New Braunfels Rear-End Accident Lawyer

Injured in a rear-end accident in New Braunfels, TX? Contact the top New Braunfels rear-end accident lawyer to seek justice and compensation.

New Braunfels keeps growing, and so does the traffic on I-35, Loop 337, and Highway 46. Rear-end collisions happen at stoplights, in merging lanes, and during the afternoon slowdowns that back up I-35. When another driver hits you from behind, the insurance company immediately starts protecting its interests, and the adjuster will move fast to minimize what your claim is worth.

If you were stopped, slowing, or simply driving the speed limit when another driver plowed into you, the fault is clear to you. At Vendt Accident Attorneys, our New Braunfels rear-end accident lawyers investigate the collision, preserve the evidence insurers hope will disappear, and build your case for trial from day one so the insurance company understands what it is up against. You focus on healing. We handle the fight.

Get a free consultation and discover how our rear-end accident attorneys in New Braunfels can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.

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Why Choose Vendt Accident Attorneys for Your Rear-End Case?

We immediately start protecting your interests. Our team brings 85 years of combined Texas personal injury experience and a local New Braunfels office to every case we handle.

Veteran trial attorneys: Founding attorney Frank Vendt, Jr. served as Fort Bend County Bar Association president, and Scott M. Broussard brings extensive Texas jury-trial experience.
End-to-end case management: From the initial investigation through insurance negotiations and, when necessary, full jury-trial litigation, we handle every part of your claim.
No fee unless we win: We take every rear-end case on a contingency-fee basis. If we don’t recover for you, you owe us nothing.

Call (832) 490-7088 for a free rear-end accident consultation.

How a Rear-End Accident Lawyer Can Help You

A rear-end accident lawyer takes over the investigation, insurance negotiations, and litigation so you can focus entirely on healing. We secure evidence, handle every communication with adjusters, and build your case toward the outcome you deserve.

What to Do After a Rear-End Crash in New Braunfels

The steps you take in the first hours after a collision shape the strength of your claim.

Call 911 and Get Medical Care

Get examined by a doctor immediately, even if you feel fine. Whiplash, disc injuries, and concussions often appear hours or days later, and a same-day medical record documents the link between the collision and your injuries before an insurer can dispute it.

Document the Scene

Use your phone to photograph damage to both vehicles, skid marks, road conditions, and nearby traffic controls. Both wide-angle and close-up shots matter when reconstructing what happened.

Exchange Information and Get the Crash Report

Collect the other driver’s name, license plate, and insurance information, and ask any witnesses for their contact details. Request the official crash report from the New Braunfels Police Department or Comal County Sheriff’s Office after it has been filed.

Call an Attorney Before the Adjuster Reaches You

Before speaking with an insurance adjuster, consult an attorney, because adjusters may request a recorded statement that could be used to reduce your claim. Speak with an attorney before responding to anyone from the at-fault driver’s insurer.

Talk to us before the insurance company calls. Call (832) 490-7088.

Who Is at Fault in a Texas Rear-End Crash?

In Texas, the driver who strikes from behind is usually found at fault because every driver owes a duty of care, a legal obligation to maintain a safe following distance and pay attention to traffic ahead. When a rear driver fails to stop in time, they have almost always breached that duty.

Texas also applies modified comparative negligence. If you share some responsibility for the crash, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. You can still recover as long as you are 50% or less to blame.

Scenario	Likely At-Fault Party
Standard rear-end at a stoplight	Rear driver
Front driver reversed unexpectedly	Front driver
Broken taillights at night	Shared / front driver
Chain-reaction pileup on I-35	Multiple drivers
Pushed into the car ahead	Original rear driver

What Evidence Wins a Rear-End Accident Claim?

A police report is a foundation. What forces fair settlements is the deeper evidence we move quickly to secure before it disappears.

Event Data Recorder Downloads

Most vehicles have an Event Data Recorder, a “black box” that logs speed, braking, and throttle input in the seconds before a crash. We move immediately to preserve this data before it is lost to vehicle repairs.

Dashcam and Surveillance Footage

Traffic cameras and businesses along I-35, Loop 337, and Highway 46 often capture crashes on video. We send legal preservation letters right away to prevent footage from being overwritten.

One pattern we consistently see in New Braunfels rear-end cases is crashes in the stop-and-go traffic on I-35 near the Walnut Avenue and Hwy 46 exits, where drivers merging from the frontage road brake suddenly. The rear driver’s insurer often claims the front driver stopped for no reason. Video from nearby businesses and the rear vehicle’s own event data usually shows that following distance was the real problem.

Cell Phone Records

If distracted driving was a factor, we can subpoena the at-fault driver’s cell phone records to show they were not paying attention when they hit you.

