medical records, witness accounts, wage documentation, photographs, electronic data, and expert analysis must tell one consistent story.
Clients work directly with Charles rather than having the legal strategy passed from one junior lawyer to another. His bilingual staff assists with investigation, records, appointments, and communication in English and Spanish, while Charles remains responsible for the legal decisions and negotiations.
Past case results include a $7 million auto accident recovery, but every claim depends on its own facts, injuries, insurance, and available evidence. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The first hours after a crash can affect both a person’s health and the evidence available later. Charles advises injured people to focus first on safety and medical care, then preserve what they can without arguing about fault at the roadside.
Houston traffic can turn a disabled vehicle into a second emergency, especially on the Katy Freeway, I-69/US-59, or Beltway 8. Move to a safe location if the vehicle can be moved, call 911, and report injuries. Ask the responding officer how to obtain the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, commonly called the CR-3.
An officer’s report is not the final word on civil liability, but it can identify drivers, insurers, witnesses, roadway conditions, citations, and the officer’s observations. Correcting a factual error is far easier when the client has photographs and contemporaneous notes.
When it is safe, photograph the vehicles, license plates, debris, skid marks, signals, lane markings, construction barriers, visible injuries, and the wider intersection. A close-up shows damage, but a wide image may explain sight lines, lane position, or why a driver could not avoid the collision.
Collect witness names and contact information. Exchange license and insurance details without debating responsibility, apologizing, or guessing about injuries. A calm factual exchange is enough.
Charles regularly sees symptoms emerge after the shock of a collision has faded. Neck pain, low-back pain, headache, dizziness, numbness, confusion, or abdominal pain may not feel severe at the scene. A prompt evaluation protects the person and creates a medical record connecting the complaints to the crash.
Follow-up matters as much as the first visit. Missed appointments and unexplained treatment gaps give an insurer room to argue that the injury resolved or came from something else. If cost, transportation, work, or caregiving responsibilities interfere with care, tell the provider and the legal team rather than letting the record go silent.
Reporting the crash to the client’s carrier is often required, but the initial report should remain factual. The other driver’s insurer may request a recorded statement, a blanket medical authorization, or access to information that reaches far beyond the collision. Those requests should be reviewed before the client agrees.
Do not post details, photographs, travel, workouts, or comments about recovery on social media. Insurers and defense lawyers can compare public posts with the limitations described in the claim, often without the context needed to make the posts understandable.
A strong case rarely comes from one police report and a stack of bills. Charles looks for independent proof that answers four questions: who caused the crash, what forces were involved, what injuries resulted, and how those injuries changed the client’s work and daily life.
Businesses near Houston intersections may overwrite surveillance footage within days. Vehicles may be repaired or sold, and onboard event data may be lost. When appropriate, Charles sends preservation notices seeking video, event data recorder information, dispatch records, maintenance records, mobile-device evidence, and other material before it disappears.
The investigation may also include site inspection, vehicle photographs, measurements, 911 recordings, body-camera footage, witness interviews, and traffic-signal data. In a disputed crash, these details can matter more than either driver’s confident recollection.
Insurance companies often accept that a crash occurred while disputing that it caused all of the treatment. Charles reviews emergency records, diagnostic studies, specialist notes, prior medical history, and provider opinions to separate pre-existing conditions from new injury or aggravation.
A prior condition does not automatically defeat a Texas injury claim. The real issue is whether the collision caused a new problem or worsened an existing one. That requires accurate records and careful presentation, not hiding the prior history.
Some cases call for accident reconstruction, biomechanical analysis, medical testimony, vocational evidence, or an economist’s calculation of future loss. Experts are selected because a genuine issue needs specialized proof, not simply to make a file look larger.
The case is then presented to the insurer with evidence of liability, medical support, wage records, and a reasoned analysis of damages. If the carrier refuses to value the claim fairly, Charles can file suit in the appropriate Harris County court and use formal discovery to obtain testimony and records that were unavailable during the claims stage.
Charles does not assign a value from a formula or an online calculator. Two people can be in the same collision and have very different claims because their injuries, occupations, treatment, recovery, insurance coverage, and future limitations are different.
A fair valuation may include:
Reaching maximum medical improvement, or a medically stable point, can make the long-term picture clearer. That does not mean every claim should wait indefinitely. It means the demand should account for known future care and limitations before the client signs a release that permanently ends the claim.
