How to choose a bicycle accident lawyer in Houston: what to check first

The short answer

Two checks anyone can run before choosing a Houston bicycle accident lawyer: the lawyer's license and any public disciplinary actions in the State Bar of Texas Find A Lawyer directory, and the written fee agreement. Texas law requires a contingent fee contract for legal services to be in writing and signed by the attorney and the client (Tex. Gov't Code §82.065(a)). InjuryClaimGuide does not rank or rate lawyers, and this guide does not name any.

On the bicycle side, Texas law gives a person operating a bicycle the rights and duties of a driver operating a vehicle, unless a provision of chapter 551 alters a right or duty or it cannot by its nature apply to a bicycle (Transp. Code §551.101(a)). This guide shows you how to look up a lawyer, read the fee agreement, and ask how the lawyer approaches the questions that can come up when a cyclist is hit, such as the bicycle rules, insurance and the notice rules for a government vehicle.

This is general informational guidance, not legal advice, and it does not apply the law to your situation.

Key facts (as of November 2, 2026)

• Directory. The State Bar's Find A Lawyer directory has profiles for every licensed Texas attorney and lists public disciplinary actions, if any (State Bar, How to Select a Lawyer).
• Fees in writing. A contingent fee contract must be in writing and signed by the attorney and the client (Gov't Code §82.065(a)), and must state how the fee is determined and which expenses are deducted (Disciplinary Rule 1.04(d)).
• Solicitation. Soliciting employment in person, by telephone, through a social media direct message or by another electronic communication, with intent to obtain an economic benefit, is generally an offense (Penal Code §38.12(a)(2)).
• Rights and duties. A person operating a bicycle has the rights and duties of a driver operating a vehicle, unless chapter 551 alters them or they cannot by their nature apply (Transp. Code §551.101(a)).
• Passing. An operator passing another vehicle must pass to the left at a safe distance and may not move back to the right until safely clear (Transp. Code §545.053(a)). Chapters 545 and 551 set no statewide passing distance in feet.
• PIP. Personal injury protection benefits are payable without regard to the fault or nonfault of the named insured or recipient in causing or contributing to the collision (Ins. Code §1952.155).
• Government notice. A governmental unit is entitled to notice of a claim within six months, unless it has actual notice (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §101.101); the City of Houston's charter requires written notice, duly verified, within 90 days (City of Houston, Filing a Claim).

How do I check a Houston bicycle accident lawyer's license?

The State Bar of Texas runs a public Find A Lawyer directory. Its public pamphlet, How to Select a Lawyer, says the directory has profiles for every licensed Texas attorney and lists any public disciplinary actions taken against the attorney. The search page lets you look a lawyer up by name or bar card number and narrow the list by county, practice area, languages spoken and fee options.

• Look up the person. Search for the individual lawyer who would handle your matter, not only the firm name.
• Check eligibility. The State Bar publishes an Ineligible Attorney List of licensed Texas attorneys who are currently ineligible to practice law, for reasons such as disciplinary or administrative suspensions. It says the list is updated daily.
• Board certification. The directory page says the Supreme Court of Texas established the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (TBLS) in 1974 to certify attorneys in legal specialty areas, and the directory can be filtered by certification area, such as Personal Injury Trial Law or Civil Trial Law. The pamphlet says a board-certified lawyer has met criteria TBLS sets for a particular practice area. How much weight to give it is up to you.
• Someone you cannot find. If a person says they are a lawyer and you cannot find them, ask for their bar card number. Texas Penal Code §38.122 makes it a third-degree felony, with intent to obtain an economic benefit, to hold oneself out as a lawyer unless currently licensed to practice law in Texas, another state or a foreign country and in good standing with the State Bar of Texas and every licensing authority where licensed.

The State Bar's Grievance and Ethics Information page points the public to Find A Lawyer to view a lawyer's disciplinary history. If anything is listed, you can ask the lawyer about it directly and decide for yourself how much it matters to you.

What should a contingent fee agreement say in Texas?

A contingent fee depends on the outcome of the matter. Texas Disciplinary Rule 1.04(d) allows one except where a rule or other law prohibits it, and Texas law sets ground rules for the agreement:

• In writing and signed. The contract must be in writing and signed by the attorney and the client (Gov't Code §82.065(a)).
• How the fee is figured. The agreement must state the method by which the fee is determined. If the percentage differs depending on whether the matter is settled, tried or appealed, the agreement must state the percentage for each (Rule 1.04(d), Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct).
• Expenses. The agreement must state the litigation and other expenses to be deducted from any recovery, and whether they come out before or after the fee is calculated (Rule 1.04(d)).
• Another firm. A fee may be divided with a lawyer outside the firm only on the conditions in Rule 1.04(f), including the client's written consent, before the association or referral, to terms that name every lawyer or firm taking part and state each one's share of the fee or the basis for dividing it.
• At the end. When a contingent fee matter concludes, the lawyer must give the client a written statement describing the outcome and, if there is a recovery, showing the remittance to the client and how it was determined (Rule 1.04(d)).

