Lubbock County, Texas Personal Injury Law, Court Venue & Statute Reference (Lubbock, TX)

Local Trial & Appellate Court Structure in Lubbock County, Texas

In Lubbock County (population ~322,000), civil personal injury lawsuits are filed in Lubbock before either the Texas State District Courts (which exercise general original jurisdiction over all civil actions with an amount in controversy of $500 or more under Tex. Const. art. V, § 8 and Tex. Gov't Code § 24.007) or the Lubbock County Courts at Law (statutory county courts created under Tex. Gov't Code Chapter 25 that exercise concurrent civil tort jurisdiction—typically up to $250,000 or higher depending on the county's specific Chapter 25 subchapter). Small property-damage or minor injury claims of $20,000 or less (excluding interest) may be brought in the Lubbock County Justice of the Peace (JP) Courts under Tex. Gov't Code § 27.031.

• ():

Venue Rules Under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 15.002

Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 15.002(a), Lubbock County is a proper permissive venue for a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit whenever: (1) all or a substantial part of the events or omissions giving rise to the claim occurred in Lubbock County (for example, a collision on I-27, US-84, US-62/82 (Marsha Sharp Fwy), US-87, Loop 289, SH-114 or an injury on premises near Lubbock); (2) an individual defendant resided in Lubbock County at the time the cause of action accrued; or (3) a corporate defendant (such as a motor carrier or property owner) maintained its principal Texas office in Lubbock County. Additionally, if the lawsuit asserts a Texas Tort Claims Act claim directly against Lubbock County itself, Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 15.015 mandates that the suit MUST be filed in Lubbock County.

Hospital & EMS Liens Under Texas Property Code Chapter 55

Because Lubbock County has a population of approximately 322,000—well below the 800,000 statutory ceiling in Texas Property Code § 55.002(c)—both the Hospital Lien statute AND the Small-County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Lien statute apply in Lubbock County. First, if an injured person is admitted to UMC Health System within 72 hours of the accident, the hospital—and any higher-level trauma center to which the patient is transferred under § 55.002(b)—may record a Chapter 55 hospital lien with the Lubbock County Clerk in Lubbock capped at the regular and reasonable rate (or 50% of the first $100,000 of recovery under § 55.004(b)). Second, under § 55.002(c), an emergency medical services provider in Lubbock County may also secure a statutory EMS lien for up to $1,000 for ambulance care rendered within 72 hours of the crash.

High-Risk Crash Corridors & Regional Liability Profile (I-27, US-84, US-62/82 (Marsha Sharp Fwy), US-87, Loop 289, SH-114)

In Lubbock County, high-energy personal injury litigation frequently centers on Major West Texas medical, university (Texas Tech), and agricultural freight hub; Loop 289, I-27, and Marsha Sharp Freeway commuter and 18-wheeler collisions along I-27, US-84, US-62/82 (Marsha Sharp Fwy), US-87, Loop 289, SH-114, with severe trauma routed to UMC Health System (Level I Trauma & Regional Burn Center) & Covenant Medical Center (Level II Trauma).