Texas law generally requires minimum liability limits of $30,000 for bodily injury to one person, $60,000 for bodily injury in one collision, and $25,000 for property damage under Transportation Code Section 601.072. Those minimums may be inadequate when several people are hurt, or one person needs surgery.
Other coverage may be available through an employer, vehicle owner, commercial policy, rideshare policy, umbrella policy, or the injured person’s own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. Texas insurers must provide UM/UIM coverage unless the named insured rejects it in writing, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. Identifying every policy can be as important as proving fault.
Years at the defense table taught Charles that an insurer begins evaluating exposure as soon as the loss is reported. The adjuster may sound helpful, but the carrier’s financial interest is to close the file for as little as the evidence will permit.
Questions about speed, distance, attention, prior symptoms, and what the client could see may be framed casually. The answers can later be used to assign a percentage of responsibility or challenge the injury. A person who is medicated, exhausted, or still processing the crash should not be pressured into a detailed recorded account.
An early payment can feel useful when a vehicle is unusable, and work has been missed. The danger is the attached release. Once signed, it may bar additional recovery even if later imaging reveals a disc injury, surgery becomes necessary, or the person cannot return to the same job.
Adjusters often compare new complaints with old records and point to any gap in treatment. Charles addresses those issues directly by examining what the client could do before the collision, what changed afterward, and why any delay occurred. Honest explanation supported by records is stronger than pretending the history does not exist.
A carrier may argue that the client was speeding, distracted, following too closely, or slow to react. Under Texas modified comparative fault rules, those percentages affect the recovery, so even a small shift can save an insurer substantial money. Scene evidence and witness testimony are critical when fault is contested.
Injured in a Car Accident?
Our car accident lawyer represents clients in Houston, throughout Texas, and across the country. Call 713-225-5050 for a free confidential consultation today.
Houston’s wide freeways, complex interchanges, heavy commercial traffic, and long commuting distances create many opportunities for a single careless decision to cause serious harm. TxDOT reported that a reportable crash occurred somewhere in Texas every 59 seconds in 2025, and that 244,534 people were injured that year, according to its Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts.
Phone use is only one form of distraction. Navigation screens, food, passengers, fatigue, and roadside events can also take attention away from fast-changing traffic. TxDOT recorded 308 deaths in crashes involving distracted driving in 2025, according to its statewide crash facts.
Texas Transportation Code Section 545.4251 restricts electronic messaging while operating a motor vehicle. A citation can be relevant, but civil responsibility still requires evidence connecting the distraction to the collision.
Speed affects stopping distance, reaction time, and collision force. It becomes especially dangerous where I-10 construction changes lanes, traffic backs up near downtown, or rain reduces visibility along I-45. Proof may come from event data, video, skid evidence, vehicle damage, and witness accounts.
Charles frequently sees disputed lane-change crashes on multi-lane roads such as I-69/US-59 and Beltway 8. Each driver may insist the other crossed the line. Dashcam footage, vehicle contact points, lane markings, mirrors, and independent witnesses can resolve what memory alone cannot.
Left turns, red-light violations, stop-sign failures, and hurried entries from private drives cause severe side-impact collisions. Texas recorded 955 people killed in crashes occurring in or related to intersections in 2025, according to TxDOT’s statewide crash facts. Signal timing and nearby surveillance can become central evidence.
An impaired-driving crash may support a claim for exemplary damages when the legal standard and evidence are met, but the award of exemplary damages is not automatic. The civil case still requires careful proof of responsibility and loss. TxDOT reported 906 deaths in crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver in 2025, representing 24.04 percent of all Texas motor-vehicle traffic deaths that year.
A tire failure, a defective restraint, a brake problem, an unsafe repair, a missing warning, or a roadway condition may expand the investigation beyond the drivers. Product claims require the preservation of the vehicle and its components. Government claims raise special immunity and notice issues, including Houston’s 90-day notice provision, so they should be evaluated immediately.
The location and point of impact often predict injuries, but they do not determine the case on their own. Charles examines how the vehicles moved, who controlled the risk, and whether another party contributed.
Rear-end crashes are common in stop-and-go traffic near the Galleria, downtown ramps, and freeway bottlenecks. They may involve following too closely, distraction, unsafe speed, or a chain reaction. The trailing driver is not automatically responsible in every case, particularly when several impacts or sudden unsafe maneuvers are involved.