Medical and Expert Documentation

We coordinate with your treating physicians and, when necessary, biomechanical experts and life-care planners who can connect your injuries directly to the collision and establish what your full recovery will cost.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

Texas law allows you to pursue both your financial losses and the personal toll of your injuries.

Medical expenses: Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, and all future treatment your injuries require.
Lost income: Wages already missed and future earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work.
Pain and suffering: Physical pain, mental anguish, and emotional distress caused by the accident and recovery.
Property damage: Repair or replacement costs for your vehicle and personal property.
Punitive damages: In cases of extreme recklessness, such as drunk driving, courts may award additional damages to punish that conduct.

“I’m sure you’ve heard the joke about trusting your attorney. It’s no joke with Frank Vendt Jr. He’s got your back. He’s amazing in court. And, he knows his stuff. His staff is amazing and very helpful. I’m am forever grateful for his expertise and guidance through a very difficult case. If Google would allow me to give him 10 stars, I would.” – Paula Mynatt

Common Injuries in Rear-End Collisions

The force of a rear-end impact travels through your neck and spine, producing injuries that often do not surface for days. Never assume you are uninjured simply because you were able to drive away from the scene.

Common rear-end injuries include:

Whiplash and soft tissue damage
Herniated or bulging discs
Concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Spinal cord injuries
Facial injuries from airbag deployment
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

In our experience, rear-end clients in New Braunfels often first visit an urgent care or the emergency room at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital or Resolute Baptist Hospital and are sent home with a strain diagnosis. When pain persists, an MRI weeks later may reveal a herniated disc, and the insurer argues it came from something else. We make sure follow-up imaging and physician opinions connect the later diagnosis back to the crash.

How Insurance Companies Dispute Rear-End Claims

Insurance companies run a practiced playbook to reduce what they pay after rear-end crashes. Knowing their tactics before you speak with an adjuster is essential.

Early lowball offers: A fast, cheap offer made before you understand the full cost of your injuries.
“Minor impact” arguments: The claim that modest vehicle damage means you could not have been seriously hurt, which we counter with medical and biomechanical evidence.
Recorded statement requests: A seemingly friendly call designed to capture statements that minimize your payout.
Delay tactics: Stringing the process out until financial pressure makes you accept less than your claim is worth.

We manage all contact with insurers from day one so you never face these tactics alone.

A tactic we see repeatedly from adjusters handling Comal County rear-end claims is the minor impact argument, especially after low-speed crashes in parking lots and at lights along Loop 337. The adjuster points to a small repair estimate and argues no one could have been hurt. We counter with treatment records and, when needed, biomechanical analysis, because the force on your neck has little to do with the cost of a bumper.

Don’t settle without speaking with us first. Call (832) 490-7088.

What If the Driver Had No Insurance or Fled the Scene?

If the at-fault driver fled or had no insurance, you may still recover through your own Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage. Insurers still challenge these claims, and we know how to make sure yours is honored.

What If a Commercial Truck or Rideshare Vehicle Rear-Ended You?

Truck rear-ends on I-35 often involve federal FMCSA regulations and multiple liable parties, including the driver, the carrier, and sometimes a cargo company. Rideshare crashes involving Uber or Lyft trigger different insurance tiers based on whether the driver was actively on a trip when the crash occurred. Both require attorneys who understand these layers of complexity from the start.

How Long Do You Have to File in Texas?

Texas law gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is called the statute of limitations. Missing it permanently forfeits your right to compensation. If a government vehicle was involved, notice requirements can be as short as six months, or 90 days for some cities.

What Does It Cost to Hire Vendt Accident Attorneys?

Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency-fee basis. You pay no attorney’s fees unless we win your case, and our fee comes entirely from the recovery we secure for you.

How Vendt Handles Your Rear-End Case

We start with a free consultation to hear what happened and explain your options clearly. From there, we immediately preserve evidence and build your claim, preparing every case for trial, because insurers pay more when they know we will not back down.

“Scott Broussard helped me tremendously when I went through a major car accident. It was a very stressful time, but he made the whole ordeal so much more manageable. And he fought to made sure I was taken care of and compensated accordingly! Very highly recommend.” – Abel Rocha

Talk to a New Braunfels Rear-End Accident Lawyer Today

You were hurt through no fault of your own. You deserve a straight-talking attorney in your corner, not a call center.

Phone: (832) 490-7088
New Braunfels Office: Serving Comal County and surrounding areas
Richmond, TX Headquarters: 1104 Thompson Road, Richmond, TX 77469

Call (832) 490-7088 today. Your consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we win.

