Houston Car and Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout

What your Houston car accident case is worth depends on the type of crash, the type of injury, and Texas comparative fault rules. Hank Stout of Sutliff & Stout walks Abby Arnold through it.

Questions answered in this episode:

What is Texas's 51% rule for car accident compensation?

What is Texas's $2,500 PIP minimum?

What if your Texas insurance claim is denied?

Topics covered: rear-end and head-on collisions, T-bone right-of-way, pileups, joint and several liability, hit-and-runs, road-hazard claims, Texas 51% bar, whiplash, $2,500 PIP minimum, mild moderate and severe TBI, 12-18 month recovery, broken bones, burns, disfigurement, life care planners, treatment gaps, MMI, lost wages, Texas Tort Claims Act caps, Harris County juries, and settlement reserves.

Texas statutes referenced: Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code § 33.001 (proportionate responsibility, 51% bar), § 33.013 (joint and several liability), Chapter 101 (Texas Tort Claims Act), and Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1952 (PIP, $2,500 minimum).

Hank Stout on Texas's 51% rule: "In Texas, if you're 40% at fault, then your overall damages, let's say it was a hundred dollars, would be reduced by $40 and you would get $60. And so that's the way it works."

Hank Stout on Texas's $2,500 PIP minimum: "The minimum amount of PIP coverage that you can have in the state of Texas is $2,500. That is no fault money that's on your insurance policy that goes to help pay for lost wages."

Hank Stout is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout. Texas Super Lawyers since 2012.

Free consultation: sutliffstout.com

Phone: (713) 987-7111

Office: Houston, TX

#HoustonCarAccident #Texas51PercentRule #TexasPIP #HoustonTBILawyer #TexasTortClaimsAct #HarrisCountyJury

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every case is different. To discuss your specific situation, contact Sutliff & Stout or a licensed Texas attorney.

• 00:00:00 Texas Car Accident Types, Injury Types, and Compensation
• 00:00:40 What Are the Most Common Houston Car Accident Types?
• 00:01:20 How Strong Is Your Houston Rear-End Car Accident Case?
• 00:02:00 Why Do Head-On Collisions in Houston Drive Larger Claims?
• 00:02:36 How Is Fault Determined in a Houston T-Bone Accident? Right of Way
• 00:03:20 How Do Fault Percentages Affect Texas Car Accident Recovery?
• 00:04:17 How Do Texas Compensation Claims Work for Pileups and Hit-and-Runs?
• 00:05:37 Road Hazard Claims in Houston: Cargo Spills and Falling Debris
• 00:07:10 What Is Texas's 51% Rule? Modified Proportionate Responsibility
• 00:09:28 How Are Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injuries Valued in Texas?
• 00:10:47 What Is Texas's ,500 PIP Minimum? Personal Injury Protection
• 00:11:51 What Is the Texas TBI Recovery Window? 12-18 Month Healing
• 00:14:14 How Do Broken Bones Affect Houston Car Accident Compensation?
• 00:15:54 How Are Burn Injuries and Disfigurement Evaluated in Texas?
• 00:18:10 What Role Do Medical Experts Play in Texas Injury Cases?
• 00:21:51 How Do Treatment Gaps Affect a Texas Car Accident Claim?
• 00:24:18 What Is Maximum Medical Improvement in a Texas Injury Case?
• 00:27:13 How Do Lost Wages Affect Texas Injury Compensation?
• 00:29:30 Texas Tort Claims Act: Damage Caps for Government Vehicle Suits
• 00:32:07 How Do Texas Insurance Companies Calculate Settlement Offers?
• 00:35:04 When Should You Hire a Houston Car Accident Lawyer?
• 00:36:16 What Evidence Wins a Texas Car Accident Injury Claim?
• 00:38:50 How Do Houston Lawyers Negotiate Better Settlements?
• 00:40:03 What If Your Texas Car Accident Claim Is Denied
• 00:42:20 How to Reach Sutliff & Stout for a Free Consultation

What you do after a Houston car accident decides what your claim is worth under Texas law. Hank Stout of Sutliff & Stout walks Abby Arnold through scene steps, the 51% rule, deadlines, and rideshare and 18-wheeler claims.

