Many people believe that it is impossible to sue the government due to past traditional beliefs that the “King can do no wrong.” This is untrue and not only has the Federal Government provided a way to bring a suit against the Federal Government, but the State of Texas has adopted a set of laws called the Texas Tort Claims Act which provides an possibility to seek a claim against the Government of Texas.
The Texas Tort Claims Act is a step toward ensuring that a negligent governmental agency is held responsible for a person’s injuries under certain circumstances. Even with this set of laws many injured people miss their opportunity to be made whole again because of timing issues. In order to have a claim against the State of Texas a person must provide notice to the state within 6 months after the accident has occurred. To be able to pursue a claim against the City of Houston & Harris County a person must act even faster. The notice requirement of that person’s claim must be made to the City of Houston & Harris County within 90 days.
Not every injury is actionable, but the law does carve out some significant areas where there would be governmental liability. Due to the complexity and timing issues of The Texas Tort Claims Act It is best for an injured person to contact an attorney. This is important to be sure that their claim still exists both due to timing, and due to meeting the law’s specific circumstances.
If you or someone you know has been injured by a governmental entity, contact the attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or 713-222-7211.