Rear-End Accident FAQ

Can I Still File a Claim Without a Police Report?

A police report is powerful evidence, but its absence will not end your case. We can build a strong claim using your photos, witness statements, medical records, and available surveillance footage.

Can a Passenger in a Rear-Ended Car File Their Own Claim?

Yes, as a passenger, you can file against the at-fault driver regardless of which vehicle you were riding in, and passengers in rear-end collisions almost never share any fault.

Can I Use My Health Insurance While My Personal Injury Claim Is Pending?

Yes, use it without delay. If your insurer pays for treatment, they may seek reimbursement from your settlement through a process called subrogation, which we negotiate down on your behalf.

Who Pays for a Rental Car and Towing After a Rear-End Crash?

The at-fault driver’s property damage liability insurance covers your towing costs and rental vehicle while your car is being repaired or declared a total loss.

What If My Rear-End Crash Symptoms Appeared Days Later?

See a doctor right away, even if time has passed since the crash. Delayed onset is common with whiplash and concussions, and prompt documentation prevents an insurer from arguing your symptoms came from another cause.

What Is the “Unavoidable Accident” Defense in a Rear-End Case?

“Unavoidable accident” defense is a legal defense claiming the crash occurred despite both drivers acting reasonably, for example, due to a sudden medical emergency. Courts rarely accept this defense in rear-end cases, where maintaining a safe following distance is within every driver’s control.

School Bus Accidents in Comal and Guadalupe Counties

When your child is hurt on a school bus, it is both a physical injury and a breach of trust. Our firm holds school districts and their contractors accountable to the specific safety obligations Texas law places on them.

These cases extend well beyond collisions while the bus is moving. Children are hurt in three distinct ways:

While riding: Hard braking, sharp turns, and collisions throw unsecured passengers against hard surfaces, causing broken bones, head trauma, and spinal injuries.
During boarding and unloading: A driver who releases a child at an unsafe stop creates liability when that child is subsequently struck or falls.
By stop-arm runners: Texas Transportation Code §545.066 requires all traffic to stop for a school bus stop arm. Drivers who ignore this law can be held personally liable for every resulting injury.

A pattern we see often in Comal and Guadalupe County school bus cases is the district producing the bus camera footage only after a formal preservation demand and only for the exact minute of impact rather than the full boarding sequence. In the claims we have worked through New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD routes, the boarding and unloading footage often matters more than the crash itself, which is why we request the full file the same week we are hired.

Claim Type	Who You Sue	Key Deadline
Public School Bus (ISD)	Independent School District	6-month written notice under the TTCA
City or Regional Bus	Government Transit Authority	As little as 90 days per city charter
Private Charter or Greyhound	Private Bus Company	2 years under standard Texas law

Public Bus and City Transport Claims in New Braunfels

If you were hurt on an Alamo Regional Transit (ART) bus or another government-operated shuttle, your claim falls under the Texas Tort Claims Act. The TTCA partially waives sovereign immunity, the government’s default legal shield against lawsuits, but only in specific circumstances, including motor vehicle accidents involving a government employee.

The TTCA caps recovery at $250,000 per person and $500,000 per occurrence. It also requires formal written notice within a narrow window after the accident, a deadline many injured people don’t discover until it has already passed.

Private, Charter, and Intercity Bus Crashes

Greyhound, FlixBus, tour buses, church vans, and hotel or airport shuttles are legally classified as common carriers, transportation businesses that serve the general public for hire.

Interstate carriers also fall under federal regulations from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and those records can be central to your case. We investigate:

Driver logs to identify hours-of-service violations
Pre-trip and post-trip vehicle inspection reports
Drug and alcohol testing records
Maintenance and repair history for the specific bus involved

Hurt on a Greyhound or charter bus? Call Vendt Accident Attorneys.

What we see consistently in charter and intercity bus claims moving through New Braunfels is that the carrier’s FMCSA driver logs do not match the dispatch records once both are pulled side by side. We have found that an hours-of-service violation buried in electronic logging device data is often the detail that turns a disputed liability case into a clear one.

Deadlines and Notice Requirements for Texas Bus Claims

Texas gives injured people two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, but when a government entity is involved, that window closes much faster.

Private bus (Greyhound, charter, shuttle): 2 years from the crash date under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code §16.003.

Texas school district or state agency: Formal written notice within 6 months under the Texas Tort Claims Act.
City of New Braunfels or municipal transit: City charters can require notice in as little as 90 days, one of the most compressed deadlines in Texas personal injury law.

Evidence We Preserve Immediately

On-board camera footage is routinely overwritten within days of a crash. Black box data from the event data recorder (EDR), which records the vehicle’s speed, braking force, and GPS location at the moment of impact, disappears just as quickly without formal legal intervention.