Questions answered in this episode:

What should you do immediately after a Houston car accident?

What is Texas's 51% rule for comparative fault?

What are Texas's $30K/$60K minimum auto insurance limits?

How long do you have to file a Texas car accident lawsuit?

What damages can you recover in a Texas car accident claim?

How do ride share and 18-wheeler claims differ in Houston?

Topics covered: Texas modified proportionate responsibility and the 51% bar, $30K/$60K minimum liability, UM/UIM, PIP, recorded statements, premature releases, dash cam evidence, the two-year statute of limitations, tolling for minors, the discovery rule, governmental notice, economic and non-economic damages, exemplary damages, contingency fees, Harris County trial timelines, rideshare liability, and 18-wheeler claims.

Texas statutes referenced: TX CPRC § 33.001 (proportionate responsibility, 51% bar), § 16.003 (two-year statute of limitations), TX Transportation Code § 601.072 (minimum $30K/$60K liability), and TX Insurance Code Chapter 1952 (PIP).

Hank Stout on Texas's 51% rule: "Texas is a modified proportionate responsibility, meaning that if you're at fault greater than 51%, then you do not recover anything. Whereas if you're only 49% responsible, then you can recover the 51% of damages that you aren't responsible."

Hank Stout on Harris County trial timelines: "It takes three to four years to get to trial in Harris County. And so the sooner you file your lawsuit and put yourself in line, the sooner you'll actually get a trial date."

Hank Stout is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law and co-founder of Sutliff & Stout. Texas Super Lawyers since 2012. Houston car accident, rideshare, and 18-wheeler cases handled on contingency.

Free consultation: sutliffstout.com

Phone: (713) 987-7111

Office: Houston, TX

#HoustonCarAccident #Texas51PercentRule #HarrisCountyLawyer #TexasPIP #HoustonRideshareAttorney #TexasTwoYearSOL

The information shared in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Every case is different. To discuss your specific situation, contact Sutliff & Stout or a licensed Texas attorney.

• 00:00:00 How to File a Car Accident Claim in Houston, Texas
• 00:00:45 hat Should You Do Immediately After a Houston Car Crash?
• 00:01:45 Are You Legally Required to Report a Texas Car Accident?
• 00:02:10 Where to Get Medical Care After a Houston Crash? Urgent Care vs ER
• 00:03:15 How Does Texas's Fault-Based Insurance System Work?
• 00:04:35 What Are Texas's Minimum Auto Insurance Requirements? / Limits
• 00:06:05 What Is Texas's 51% Rule? Modified Proportionate Responsibility
• 00:07:00 How Do You File a Texas Car Accident Insurance Claim? Step by Step
• 00:08:00 Should You Give a Houston Adjuster a Recorded Statement?
• 00:09:30 Texas Comparative Fault Examples: Speeding and Stop Sign Cases
• 00:11:00 How Long to File a Texas Car Accident Lawsuit?
• 00:12:30 Are SOL Deadlines the Same for Wrongful Death and Property Damage?
• 00:14:30 What Evidence Wins a Houston Car Accident Case? Dash Cam and Damages
• 00:15:30 What Can You Recover in a Texas Car Accident Claim? Economic Damages
• 00:17:30 What Makes Houston Car Accidents Different? Freeways and Population
• 00:18:20 When Should You Hire a Houston Car Accident Attorney?
• 00:19:15 How Do Contingency Fees Work for Houston Car Accident Cases?
• 00:19:50 Should You Settle or Go to Trial in Harris County?
• 00:21:00 Biggest Mistakes Houston Car Accident Victims Make
• 00:23:00 How Do Ride Share and 18-Wheeler Cases Differ in Houston?
• 00:24:00 Houston Ride Share and Commercial Truck Case Examples
• 00:25:30 How to Reach Sutliff & Stout for a Free Consultation

There are attorneys who talk about fighting for clients. And then there's Hank Stout. In this debut episode of Houston Car & Truck Accident Law w. Hank Stout, co-founding attorney Hank Stout sits down for a direct, personal conversation about where he came from, what he stands for, and why he co-built one of the most successful personal injury firms in Texas history.