The State Bar's pamphlet tells readers to read the contract before signing it, to make sure they understand it, and to make sure everything they and the lawyer agreed to is in writing. You can ask to take the agreement home first. What is a contingency fee explains the idea in plain language.

Which Texas rules come up after a cyclist is hit in Houston?

A lawyer you talk to may raise some of these. They are listed so you can recognize them and ask about them by name, not to say how any of them applies to a particular crash.

• Where the rules apply. Unless a provision says otherwise, the chapter 551 bicycle rules apply to a person operating a bicycle on a highway or on a path set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles (Transp. Code §551.001). They also apply to an electric bicycle, other than a provision that by its nature cannot apply to one (§551.002).
• Position on the road. A cyclist moving slower than other traffic rides as near as practicable to the right curb or edge, unless passing, preparing to turn left at an intersection or onto a private road or driveway, avoiding a condition on or of the roadway that prevents riding safely next to the curb, or riding in an outside lane less than 14 feet wide with no adjacent bicycle lane, or too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side (§551.103(a)). On a one-way roadway with two or more marked lanes, a cyclist may ride as near as practicable to the left curb or edge (§551.103(b)). Cyclists may ride two abreast; on a laned roadway they ride in a single lane, they may not impede the normal and reasonable flow of traffic, and they may not ride more than two abreast except on a part of the roadway set aside for the exclusive operation of bicycles (§551.103(c)). Our Texas bicycle rules entry covers the chapter.
• Equipment. A bicycle must have a brake capable of making a braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement. At nighttime it must have a front lamp emitting white light visible from at least 500 feet and, on the rear, either a red reflector of a type the department approves that is visible, when directly in front of lawful upper-beam headlamps of motor vehicles, from all distances from 50 to 300 feet behind the bicycle, or a lamp emitting red light visible from 500 feet to the rear (§551.104).
• Passing. An operator passing another vehicle must pass to the left at a safe distance and may not move back to the right until safely clear of the passed vehicle (§545.053(a)). Our passing and lane use entry explains the passing rules.
• Car doors. A person may not open a motor vehicle door on the side available to moving traffic unless it can be done in reasonable safety without interfering with the movement of other traffic, or leave that door open longer than necessary to load or unload a passenger (§545.418).
• Crosswalks. A person commits an offense if, with criminal negligence, the person operates a motor vehicle within the area of a crosswalk and causes bodily injury to a pedestrian or a person operating a bicycle. It is a Class A misdemeanor, or a state jail felony if the injury is serious bodily injury, and it is an affirmative defense that the injured person was violating a rule on walking, movement or operation in a crosswalk or on a roadway (§545.428). That section defines a criminal offense; this guide does not say how it bears on any civil claim.
• Shared responsibility. The judge or jury assigns a percentage of responsibility to each claimant, defendant, settling person and designated responsible third party (Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code §33.003). In an action to which chapter 33 applies, a claimant whose percentage is greater than 50 percent may not recover damages (§33.001); otherwise the damages are reduced by the claimant's percentage (§33.012(a)). Our §33.001 reference entry explains it.
• PIP. An insurer may not issue an auto liability policy in Texas unless it provides personal injury protection coverage, and that requirement does not apply if any insured named in the policy rejects the coverage in writing; benefits are payable without regard to fault (Ins. Code §§1952.152, 1952.155). See our PIP and medical payments entry.
• Government vehicles. A governmental unit is entitled to notice of a claim not later than six months after the incident, a city's charter can set its own period, and the notice rules do not apply if the governmental unit has actual notice of the death, injury or property damage (§101.101). The City of Houston's charter requires written notice, duly verified, within 90 days (City of Houston, Filing a Claim). Crashes involving a Texas government vehicle explains both.
• Filing period. Texas generally sets a two-year limitations period for personal injury suits, with exceptions in the Code (§16.003).

What questions can I ask a bicycle accident lawyer?

There is no single right answer to any of these; the answers are yours to weigh.

• Bicycle experience. Have you handled matters involving people on bicycles who were hit by a vehicle, and how are they different from crashes between two vehicles in your practice?
• Bicycle rules. How do you approach questions about the chapter 551 rules, such as lane position, riding two abreast, lights at night and electric bicycles?
• Passing and doors. How do you approach questions about a driver passing a cyclist or opening a car door into traffic?
• Shared responsibility. How do you approach questions about a cyclist's share of responsibility?
• Insurance. Which insurance policies do you look at after a bicycle crash, such as the driver's liability coverage and any PIP or uninsured motorist coverage in a household auto policy?
• Government vehicles. If a METRO bus, a City of Houston vehicle or another government vehicle was involved, how do you handle the notice rules?
• Records and video. Which records would you want to see, such as the crash report, medical records, photos of the bicycle and any video of the crash?
• Day-to-day contact. Who at the firm will handle my matter day to day, and who do I contact with questions?
• Fees and expenses. How is your fee calculated, does the percentage change if the matter goes to trial, and which expenses would be deducted from any recovery?
• Other firms. Will any other law firm work on my matter or share the fee? If so, who, and what share would each receive (Rule 1.04(f))?
• Language. Do you or your staff speak Spanish? (Find A Lawyer can be filtered by languages spoken, and you can also ask directly.)
• Local experience. Have you handled matters involving bicycle crashes in Houston or Harris County?