We send preservation demand letters the same day we take your case. We also subpoena the driver’s commercial license history, inspection logs, prior complaints, and training records, all of which can reveal a pattern of negligence that predates your accident. Working with accident reconstruction specialists and medical experts, we build a clear factual record of what happened and who is responsible.

“I was represented by Scott Broussard in my personal injury case. Scott helped every step of the way, answering all my questions (I had many!) and preparing me well for discovery. The office staff also was very responsive and helpful. I highly recommend Scott if unfortunately, you find yourself injured and don’t know what to do.” – Tina Michel

Common Injuries in Bus Accident Cases

Bus accidents cause some of the most severe injuries we see, largely because of the vehicle’s weight and the absence of seat belts for standing passengers.

Passengers inside the bus are commonly thrown from seats during sudden stops or impact, suffering whiplash, herniated discs, broken bones, and traumatic brain injuries. Pedestrians and cyclists face catastrophic harm when struck by a bus; large vehicles have significant blind spots that put anyone near a crosswalk or bus stop at serious risk.

Paratransit passengers face a distinct category of risk. Improperly secured wheelchairs, malfunctioning lifts, and inadequate operator training have caused spinal fractures, head trauma, and severe internal injuries in cases just like yours.

Across the paratransit claims we have handled in Comal County, a malfunctioning wheelchair lift or an improperly secured restraint is rarely documented in the driver’s own incident report. We push for the vehicle’s maintenance logs and prior lift-service complaints early, because that history is usually what proves the operator knew about the defect before it hurt someone.

What You Can Recover After a Texas Bus Accident

You should not carry the financial cost of an accident someone else caused. Texas law allows you to pursue full compensation for:

All medical expenses, from emergency care through long-term rehabilitation
Lost wages and diminished earning capacity going forward
Physical pain, emotional suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
Permanent disfigurement or disability
Wrongful death damages if a family member was killed in the crash

When conduct was reckless or intentional, what Texas law calls gross negligence, courts can award punitive damages under Civil Practice and Remedies Code §41.003. Because the TTCA caps government liability, identifying any private co-defendant often determines how much total compensation is actually available to you.

Why New Braunfels Families Choose Vendt Accident Attorneys

We don’t take cases to settle them quickly and move on. Every client gets a dedicated strategy, direct communication, and a team ready to go to trial when that is what your case demands.

Transit authorities and private carriers have legal teams that start working immediately after a crash, and you deserve an advocate who starts working just as fast. Our New Braunfels office gives us direct familiarity with the local courts, transit routes, and road conditions involved in your case. Senior Counsel April Tabangay-Vigilla provides bilingual support in Tagalog and Spanish, so language is never a barrier. When your case reaches a jury, attorney Scott M. Broussard brings over 25 years of Texas courtroom experience to your side. We work entirely on contingency; you pay nothing unless we win.

“Frank was great to work with. He represented me in a manner that was professional and very efficient. Frank does what he does because he has a passion for justice. I am very appreciative of all that Frank has done for me, and I will recommend him to anyone that needs legal representation conducted the ‘right’ way.” – Sharndell Carr

FAQs: New Braunfels Bus Accident Lawyer

How Quickly Must I Notify the City of New Braunfels or a School District?

City charter rules may require written notice in as little as 90 days. The TTCA gives you six months for school district claims. Missing either deadline permanently bars compensation. Contact an attorney immediately.

Can I Sue New Braunfels ISD or Comal ISD After a School Bus Crash?

Yes, but only under the TTCA’s narrow waiver for motor vehicle negligence, and only if you provide written notice within six months of the accident date.

How Do Private Charter Bus Claims Differ from Alamo Regional Transit Claims?

A private carrier like Greyhound follows standard Texas negligence law, no damage caps, two-year deadline. ART falls under the TTCA with shorter notice windows and strict recovery limits.

What Happens If Another Driver Caused the School Bus to Crash?

You may have a separate negligence claim against that driver, entirely independent of any action against the school district or bus operator; we pursue all available recovery on your behalf.

Does It Cost Anything to Hire Vendt Accident Attorneys for a Bus Accident?

There are no upfront fees. We work on contingency, meaning you pay attorney’s fees only if we recover compensation for you.

Talk to a New Braunfels Bus Accident Lawyer Today

Evidence disappears and legal deadlines move faster than most people expect. If you or your family were hurt in a bus crash in New Braunfels, our team is ready to act immediately on your behalf. Call us at (832) 490-7088, visit our office at 382 S I-35 South Frontage Rd, Building C, Suite 109, New Braunfels, TX 78130, or submit your free consultation request online.