La Porte has its own city code and policies in place, especially when it comes to incidents involving public property or government employees. On top of that, Harris County courts will oversee most claims, so you’re working within a system that handles thousands of similar cases each year.
The local courts, the local deadlines, and even the local government departments you might have to notify. They’re specific, and they matter a lot when you’re trying to file a personal injury claim.
And that’s where timing becomes everything. If you’re dealing with personal injury cases in La Porte, TX, you’ve got to know exactly when to file because the deadlines aren’t flexible, and missing them usually means your case is over before it even starts.
When Exactly Do You Need to File a PI Claim in La Porte?
In Texas, you generally have two years from the day you were injured to file a lawsuit. That’s called the statute of limitations. The law behind this is found in Section 16.003 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. If you file even one day late, the court is going to toss your case out because there are no second chances.
That two-year clock starts ticking on the day the accident happens. For example, if you got hurt in a slip-and-fall at a La Porte retail store on March 1st, 2025, you’ve got until March 1st, 2027, to file. But just because you have two years doesn’t mean you should wait.
Even with all these exceptions, there’s something called a statute of repose. This is like a final deadline, no matter what. For example, in medical malpractice claims, even if you don’t discover the injury right away, Texas puts a hard limit of 10 years after the incident. That means no matter what excuse or exception applies, if you try to sue after those 10 years, the case is over.
What If the Government is Involved?
A lot of folks work in public-sector roles or deal with government-owned spaces, so it’s not impossible for someone to be involved in an accident with a government entity. If your injury happened because of something a city employee did or because of something dangerous on city property, you have way less time to act.
Texas law says you’ve only got six months from the day of the injury to send a formal notice of claim if you’re going after a government agency.
In some places, the deadline can even be shorter depending on the local ordinance. That notice has to be clear, detailed, and on time. If you miss that deadline, your entire claim can be denied, no matter how serious your injury is.
What If You Didn’t Know You Were Injured Right Away?
Not every injury shows up with bruises or broken bones. Sometimes, you don’t realize something’s wrong until days, weeks, or even months later. Texas law actually allows for that in the discovery rule.
If you couldn’t reasonably know about your injury, or that it was caused by someone else’s negligence, until later, the two-year clock doesn’t start until you do find out. This happens a lot in medical cases or work-related injuries where symptoms build up over time.
But don’t assume this applies to you without talking to a lawyer. Courts are strict about this. You have to show that you couldn’t have known any earlier, even if you’d been careful.
Sometimes, the person who caused your injury disappears. If they leave Texas before you can file a lawsuit, the clock on your deadline pauses while they’re gone. It restarts when they come back. This helps prevent people from dodging responsibility just by skipping town.
Still, finding and serving legal papers on a missing person isn’t easy, and you don’t want to wait too long just because you think they’re gone. A lawyer can help you figure out what steps to take so your claim doesn’t get stuck.