Head-on collisions often cause catastrophic or fatal injuries because the closing forces are so high. TxDOT counted 555 people killed in head-on crashes statewide in 2025. These cases may require investigation into impairment, fatigue, road design, signage, and the locations where each vehicle crossed the center line.
Side impacts can leave occupants with little structure between them and the striking vehicle. Disputes frequently turn on right-of-way, signal color, speed, and whether a turning driver had enough time to clear the intersection. Nearby businesses may hold the best video evidence, but it must be requested quickly.
When a driver leaves, the investigation may include witness canvassing, traffic camera footage, business video, vehicle fragments, license plate information, and police follow-up. The injured person’s UM coverage may apply even if the driver is never identified, depending on policy terms and proof.
Coverage in a rideshare collision depends heavily on the driver’s status at the moment of impact, including whether the app was off, the driver was logged in and waiting, or a prearranged ride was underway. Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1954 sets different insurance requirements for those periods. Screenshots, trip records, and platform data should be preserved rather than relying only on what a driver remembers.
A family dealing with a fatal crash should not have to investigate while grieving, but critical evidence can disappear quickly. Charles can coordinate preservation, insurance notice, probate-related issues, and the civil claim while the family focuses on immediate needs. Texas law may allow eligible family members to pursue wrongful death damages, while the estate may have a separate survival claim.
Charles has learned not to measure an injury by photographs of vehicle damage. Modern bumpers can hide structural harm, and the same forces affect occupants differently based on position, age, health, restraint use, and the direction of impact.
Cervical and lumbar strains may improve with conservative care, while herniated discs, radiculopathy, fractures, or spinal cord damage can change a person’s mobility and work. MRI findings must be considered alongside symptoms, neurological examination, and function. An image alone does not show how the condition affects a particular client.
A concussion or more severe brain injury may cause headache, memory problems, slowed thinking, sensitivity to light, sleep disturbance, mood changes, or balance problems. A person does not need to lose consciousness to have a brain injury. Family and coworkers may notice changes the client does not recognize.
Broken bones may require surgical fixation and months away from work. Internal bleeding or organ injury may be life-threatening even when exterior injuries look limited. Burns, airbag injuries, and lacerations can also leave permanent scars or disfigurement that deserve separate attention in the damages analysis.
Some clients experience anxiety, panic in traffic, depression, sleep disruption, or symptoms of post-traumatic stress after a violent collision. These are real injuries, but they should be documented through appropriate care. The claim must connect the condition to the crash and explain its effect on daily life.
Injured in a Car Accident? Call Charles J. Argento & Associates!
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713-225-5050 to schedule a free confidential consultation today.
Insurance negotiations take place under the rules that would govern a lawsuit. Charles evaluates those rules early because limitations, fault allocation, and available coverage can change the strategy long before anyone enters a courtroom.
Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 33.001, a claimant generally cannot recover damages if the claimant’s percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent. If the percentage is 50 percent or less, the award is reduced by that percentage. A person found 20 percent responsible, for example, would generally receive 80 percent of the proven damages.
This rule explains why insurers investigate every statement about speed, lookout, braking, lane position, and seat-belt use. Fault is not simply an all-or-nothing question. Evidence that moves the allocation by even a few points can materially change the result.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recorded 60,317 reportable crashes within Houston during 2025, including 273 fatal crashes, 293 deaths, and 1,465 suspected serious injuries. Those figures come from the agency’s 2025 Crashes and Injuries by Cities and Towns report, which was compiled from Texas Peace Officers’ Crash Reports processed through the first quarter of 2026. If you or a loved one is injured in one of these crashes, acting quickly is essential to your claim.
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003 generally requires a personal injury lawsuit to be filed no later than two years after the claim accrues. Wrongful death actions generally carry a two-year statute of limitations measured from death. Exceptions may apply, but no one should rely on one without legal advice.
Waiting also creates practical damage. Video is erased, witnesses move, vehicles are repaired, and memories become less precise. The safer approach is to investigate promptly even when the filing deadline appears far away.
A city vehicle, dangerous public condition, or other government involvement brings special rules. The City of Houston Legal Department states that Article IX, Section 11 of the city charter generally requires a verified written notice within 90 days, including specific information about the event, injuries, damages, residence, and witnesses. State-law notice and immunity rules may also apply.
A phone call, police report, or ordinary insurance claim may not satisfy a formal notice requirement. Because the defendant and legal theory are not always obvious at the scene, early review is important.
