Houston Law Firm: Know Your Rights Before Signing Insurance Papers

A Houston personal injury law firm, (713) A-B-O-G-A-D-O | Abogados de Accidentes, is urging people injured in car, truck, and rideshare crashes to learn their rights before speaking to insurance companies or signing any paperwork. The firm warns that too many injured Texans accept the first settlement offer—often within days of a crash—without knowing the true value of their claim. This is especially concerning in a state where, according to the Texas Department of Transportation, one person was injured in a traffic crash every 2 minutes and 9 seconds in 2025, and 3,769 people died on Texas roads that year. Attorney Corey Gomel emphasizes, “A lot of what we do is just making sure that people don't sign something that will take away their right to receive the true value of their case.”

The firm outlines key rights every injured driver and passenger should know. First, you are not obligated to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company; adjusters often call quickly, and anything said can later be used against you. Second, signing a release typically ends the claim, meaning you cannot seek more money even if you later discover you need surgery or more time off work. Third, under Texas law, fault can be shared—an injured person can still recover damages as long as they are not more than 50% responsible, though the amount is reduced by their share of fault. Fourth, most personal injury claims in Texas must be filed within two years of the injury date. Ride-share crashes follow different rules, as Uber and Lyft carry larger insurance policies, but coverage depends on whether the driver was logged in, heading to pick up a rider, or carrying a passenger at the time of the crash. Language should not be a barrier; most of the firm's clients speak Spanish, and the firm works with clients in either Spanish or English. “We only represent people. Not insurance companies, not businesses,” Gomel said. “Just people who got hurt because someone else was careless.”

Corey Gomel grew up on Long Island, New York, and moved to Houston during high school. He earned his law degree in Texas in 1990 and has been licensed by the State Bar of Texas since 1991. He was named to the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys' 10 Best list for client satisfaction in Texas in 2023. The firm handles Houston car accident cases, truck accident claims, and rideshare injury cases, with past results including a $4.5 million car accident recovery, a $2.1 million truck accident recovery, a $1 million motorcycle accident recovery, and a $900,000 Uber accident recovery. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. (713) A-B-O-G-A-D-O | Abogados de Accidentes represents people hurt or killed in car, truck, rideshare, motorcycle, pedestrian, and bicycle accidents, as well as slip and fall injuries. Spanish-speaking clients can reach the firm by dialing (713) A-B-O-G-A-D-O or visiting 713abogado.com, and English-speaking clients by dialing (713) L-A-W-S-U-I-T or visiting 713lawsuit.com. Consultations are free, and the firm works on a contingency fee basis.