For how Texas's bicycle rules, insurance coverages and deadlines work in more detail, see Bicycle accidents in Houston. If you are still deciding whether to talk to a lawyer at all, when to hire a personal injury lawyer describes situations where people commonly consult one.

What are the red flags for barratry after a bicycle crash?

Barratry is the improper solicitation of legal clients, and Texas treats it as a crime and a disciplinary matter. The State Bar's disaster resources page puts it this way: in many cases it is a crime in Texas for a lawyer, or someone representing a lawyer, to contact a person about legal representation if the person has not first asked for the call or visit.

Signs to watch for, with the rule behind each:

• An approach you did not ask for. Someone you did not contact approaches you in person, by phone, through a social media direct message or by another electronic message to sign you up with a lawyer (Penal Code §38.12(a)(2); Disciplinary Rule 7.03(b)).
• Money or a gift. Anyone offers you money or another benefit to hire a lawyer (Penal Code §38.12(a)(3); Rule 7.03(f)).
• Contact too soon. A lawyer, chiropractor, physician or other covered professional, with the intent to obtain professional employment, provides an unrequested written communication or solicitation that concerns an action for personal injury or wrongful death, or otherwise relates to an accident or disaster involving you or a relative, before the 31st day after the accident or disaster occurred (§38.12(d)(2)(A)).
• Contact after you said no. A covered professional contacts you knowing, or when they reasonably should know, that you or a relative indicated a desire not to be contacted. That desire is presumed if an accident report reflects the indication (§38.12(d)(2)(D), (e)).
• No "ADVERTISEMENT" label. A solicitation communication a lawyer sends to a prospective client generally must be plainly marked or clearly designated "ADVERTISEMENT" (Rule 7.03(d)(2)).
• Pressure. Communications involving coercion, duress, overreaching, intimidation or undue influence are prohibited (Rule 7.03(c); Penal Code §38.12(d)(2)(E)).

Texas law also protects people who sign up because of barratry. A contract for legal services procured by conduct violating Penal Code §38.12(a) or (b), or Disciplinary Rule 7.03, is voidable by the client (Gov't Code §82.065(b)). Section 82.0651 lets the client bring an action to void it, and gives a person who was solicited that way but did not sign a contract a civil action too. Our Penal Code §38.12 reference entry has the statute text.

Reporting it. The State Bar asks people who see what they believe is improper solicitation to get the name and phone number of the person making contact and report it to local law enforcement or to the State Bar's Chief Disciplinary Counsel's Office, toll free at 866-224-5999. Its File a Grievance page says complainants must use the current grievance form, effective October 1, 2025, which can be submitted online; if you are not the lawyer's client or former client, the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure limit who may file.

Where else can Houston residents find or ask about a lawyer?

• A referral service. The State Bar certifies lawyer referral services run by local bar associations and other nonprofit public service organizations. Its list includes the Houston Lawyer Referral Service, (713) 237-9429 or toll free (800) 289-4577.
• A problem with your lawyer. The State Bar's File a Grievance page describes the Client Attorney Assistance Program, a statewide dispute resolution program, and says the Bar's Grievance Information Helpline, (800) 932-1900, is answered by the program's staff.
• Changing lawyers. The State Bar's pamphlet says it is your right to fire your lawyer and hire someone else, that you should expect to pay a portion of the fee for time already spent if your matter has not ended, and that the lawyer has an obligation to return your file.
• Other routes. How to find a personal injury lawyer in Houston lists the main routes, including the State Bar's own referral line, and how to choose a personal injury lawyer in Texas covers the same checks statewide.

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Whichever lawyer you consider, through InjuryClaimGuide or on your own, you can run the same checks and ask the same questions. How lawyer matching services work explains more.

Related guides

• Car accidents in Houston: common next steps after a Houston crash.
• Houston: InjuryClaimGuide's Houston page.
• Bicycle accidents in Houston: Texas rules for cyclists and drivers, and what to gather.
• How to get a crash report in Houston: where Houston-area crash reports are kept.
• How to choose a pedestrian accident lawyer in Houston: the same checks for a person on foot.

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Participating law firms pay InjuryClaimGuide to receive leads. InjuryClaimGuide is not a lawyer referral service and is not affiliated with any state bar.

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