San Antonio car accidents: deadlines, crash reports and claims

Deadlines and fault rules in San Antonio#

San Antonio has no separate deadline for suing another driver; the Texas statute of limitationsStatute of limitations. The law that sets the last day to file a lawsuit. After it passes, a court will usually dismiss the case, however strong it is. Glossary applies. Most injury and vehicle-damage lawsuits must be filed within 2 years of the crash (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a)). For wrongful death, the deadline is 2 years from the date of death.

Texas's proportionate responsibilityProportionate responsibility. Texas's name for its comparative-fault system: the jury assigns each party a percentage of responsibility. Glossary rule cuts your damages by your share of the blame and bars recovery at 51% or more. Insurers apply the same rule when they negotiate, so small facts about who did what can matter. The Texas guide explains insurance minimums, damage caps and the rules for injured children.

Getting a crash report in San Antonio#

SAPD's records page lists three ways to get a crash report:

1. TxDOT online. Buy a certified or uncertified copy through TxDOT's Crash Report Online Purchase System for $6, or $8 certified. SAPD notes that reports can take up to 14 days to appear there.
2. SAPD online. Request it through the City's Open Government Portal. You need an account, and you can choose delivery by email, mail or pickup at SAPD Headquarters.
3. By mail or in person. Fill out SAPD's crash report request form and take or mail it to the SAPD Records Office, 315 S. Santa Rosa, San Antonio, TX 78207 (Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

SAPD's fee table lists $6 for an accident report, a $5 administration fee per report and a 20% overhead charge added to each request, so the total from SAPD is more than the base price. Mail and online requests are paid by check or money order sent by U.S. mail; the headquarters also takes cash and cards.

The request form asks you to sign under penalty of perjury and say how you are connected to the crash, for example as a person involved or an insurance representative. Our guide to the police report explains how the report is used in a claim.

Claims against the City of San Antonio#

Section 150 of the San Antonio City Charter requires written notice within 90 days after an injury, death or property damage is sustained. It goes to the City Manager or the City Clerk, in writing; the city's online Notice of Claim form goes to its Office of Risk Management. Texas law lets a city set its own notice of claimNotice of claim. A written notice that must be sent to a city, county or state agency before you can sue it, often within a few months. Glossary period like this one, and it is much shorter than the state's general deadline of 6 months.

The charter says the notice must state when, where and how the injury or damage happened, how serious it is and the amount of damages. The City's online Notice of Claim form asks for the date, time and place of the crash, a police case number if you have one, and supporting papers such as medical bills, estimates and photos. Questions go to the Office of Risk Management at 210-207-7204.

Claims against a city are capped by the Texas Tort Claims Act at $250,000 per person, $500,000 per occurrence and $100,000 for property damage, which limits what sovereign immunitySovereign immunity. The rule that governments cannot be sued unless a law allows it. Tort claims acts allow some claims, with limits. Glossary allows.

Crashes in San Antonio#

TxDOT's 2025 data for the city of San Antonio counted 37,299 reportable crashes, 579 people seriously injured and 167 people killed. Only Houston and Dallas had more traffic deaths among Texas cities.

Where a lawsuit is filed#

Under the Texas venueVenue. The county or court location where a lawsuit is filed and heard. State rules decide the proper venue, often the place where the events happened or where the defendant lives. Glossary rule, a lawsuit is usually filed in the county where all or a substantial part of the events happened, or in the county where the defendant lived when the claim arose (for a business, its principal Texas office). Most of San Antonio lies in Bexar County, where civil cases are heard in three kinds of court:

• Bexar County district courts, the main trial courts for larger civil cases.
• Bexar County courts at law, which under the general Texas rule share civil cases with the district courts up to $325,000.
• Small claims in a justice courtJustice court. A Texas court led by a justice of the peace. It hears small civil cases, including small claims, up to a dollar limit set by state law, with simpler procedures than higher courts. Glossary, for claims up to $20,000.

Our guide to filing a lawsuit explains the steps.

Finding a lawyer in San Antonio#

The San Antonio Bar Association's Lawyer Referral Service is certified under Texas law and takes requests through its online form. It refers you to a screened local lawyer and does not charge a referral fee; you discuss the lawyer's own fees at the first consultation. The State Bar of Texas service at (800) 252-9690 sends Bexar County callers to this local service.

Before you hire anyone, check the license in the State Bar of Texas Find a Lawyer directory. See also our guide to lawyer referral services.