Passenger injuries are common on Houston’s busy roads. When a crash leaves you hurt, Houston passenger accident attorney Stephen Goldenzweig stands ready to protect your rights. From our Bellaire office near the West Loop, we guide injured passengers through every step of an insurance claim or lawsuit, always on a no-fee-unless-we-win basis.
We use local crash data, such as the record-high 345 traffic fatalities Houston recorded in 2024 and the 250,000 statewide injuries in 2023, to demonstrate the urgency of safer driving and the importance of strong advocacy. Call 713-561-5003 for a free case review and learn how our team can help you rebuild your life.
What rights do injured passengers have under Texas law?
Texas law gives passengers the same right to full compensation as any other crash victim. A passenger usually bears no legal fault because they were not operating a vehicle. This “negligence-free” status means insurers cannot reduce a claim by alleging driver error on your part.
Passengers may seek damages for medical expenses, lost income, pain, suffering, and future care needs. Even if the vehicle you occupied shared fault, you can still recover from another negligent driver under Texas’s comparative fault system. Because deadlines are strict, our Houston passenger accident lawyers at Goldenzweig Law Group encourage immediate action after a collision.
Who can be held liable for a passenger’s injuries?
Multiple parties may owe you compensation. The at-fault driver of another vehicle is the most common defendant. If your own driver’s careless conduct, speeding on I-10, texting on I-45, or running a light on Bellaire Boulevard, contributed to the crash, that driver can be liable as well.
Complex wrecks on the West Loop or Sam Houston Tollway often involve several negligent motorists, a commercial truck company, or a vehicle manufacturer. Passenger injury lawyer Stephen Goldenzweig investigates every potential source of coverage so that a single policy limit does not cap your recovery.
What types of claims can a passenger pursue after a crash?
Injury claims fall into three broad categories. First, you may file a bodily injury liability claim against any negligent driver. Second, you can seek benefits under your own Personal Injury Protection (PIP) or MedPay coverage, which pays medical bills regardless of fault. Third, if an at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, your UM/UIM policy can bridge the gap.
Passengers are also entitled to claim future medical costs, diminished earning capacity, and noneconomic damages such as mental anguish. Our Houston passenger accident attorneys assemble medical, vocational, and economic experts to document every loss.
Can I sue the driver of the car I was riding in?
Yes. Texas law allows passengers to sue their own driver when that driver’s negligence-drunk driving on US-59, failing to yield on FM 1960, or speeding through Uptown-caused the crash. You may feel uneasy about suing a friend or relative, but remember you are pursuing compensation from an insurance company, not the individual’s personal assets.
When both your driver and another motorist share fault, Houston passenger accident attorney Stephen Goldenzweig will pursue each insurer proportionally. This strategy maximizes available coverage without penalizing the innocent passenger.
Can I use my own auto insurance after a passenger injury?
Absolutely. If you, your spouse, or a household member carry PIP, MedPay, or UM/UIM coverage, those benefits follow you when you ride as a passenger. Filing does not raise your premiums because you did nothing wrong. These benefits can cover deductibles, co-pays, or medical bills that exceed liability limits.
Our team handles all paperwork and communicates directly with adjusters to ensure your coverage works for you. Stephen Goldenzweig, a trusted Houston passenger accident lawyer, knows how to stop insurers from delaying or undervaluing rightful benefits.
How long do I have to file a lawsuit in Texas?
The statute of limitations for most passenger-injury cases is two years from the crash date under Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 16.003. Missing the deadline usually bars recovery forever. Certain exceptions, such as claims on behalf of a minor passenger, may extend the period, but they are narrow.
Because evidence can disappear quickly on the Gulf Freeway or Hardy Toll Road, our Houston passenger injury attorneys act at once to preserve crash-scene photos, black-box data, and surveillance footage.
What steps should I take immediately after a passenger injury crash?
Safety comes first: check for injuries and move out of traffic if possible. Dial 911 and request police and EMS; the officer’s crash report later proves valuable in establishing fault. Photograph vehicle damage, skid marks, and road conditions on I-610 or Beltway 8; collect names and numbers of witnesses; and exchange insurance details with all drivers.
