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Car accidents happen every day in Sherman, Texas, and the roads around Grayson County can turn dangerous without warning. Whether you were rear-ended near US-75, hit at an intersection close to Sherman Town Center, or involved in a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 82, the aftermath can be overwhelming. Medical bills pile up fast, insurance adjusters start calling, and you may not know where to turn. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys, based in Denton, Texas, represents injured drivers, passengers, and families across the Sherman area, fighting to recover the compensation they deserve under Texas law.

Table of Contents

Why Sherman Roads Produce Serious Car Accidents

Sherman sits at the intersection of some of North Texas’s busiest corridors, including US-75 (Central Expressway), Highway 82, and FM 1417. Heavy commuter traffic, commercial trucks, and rapid population growth in Grayson County create conditions where collisions are a daily reality. Intersections near Austin College, the Grayson County Courthouse on Crockett Street, and the shopping corridors along Texoma Parkway see consistent congestion that raises accident risk.

The leading cause of car accidents in Texas is speeding, with over 131,978 speed-related crashes recorded in 2024, followed by distracted driving, which contributed to more than 81,101 crashes statewide. Both of these behaviors are common on the straight, high-speed stretches of US-75 that run through and around Sherman.

A particularly troubling fact from Texas Department of Transportation data is that not a single day in 2024 went by without a traffic fatality somewhere in the state. That statistic reflects real families in communities like Sherman, Denison, and Pottsboro who lost someone because of a preventable crash.

Rear-end collisions are among the most common crash types in Sherman, especially during peak traffic hours on US-75 near the Loy Lake Road exits. Rear-end collisions are the most common type of car accident in Texas and across the United States, and they happen frequently at red lights, stop signs, and in stop-and-go traffic. If you were stopped or slowing down and another driver hit you from behind, Texas law gives you a clear path to hold that driver accountable.

Drunk driving adds another layer of danger to Sherman’s roads. According to Texas Department of Transportation 2024 crash data, over 16,000 crashes involved driving under the influence of alcohol, resulting in more than 500 fatalities statewide. Crashes involving impaired drivers, which connect closely to the kind of cases our drunk driving accident practice handles, tend to produce far more severe injuries than other collision types.

Texas Law Determines Who Pays After a Sherman Car Accident

Texas follows a fault-based insurance system. That means the driver who caused your crash is responsible for your damages. Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 601, the Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act, every driver on Texas roads must carry proof of financial responsibility, typically auto liability insurance, and must provide that proof to law enforcement officers investigating a collision.

Specifically, Texas Transportation Code Section 601.151 applies to any motor vehicle collision in the state that results in bodily injury, death, or property damage of at least $1,000 to one person. If the at-fault driver cannot show proof of coverage, a magistrate may conduct a hearing on negligence and liability, and the driver’s vehicle can even be impounded under Section 601.294 until financial responsibility is established.

What happens if the other driver has no insurance? Texas requires you to consider your own uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. This coverage steps in when the at-fault party cannot fully pay for your losses. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can review your policy, identify all available coverage sources, and build a claim strategy that accounts for every dollar you are owed.

Fault in Texas is not always assigned 100% to one driver. Texas uses a fault system called “modified comparative negligence,” officially referred to as proportionate responsibility under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33, which compares the percentage of negligence each party contributed to determine liability. If you are 50% or less at fault, you can still recover damages, but your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. Insurance adjusters know this rule well, and they often try to shift blame onto you to reduce what they owe. Having an attorney in your corner from the start protects your ability to recover full compensation.

Texas’s 51% Rule and How It Affects Your Sherman Accident Claim

The 51% rule is one of the most important legal concepts in any Texas car accident case. Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code deals with proportionate responsibility, and Section 33.001 states clearly that a claimant may not recover damages if their percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent. In plain terms, if a jury or insurance adjuster finds you more than half responsible for the crash, you receive nothing, regardless of how serious your injuries are.

Think about what this means in practice. Say you were driving near Sherman’s Lake Texoma area on a weekend and another driver ran a red light and hit you. If that driver’s insurance company argues you were speeding and assigns you 51% of the fault, your claim is gone. Texas law treats 50% and 51% very differently. At exactly 50% fault, you can still recover half your damages. Cross that line to 51%, and Texas law completely bars your recovery.

Insurance adjusters understand this rule and use it aggressively. Adjusters often work backward to assign at least 51% of the blame to you immediately after a wreck. They may twist innocent statements, like “I didn’t see him coming,” to argue you were distracted, pushing your liability over the threshold to deny your claim entirely.

The evidence you gather immediately after a crash, including photos, witness contact information, dashcam footage, and the police report from the Grayson County Sheriff’s Office or Sherman Police Department, directly shapes how fault is assigned. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys works to build a complete picture of what happened so that fault is placed where it belongs, not on you.