Former clients describe the practical barriers injured people face before liability is ever negotiated. In one account, a husband and wife hurt in a collision had no health insurance and had already been declined by two larger firms. They explain that Charles helped arrange treatment without an upfront payment, including back surgery, so the medical issues could be addressed while the claim moved forward.
That experience is not presented as a promise about any other case. It illustrates why a lawyer’s role can extend beyond sending a demand letter. Serious claims require coordination among medical care, evidence preservation, insurance coverage, wage documentation, and litigation deadlines.
Charles’s Houston practice reflects the roads and communities where these crashes happen. He represents people injured near Downtown, Midtown, the Heights, the East End, Spring Branch, the Galleria, and throughout Harris County, as well as clients from Pasadena, Pearland, Katy, Sugar Land, Baytown, and The Woodlands.
Cases may arise on I-45, the I-610 Loop, I-10, the Katy Freeway, I-69/US-59, Beltway 8, or a local street, where witnesses and nearby cameras are easier to miss. If a suit becomes necessary, the proper venue may be a Harris County civil district court or another state or federal court depending on the parties and facts.
A collision can leave a person unsure which bills will be paid, how long work will be affected, and whether the insurer is telling the whole story. Charles offers a direct evaluation of the facts, the available coverage, the evidence that should be preserved, and whether legal representation is likely to help.
Contact Charles J. Argento & Associates by calling (713) 225-5050 or contact us online to discuss a Houston or Harris County car accident claim. The consultation is an opportunity to understand the next step, not a substitute for emergency medical care. No result can be guaranteed, and the value and timing of every case depend on its individual facts.
We fight relentlessly for our clients, and it shows in our results.
Charles J. Argento focuses his practice on serious personal injury, auto accidents, wrongful death, and product liability. With over 37 years of experience, he is known for aggressive representation and securing high-value results for injured clients across Texas. He has earned numerous prestigious awards, including Super Lawyer, AV-rated by Martindale-Hubbell for 22 consecutive years, and a 10/10 rating by Avvo.
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What Our Clients Say
Lawyer Charles J Argento is very helpful and professional they help me with my car accident case everything went very good I would recommend him 100% . Thank you God...
- Juan Hernandez.
I got in a car crash last year while I was in college, and it was one of the most stressful experiences. He was incredibly kind and supportive through the...
- Devin G..
Got into an hit while I was 17 with my mother in the car, THIS MAN WAITED UNTIL I WAS 18 just so I could be included in the settlement....
- Alexander Kinghorn.
So welcoming and kind attorney, I really recommend I got in to a car accident and the really provided me with going to therapy and fight with my case, i...
- Rachel Camas.
His a very good attorney I really recommend him. His staff is very respectful they help you out all the way till the end. So I am very happy with...
- Elvy.
He is very good at what he does and he will get you the maximum that you deserve hands down the best lawyer I have had and as long as...
- La’Shannette.
Mr. Argento and his team fought hard to settle my case with the best possible outcome. Everything was explained in a professional and courteous manner and all of my questions...
- Dawn C..
This is the second time that I've used Mr Argento and I have not been disappointed. He, along with his staff, are very professional and friendly. He is very experienced,...
- Shantel W..
I reached out to Charles J. Argento & Associates when I was in an accident that was not my fault. I was injured and becoming quickly overwhelmed with the process...
- Ella Harrison.
I had a great experience working with Charles. I would have never thought of half the stuff he did—including negotiating down medical expenses. I’m not a litigious person and I...
- Allison Rose.
I was told about the great work of Mr. Charles Argento by an Uber driver after being in an car accident. I took a chance after hear this guy experience...
- Devonte Landry.
Attorney Charles Agento office was very attentive with my case. Answered every question and concerns I had. Overall my experience was awesome! Highly recommend!
- Yasmin Torres.
Had a great experience with this law firm handling my car accident, they took care of me and my family. Will recommend 100%
- Nuvi Escobar.
Mr. Argento and his staff are very understanding and patient. Raquel was a great help, and was always there to help. I highly recommend working with this law firm.
- Pat Gibson.
Persistence and communication!!! This is what you can look forward too by picking Mr. Argento as your lawyer. It was a lengthy process with a couple of bumps on the...
- Irahi B..
Attorney Argento represented my family for an automobile accident. The insurance company refused to pay for the damage to our car and for our injuries. Mr. Argento was very aggressive...