Hank grew up in small-town West Texas, where the values were straightforward: work hard, be honest, help your neighbors, and don't walk away from a fight worth having. He carried those values from South Texas College of Law — where he made Law Review — all the way to co-founding Sutliff & Stout Injury & Accident Law Firm in Houston, a firm that has now recovered over $1 billion in accident-related verdicts for injured Texans. He is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, a distinction held by fewer than 2% of all trial lawyers, and has been named a Texas Super Lawyer every single year since 2012.

In "The YOU Interview," Hank opens up about the moments that defined his career — including the case of a friend who had nearly been killed in a truck collision, only to be betrayed by an attorney rushing to settle her case for a fraction of what she was owed. Hank stepped in, took the case to the edge of trial, and secured a multimillion-dollar result. That story — and the principle behind it — sets the tone for everything this podcast is about. He also shares his perspective on how 18-wheeler accident cases work, why trucking companies are different from regular drivers, how technology is reshaping modern litigation, and what separates attorneys who are genuinely trial-ready from those who are not.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE:

- Hank's origin story: from small-town West Texas to co-founding one of Houston's most awarded personal injury law firms

- What Board Certification in Personal Injury Trial Law actually means — and why it matters for your case

Free consultation at sutliffstout.com

Phone: (713) 987-7111

• 00:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to the YOU Interview
• 00:00:48 Early Inspiration and Path to Becoming a Lawyer
• 00:02:22 Education Journey and Board Certification
• 00:04:11 The Case That Changed Everything
• 00:05:47 Law School vs Real Practice
• 00:07:02 West Texas Values and Houston Practice
• 00:08:38 Practice Areas and Geographic Reach
• 00:10:21 Focus on Commercial Truck Accidents
• 00:13:26 Debunking Personal Injury Misconceptions
• 00:16:00 Mission and Core Services of Sutliff and Stout
• 00:20:30 Strategic Case Development and Evidence Gathering
• 00:23:55 Assessing Case Strength and Client Damages
• 00:25:41 Maximizing Value vs Getting Big Numbers
• 00:27:53 Client Involvement and Communication
• 00:28:53 Comprehensive Services from Intake to Resolution
• 00:30:59 Negotiation vs Litigation Philosophy
• 00:31:17 Settlement vs Trial Decision Making
• 00:35:35 Trial Statistics and Settlement Dynamics
• 00:38:28 Defining Success Beyond Dollar Amounts
• 00:40:11 Case Study: Turning One Million into Multi-Millions
• 00:42:24 Aggressive Litigation Approach
• 00:43:14 Transparency, Ethics, and West Texas Values
• 00:44:16 Career Journey from Defense to Plaintiff Work
• 00:45:33 The Decision to Start His Own Firm
• 00:46:40 Most Meaningful Cases and Achievements
• 00:49:22 Contributing to the Legal Community
• 00:51:03 Super Lawyers Recognition Since 2008
• 00:51:53 The Future of Personal Injury Law
• 00:53:38 Leveraging AI and Technology in Practice
• 00:54:33 Client Education and Insurance Coverage
• 00:56:58 Common Misconceptions About Legal Rights
• 00:58:04 Educational Resources at SutliffStout.com
• 00:58:47 Guiding Principles and Inspiration
• 00:59:53 Best Advice: Be Aggressive in Litigation
• 01:00:12 How to Contact Sutliff and Stout
• 01:01:24 Free Consultations and Contingency Fee Structure
• 01:02:39 Final Thoughts and What Drives Hank
• 01:03:11 Closing and Contact Information