The Two-Year Deadline to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Texas

Missing the filing deadline in a Texas car accident case means losing your right to compensation permanently. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a), a person must bring suit for personal injury not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues. The clock starts on the date of the crash, not the date you discover your injuries or finish medical treatment.

Two years sounds like a long time, but it moves fast. Medical treatment, insurance negotiations, and daily life can push the deadline out of focus. If you are close to the two-year limit and have not filed, insurers may take advantage of that timeline. It is common for them to delay, knowing your legal leverage weakens as the deadline approaches.

There are limited exceptions that can pause the clock. If the injured person is a minor under 18 years old when the cause of action accrues, the statute of limitations is tolled until they reach the age of 18, as provided by Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.001(a)(1). Mental incapacity and the defendant’s absence from Texas can also pause the deadline in narrow circumstances. These exceptions require proof and are strictly applied by courts.

Wrongful death claims follow the same two-year rule, but with a different start date. A person must bring suit not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues in an action for injury resulting in death, and that cause of action accrues on the death of the injured person. If you lost a family member in a Sherman crash, the countdown began on the date of death, not the date of the accident.

The safest approach is to contact personal injury lawyers at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys as soon as possible after your crash. Early action preserves evidence, secures witness accounts, and gives your legal team time to build the strongest possible case before any deadline becomes a problem.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Sherman Car Accident?

Texas law allows car accident victims to pursue two main categories of damages: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are the measurable financial losses tied directly to the crash. Non-economic damages cover the human cost that does not show up on a bill.

Economic damages include past and future medical expenses, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, vehicle repair or replacement, and other out-of-pocket costs. If your injuries are serious, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, or severe burns, the long-term costs of medical care and rehabilitation can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The kind of catastrophic injuries that permanently change a person’s life demand a thorough accounting of every future expense, not just the bills already received.

Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and loss of consortium for spouses and family members. In cases of gross negligence, such as reckless misconduct, punitive damages are capped at the greater of $200,000 or twice the economic damages plus non-economic damages up to $750,000 under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 41. Economic damages, such as medical bills and lost wages, have no cap, allowing full compensation for proven losses.

Expert witnesses play a critical role in proving both the extent of your injuries and the value of your future losses. Under the standard established in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, 509 U.S. 579 (1993), federal courts require that expert testimony rest on reliable methodology and sufficient facts. Texas state courts apply a similar gatekeeping standard. This means medical experts, accident reconstructionists, and economists who testify about your damages must meet a high bar, and selecting the right experts can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case.

Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys pursues every available category of compensation for Sherman crash victims. Past results in any case depend on the specific facts and law involved, and no outcome in a prior matter predicts or guarantees a result in yours. What we can promise is a thorough, committed approach to building your claim from day one. Call us at (940) 800-2500 to discuss your situation in a free consultation.

FAQs About Sherman Car Accident Lawyers

How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Sherman, Texas?

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Section 16.003(a), you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you miss this deadline, the court will almost certainly dismiss your case and you lose the right to recover any compensation. There are narrow exceptions, such as for injured minors or cases involving a defendant who leaves the state, but these must be proven with evidence. Contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500 as soon as possible after your accident to protect your rights.

What if I was partly at fault for my Sherman car accident?

Texas follows a modified comparative negligence system under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 33. You can still recover damages as long as you are found 50% or less responsible for the crash. However, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurance adjusters often try to push your fault percentage above that threshold, which is why having an attorney review your case early is so important.

Does the other driver have to have insurance for me to recover compensation?

No. If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, you may be able to recover through your own uninsured or underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. Texas Transportation Code Chapter 601 requires drivers to carry proof of financial responsibility, but not every driver complies. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys can identify all available insurance sources, including your own policy, to maximize your recovery after a Sherman crash.

What types of damages can I recover after a car accident in Sherman?

Texas law allows you to pursue economic damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and vehicle repair costs, as well as non-economic damages like pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving gross negligence, such as a drunk driver who causes catastrophic injuries, punitive damages may also be available under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 41. The specific damages available in your case depend on the facts and circumstances of your crash.

Should I speak to the other driver’s insurance company after my Sherman accident?

You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company, and doing so can hurt your claim. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions in ways that can shift blame to you or minimize the severity of your injuries. Before speaking to any insurance representative, contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys at (940) 800-2500. We handle all communications with insurance companies on your behalf so that nothing you say is used against you.

Content on this page is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this page. Past results in any matter do not guarantee or predict the outcome of any future case, as results depend on the unique facts and law applicable to each situation. Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is responsible for this content. Principal office: Denton, Texas.

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