- Jonathan Conejo.
The worst enemy of human kind is the lack of information . Now with attorney Charles Argento you are not going to have this problem . Usually when people are...
- Joseph Duron , a personal injury client.
My wife and I were injured in a car accident in Houston, Texas. We had no medical insurance to get proper medical treatment for our injuries. Two other big law...
- Jim, a Car Accident client..
In 2024, 301 people died on Houston roads — the city's highest ever. 9% of streets account for 58% of all traffic deaths and serious injuries (City of Houston High Injury Network). Click any pin to see crash data for that location.
Charles J. Argento has fought for Houston accident victims for over 37 years. No fee unless we win.
📞 Call (713) 225-5050 — Free ConsultationMost personal injury matters are handled on a contingency-fee basis, which means the attorney fee is a percentage of the recovery rather than an hourly charge. The written agreement should explain the percentage, case expenses, and what happens if there is no recovery. Ask those questions before signing so the arrangement is clear.
Get to a safe location, call 911, request medical assistance, and exchange identifying and insurance information. If it is safe, photograph the vehicles and the scene, and collect witness contact information. Avoid admitting fault, giving a detailed recorded statement to the other insurer, or posting about the collision online.
Texas generally uses an at-fault system, so the insurer for a responsible driver may owe covered damages up to policy limits. The injured person’s own PIP, collision, medical payments, or UM/UIM coverage may also apply. The available policies and their order of responsibility depend on the vehicles, drivers, employment, and policy language.
No. Texas is generally an at-fault state for motor-vehicle claims. A driver who negligently causes a crash can be responsible for resulting damages, subject to proof, comparative fault, insurance limits, and other defenses.
The injured person’s UM/UIM coverage may provide benefits when the responsible driver has no insurance or too little coverage. Texas insurers must include UM/UIM unless the named insured rejects it in writing. Other policies or responsible parties should also be investigated before assuming the recovery is limited to one driver’s policy.
Possibly. Texas modified comparative fault generally permits recovery when the claimant’s responsibility is 50 percent or less, with damages reduced by that percentage. Recovery is generally barred when the claimant’s responsibility exceeds 50 percent.
Not before understanding the diagnosis, likely future care, wage loss, and the requested release. An early offer may not account for worsening symptoms, necessary surgery, or permanent work restrictions. Once a broad release is signed, the claim is usually over.
Value depends on liability, injury severity, treatment, prognosis, wage loss, future earning impact, pain, impairment, available insurance, and the quality of the supporting evidence. There is no reliable average or multiplier that can replace a case-specific analysis.
Averages are usually misleading because minor soft-tissue claims, catastrophic injuries, disputed-liability cases, and fatalities are fundamentally different. Settlement data may also be confidential or omit important facts. A useful estimate requires review of the records, losses, fault evidence, and coverage.
A straightforward claim may resolve after treatment and documentation are complete, while a disputed or catastrophic case can take much longer, particularly if a lawsuit and trial preparation are necessary. Moving too quickly can undervalue future harm, but unnecessary delay should not be accepted either.
When representation begins, the lawyer can direct insurer communications through the legal team, gather records, present the claim, and negotiate. The client still plays an important role by attending treatment, providing accurate information, preserving documents, and updating the lawyer about work and health changes.
A serious claim may require evidence preservation, coverage analysis, medical proof, damages evaluation, expert assistance, and litigation. An attorney also helps prevent an insurer from obtaining a premature statement or release. The benefit should be measured against the complexity and stakes of the particular case.
Yes. Visible damage does not perfectly measure the forces experienced by an occupant or the resulting injury. Medical findings, symptoms, function, vehicle structure, occupant position, and collision mechanics all matter.
Maybe not. If symptoms resolve quickly, fault is clear, and the property and medical claims are simple, a person may choose to handle the matter directly. Legal review becomes more valuable if symptoms persist, treatment expands, fault is challenged, or the insurer requests a release before the condition is understood.
The general deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit is two years after the claim accrues under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003. Government notice periods can be much shorter, and other exceptions may affect the calculation. Prompt advice is safer than waiting for the ordinary deadline.
Texas law generally permits the surviving spouse, children, and parents of the deceased to bring a wrongful death action, individually or together. The estate may also have a survival claim for damages the deceased could have pursued. Family structure, estate status, limitations, and available insurance should be reviewed carefully.