Bring whatever you have that shows how the crash happened, who is insured, what the injury has cost and what you have lost: the crash report or its number, your own auto policy, every insurer letter, your medical records and bills, photographs, and proof of missed work. The first meeting is free, and an attorney can obtain what you cannot find.
The short version
- Six things matter most: the crash report, your insurance papers, insurer correspondence, medical records and bills, photographs, and pay records.
- The report costs little. TxDOT’s crash-report page, read on 16 October 2026, listed a $6 fee for a standard copy and $8 for a certified one.
- Your own policy may hold more coverage than you realize. Texas auto policies include personal injury protection unless it was refused in writing (Texas Department of Insurance guide).
- What you say is protected before you hire anyone. Rule 503 of the Texas Rules of Evidence reaches a person who only consults a lawyer about hiring one.
- You can come without everything. The two-year filing period in § 16.003 does not wait for a perfect folder.
What should I bring to a free car accident consultation?
Bring the crash report or its number, your auto insurance policy and declarations page, any letter or message from an insurance company, your medical records and bills so far, photographs and video, and proof of income you have lost. Each answers a question the attorney needs settled before advising you.
The meeting is where the attorney hears what happened and maps the next steps, which the claim, step by step then follows. A folder, a shoebox or a phone album is fine. The table gives the reason for each item and where to find it.
| Bring | Why the attorney needs it | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Crash report, or its number and the agency | Names the drivers, vehicles and insurers and records the officer’s findings; the officer files it with the state within 10 days (Transportation Code § 550.062(b)). | TxDOT’s crash-report page: $6 regular, $8 certified (read 16 October 2026). |
| Your auto policy and declarations page | Shows which of these you carry: PIP, medical payments, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. | Your insurer’s app or agent. |
| Letters, emails, texts and voicemails from any insurer | Show what has been asked, offered or denied and whether you gave a statement. | Your phone and mail. |
| Medical records, bills and provider names | Establish the injury and the sums really paid or owed (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.0105). | Hospital and clinic portals; your health plan’s statements. |
| Photographs and video | Show vehicle damage, the scene and visible injuries before repairs and healing change them. | Your phone; nearby cameras. |
| Pay stubs, tax forms or a letter from your employer | Document income lost because of the injury. | Your employer or payroll site. |
Sources read on 16 October 2026: TxDOT, Crash reports and records; Transportation Code ch. 550; Civil Practice and Remedies Code ch. 41.
Why does the crash report come first?
Because it is the investigating officer’s written record of the collision, filed with the state. A crash report lists the people and vehicles involved and the insurance companies, so the attorney can see what the official record says before planning the next steps with you.
Section 550.062 of the Transportation Code makes an investigating officer file a written report when a collision hurts or kills someone or causes at least $1,000 in apparent damage to one person’s property, and the electronic filing is due by the 10th day. After that you can buy a copy from TxDOT. If you do not have it yet, bring the report number, the date and place of the crash, and the name of the police agency; the ordering process is walked through in our guide to requesting the CR-3.
Raise any mistake in the report at the first meeting, such as a wrong insurer or a missing witness; the attorney can only plan around it if the report is on the table.
Which insurance papers should I bring, and why does the declarations page matter?
Bring your own policy’s declarations page, the one-page summary of what you bought, along with the other driver’s insurance details if you have them. Your own policy may include coverage that pays for your injuries, and an attorney cannot tell without reading it.
The Texas Department of Insurance explains that every Texas auto policy includes personal injury protection, which pays medical bills for you and your passengers, plus some other costs such as lost wages, unless you told the company in writing that you did not want it. Insurers must also offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and you keep it unless you reject it in writing (Insurance Code § 1952.101(c)). That second coverage is how a driver hit by someone with no insurance, or too little, can be paid by their own insurer; we explain the mechanics in uninsured and underinsured motorist claims in Texas.
It is not a rare problem here. Houston Public Media’s 1 April 2026 story reported that approximately 12 percent of Texas car owners are uninsured and, citing a new study from Texas Appleseed and United Way of Greater Houston, that more than 14 percent of Harris County vehicles lack insurance. So your declarations page can matter as much as the other driver’s details. If an insurer has opened a file, bring the claim number and adjuster’s name.
Insurer letters belong in the same folder. They show whether a recorded statement was taken, whether a medical authorization was signed and what the company has already said about fault. If an adjuster is already calling, read the points to settle before that conversation first.
Sources read on 16 October 2026: Texas Department of Insurance, Auto insurance guide; Insurance Code ch. 1952; Houston Public Media, 1 April 2026.
Which medical records and bills should I bring?
Bring the names of every provider who has treated you, any discharge papers or records you already hold, and every bill, statement and explanation of benefits. Texas limits recovery of medical expenses to the amount actually paid or incurred, so the paid figures matter as much as the charges.
Section 41.0105 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code limits what a claimant can recover for medical bills to the sums really paid or owed. In practice, the statement from your health plan showing what it paid is as useful as the hospital’s original bill. Include ambulance, emergency room, imaging, pharmacy and therapy receipts.
You do not need the complete chart in your hand. Providers release records on a signed authorization, and what an authorization should and should not cover is explained in the piece on releasing records to an adjuster. Mention earlier injuries to the same body part now, because proving that a crash made an old injury worse depends on records that the attorney should see before the insurer asks.
How do I show lost wages and other costs?