Seek prompt medical care, even for minor aches, hidden injuries often emerge hours later. Then call our Houston passenger accident legal team so we can start protecting your claim before evidence fades and adjusters call with quick, low offers.
What damages can I recover as an injured passenger?
Compensation covers both economic and noneconomic losses. Economic damages include hospital bills, surgery, rehabilitation, prescription costs, lost wages, and diminished future earnings. Noneconomic damages address physical pain, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Catastrophic crashes, such as high-speed rollovers on US-290 or T-bone collisions downtown, may justify life-care plans, home modifications, and prosthetic devices. Because Texas imposes no cap on damages in ordinary negligence cases, passenger accident attorney Stephen Goldenzweig fights for the full value of every claim.
What does it mean to be a “negligence-free passenger”?
A negligence-free passenger did not contribute to the wreck. This status prevents insurers from reducing your payout under comparative fault. During litigation, the drivers may blame each other, but their arguments cannot shift responsibility onto you.
Being fault-free also accelerates negotiation. Our passenger rights attorneys at Goldenzweig Law Group emphasize your innocence to pressure carriers into fair settlements without trial when possible.
How do motorcycle, bus, or rideshare passenger claims differ?
Motorcycle passengers, bus riders, and Uber or Lyft riders face additional insurance layers. A motorcycle passenger may claim against the biker, another driver, or both. City buses and private shuttles carry high liability limits but involve complicated notice rules. Rideshare cases rely on a $1 million third-party policy that activates once an Uber or Lyft trip is accepted.
Because each scenario has unique deadlines and coverage triggers, Houston passenger accident lawyer Stephen Goldenzweig tailors his strategy to maximize every policy, public or private, that may apply.
What if the at-fault driver is a family member or friend?
Texas policies sometimes reduce same-household coverage to statutory minimums ($30,000 per person, $60,000 per crash). Even reduced limits can help offset medical bills. Pursuing the claim need not damage personal relationships; most homeowners and drivers buy insurance precisely for unexpected injuries to loved ones.
Our compassionate Houston passenger accident attorneys manage these sensitive claims discreetly, focusing interactions on insurers while keeping clients informed and comfortable.
What happens if I am alleged to be partly at fault?
A passenger might share a small percentage of fault-for example, if they knowingly rode with an impaired driver leaving the Galleria. Under Texas’s 51% bar, you can still recover damages so long as you are less than 51% responsible. Any percentage assigned to you simply reduces the award proportionally.
Stephen Goldenzweig, our Houston car passenger injury attorney, gathers medical records, toxicology results, and expert testimony to minimize any blame the defense tries to place on you.
How can a Houston passenger accident attorney help me?
We investigate crashes on I-10, Loop 610, and neighborhood streets across Memorial, The Heights, and Katy. Our team hires accident reconstructionists, downloads event-data recorders, interviews eyewitnesses, and subpoenas cell-phone logs to prove negligence. We calculate present and future damages with economists and life-care planners.
Most cases settle, but we prepare every file as if trial were tomorrow. Insurance companies know passenger accident attorney Stephen Goldenzweig will take a case to verdict and they raise offers accordingly.
When should I call a lawyer and what will it cost?
Call as soon as possible so evidence is preserved and deadlines are met. Consultations are free, and we cover all costs. You pay nothing unless we win compensation. That promise lets you focus on healing while we focus on results.
Uncommon Passenger Scenarios We Handle
- Uber, Lyft, and taxi passenger injuries-navigating specialized rideshare coverage.
- Bus and shuttle crashes-city, school, and charter carriers with complex notice rules.
- Motorcycle passenger collisions-often catastrophic, always unique.
- Low-speed parking-lot impacts-serious injuries can occur even at 10 mph.
- Company vehicle passengers-coordination of workers’ compensation and third-party claims.
- Alcohol-related wrecks-holding drunk or drugged drivers fully accountable.
- High-speed rollovers and T-bones-cases involving ejection or roof crush injuries.
Injured while riding as a passenger on Houston’s busy streets or highways? Contact Goldenzweig Law Group today at 713-561-5003 or fill out our quick online form. Our Houston passenger accident attorneys are available 24/7, speak English and Spanish, and never charge a fee unless we secure compensation for you. Let us start rebuilding your future now.