Bring recent pay stubs, a tax return or a letter from your employer showing your pay rate and the dates you missed, plus receipts for out-of-pocket costs such as prescriptions, rentals and mileage to treatment. Income and expenses are easier to prove from paper than from memory.
Self-employed clients should bring invoices, bank deposits and the last tax return. Keep a calendar of missed days. If you were working when the crash happened, say so at the start; a crash on the job can involve workers’ compensation as well as a claim against the other driver. The kinds of loss a claim can include are laid out in the damages explainer; what your claim is worth is a question for the consultation, and the value of a Houston claim explains the factors.
Which photos, messages and notes help most?
The most useful items are photos of the vehicles and scene taken before repairs, photos of visible injuries as they change, the names and numbers of witnesses, and a short written timeline you wrote while events were fresh. Bring them on your phone or printed.
What to photograph is covered in the photo checklist; for the consultation, the originals on your phone are enough. Witness names matter because memories fade (see why witnesses count). Add the repair estimate or total-loss letter.
Write the timeline yourself, in order: the crash, each medical visit, each call from an insurer, each missed shift. Leave out guesses about fault or speed. If the other side blames you for part of the crash, Texas reduces recovery by your percentage of responsibility and bars it above 50 percent (§§ 33.001 and 33.012), so a plain, honest timeline helps; sharing fault is covered separately.
Is what I say confidential if I do not hire the firm?
Generally yes. Rule 503 defines a client to include someone who merely consults a lawyer about getting legal help, and it protects confidential communications made to facilitate that help. A first consultation can qualify even if no case follows.
A communication is “confidential” when it is meant to reach only people involved in the legal services or needed to carry the message. So tell the attorney the whole story, and watch who sits in or reads your messages. Exceptions exist, among them legal help sought to plan a crime or fraud (Rule 503(d)(1)). The text read is the version effective 2 July 2026; the privilege article explains how far the protection goes.
That protection is for conversations with the attorney. It does not cover what you post online or tell an insurer, so keep the crash and your injuries off social media until the claim is resolved.
Rule text read on 16 October 2026: Texas Rules of Evidence, effective 2 July 2026 (Texas Judicial Branch).
What will the attorney ask me, and what should I ask?
Expect questions about how the crash happened, your injuries and treatment, earlier injuries, what you have told insurers and what you have signed. Ask about the fee agreement, who will work on the case, how updates arrive and what deadlines apply to you.
The hard questions are the useful ones. A prior back injury, a ticket from the crash or a gap in treatment is better raised by you than found by an insurer. In return, ask to see the fee agreement before you sign, and ask what it says about percentages, costs and what happens with no recovery. What accident lawyers charge in Houston and a list of hiring questions are worth bringing along.
Ask about the filing deadline too. The general rule gives you two years from accrual of the claim (§ 16.003(a)), with exceptions the statute lists, and a claim against a government body can need notice sooner. Confirm your own date with the attorney. What follows the first meeting is described in a realistic case timeline.
What if I do not have everything yet?
Come anyway. The consultation exists so the attorney can tell you what to gather and what the firm can request directly. Missing records are normal this early; waiting to book the meeting until the folder is complete costs time you may not have.
Records arrive in pieces, and the other driver’s insurer may not be known yet. Bring what you have and a list of what is missing. If you have not seen a doctor, do that first; the first steps are on the after-a-crash page and the auto accident guide, and hiring help with an insurance claim covers the insurance side.
Drivers in Sugar Land are served from the Houston office; see the Sugar Land car accident page. Messages can go through the contact page; the car accident practice page and personal injury overview describe the work. The questions to ask a Houston personal injury attorney are worth carrying to the meeting, and the about us page introduces the attorneys.
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring to a lawyer consultation?
Bring identification, the crash report or its number, your auto policy, any insurer correspondence, medical records and bills, photographs and proof of missed work. If you are missing something, bring a list of what is missing so the attorney can help obtain it.
What questions should I ask a car accident lawyer during a consultation?
Ask how the fee works and whether it is in writing, which attorney will handle the case, how often you will be updated, what deadlines apply to your claim and what the next step is. Ask also what the firm needs from you before it can evaluate the case.
Is a car accident consultation really free?
Yes. The first meeting carries no charge. Ask how case costs are handled and ask to see the fee agreement before deciding.
Do I need the police report before I call a car accident attorney?
No. Officers have ten days to file, so it may not exist yet. Bring the report number or whatever you know about the crash and the agency, and the attorney can help you get it.
Can I see a lawyer before I have finished medical treatment?
Yes. You do not need a finished treatment plan to ask about your rights, only your records so far. Do not delay medical care to prepare for the meeting; tell the attorney who is treating you and when your next visits are.
Should I bring my health insurance card to the consultation?
Yes. Your health plan’s statements show what was paid for your care, and Texas limits recovery of medical expenses to amounts actually paid or incurred. The attorney also needs to know which plan, if any, has paid for crash-related treatment.
Can a family member come with me to the consultation?
Usually yes, but the people present can affect confidentiality. Rule 503 protects communications meant to stay among the people needed for the legal help, so ask the attorney whether a relative should sit in for the whole meeting.
About the authors
Sam A. Maida, Jr.
Owner and Managing Attorney
Sam A. Maida, Jr. has represented injured Texans in the greater Houston area since the firm opened in 1993.
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Bernard G. Johnson III
Litigation Managing Attorney
Bernard G. Johnson III is a board certified trial lawyer licensed in Texas since 1996 and a graduate of South Texas College of Law.