Tarrant County injury lawsuits are filed at one of three court levels: justice court for claims up to $20,000, a county court at law for mid-size claims, and one of ten civil district courts at 100 N. Calhoun St. in Fort Worth for larger cases. Arlington’s justice court is JP Precinct 2, at 700 E. Abram St.
Three Levels of Trial Court, One County
Tarrant County does not have a single civil courthouse. Where your case lands depends mostly on how much you are asking for, and each level runs on different rules, different timelines, and a different fee schedule.
The three levels are justice courts, county courts at law, and civil district courts. Justice courts handle the smallest disputes and are the only level built for people without lawyers. County courts and district courts handle everything serious — most contested injury lawsuits with real medical bills and higher damages are filed there.
The amount you plead in your petition, not the amount you eventually accept, is what determines the court. Plead too low and you can cap your own case; plead into a court that lacks jurisdiction and the case gets dismissed.
Court level
Where
Typical amount in controversy
Justice court (JP Precinct 2)
700 E. Abram St., Suite 200, Arlington, TX 76010 — 817-548-3925
Up to $20,000
County courts at law
Tarrant County, Fort Worth
Mid-range — upper limit currently contested, see below
Civil district courts (17th, 48th, 67th, 96th, 141st, 153rd, 236th, 342nd, 348th, 352nd)
Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building, 100 N. Calhoun St., Fort Worth, TX 76196 — District Clerk 817-884-1574
Larger claims, including most serious injury lawsuits
Court locations and contact numbers as published by Tarrant County. The county court at law limit is unsettled — see the section below.
Justice Court: JP Precinct 2 Serves Arlington
If you live in Arlington, your justice court is Justice of the Peace Precinct 2, 700 E. Abram St., Suite 200, Arlington, TX 76010, reachable at 817-548-3925. The small claims jurisdictional limit is $20,000.
Justice court is designed to be usable without a lawyer. Filing is cheap, the procedural rules are simplified, and hearings come quickly compared with district court. For a low-property-damage collision with a modest medical bill, it is often the sensible venue.
The tradeoff is the ceiling. If your medical treatment continues and the value of the claim passes $20,000, you cannot recover more than the limit in that court. Discovery is also far more limited, which matters when the other driver’s insurer disputes how the crash happened.
County Courts at Law: The Upper Limit Is Genuinely Contested
This is the one number on this page that nobody should state with confidence right now. Three sources disagree about how much a Tarrant County court at law can hear:
Because the sources conflict, treat any single figure as unreliable. If your claim is anywhere near these lines, confirm the current limit directly with the clerk’s office or with a lawyer before filing. A pleading that exceeds the court’s jurisdiction is a fixable problem, but it costs time you may not have if the two-year deadline is close.
- The general statute, as amended effective September 1, 2025, sets the limit at $325,000.
- Tarrant County’s own published materials still state $250,000.
- The Tarrant-specific statute still states $200,000.
The Ten Civil District Courts
Tarrant County has ten civil district courts — the 17th, 48th, 67th, 96th, 141st, 153rd, 236th, 342nd, 348th, and 352nd — all housed in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building, 100 N. Calhoun St., Fort Worth, TX 76196. The District Clerk’s office is at 817-884-1574.
Most contested injury lawsuits with meaningful medical bills are filed here. District and county courts at law give you full discovery: written questions, document production, depositions of the other driver and witnesses, and expert testimony on causation, damages, and future care.
You do not choose your district court or county court. Cases are assigned when they are filed, and the assignment matters more than people expect. Each court sets its own pace, its own scheduling order, and its own practice on continuances, so two identical cases filed the same week can reach trial months apart.
Which County Comes First, Then Which Court
Court level answers how much. Venue answers where. They are separate questions and venue is decided first.
In an ordinary Texas motor vehicle case, suit is generally proper in the county where the crash happened or in the county where the defendant resides. A crash on I-20 in Arlington involving an Arlington driver is squarely a Tarrant County case. A crash in Arlington involving a Dallas County driver may be filed in either, and that choice is a strategic one — juries, dockets, and travel burdens differ across county lines.
Commercial defendants complicate this. A trucking company or a national retailer may have a principal office elsewhere in Texas, which opens additional counties and sometimes triggers a motion to transfer venue from the defense.
Why the Court Level Changes How the Case Feels
Filing level is not a formality. It sets your discovery tools, your realistic timeline, and how seriously an insurer treats the file. A claim in justice court is handled by a different tier of adjuster than a county or district court lawsuit with depositions scheduled.
The practical rule: do not pick a court until you know what your treatment actually costs and whether liability is disputed. Filing in the wrong level to save a few hundred dollars in fees is the most expensive shortcut in this process.
If you are unsure where your claim belongs, Jim Ross Law Group offers a free consultation at 817-275-4100, and there is no fee unless we win.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I file if my car accident case is worth about $15,000?
That fits inside justice court. For Arlington residents, that is Justice of the Peace Precinct 2 at 700 E. Abram St., Suite 200, Arlington, with a $20,000 jurisdictional limit. Filing is inexpensive and the process is built for people without lawyers. If your treatment is ongoing, get a realistic total before you commit to that ceiling.
Do I have to go to Fort Worth if my crash happened in Arlington?
Only if the case belongs in county court or district court. Tarrant County’s ten civil district courts all sit in the Tom Vandergriff Civil Courts Building at 100 N. Calhoun St. in Fort Worth. Smaller claims stay in Arlington at JP Precinct 2. Most of a lawsuit happens by filing and phone anyway, not in person.
Can I file in Arlington's JP court without a lawyer?
Yes. Justice courts use simplified rules specifically so people can represent themselves, and the clerk at 700 E. Abram St. can tell you what forms are required. The clerk cannot give legal advice or tell you what to plead. Discovery is limited, so a disputed-liability case is harder to prove there.
How much can a Tarrant County court at law hear?
This is unsettled and you should not rely on one number. The general statute as amended effective September 1, 2025 says $325,000, Tarrant County’s own site still says $250,000, and the Tarrant-specific statute still says $200,000. Confirm the current figure with the clerk before filing anywhere near these amounts.
How do I know which district court my case will be assigned to?
You don’t choose. When the petition is filed, the case is assigned to one of the ten civil district courts — the 17th, 48th, 67th, 96th, 141st, 153rd, 236th, 342nd, 348th, or 352nd. The assignment affects your scheduling order and how fast you reach trial, which is why it matters more than it seems.
What is the difference between a county court at law and a district court?
Mainly the size of case each is built for and the depth of procedure available. District courts handle the larger and more complex civil lawsuits, with full discovery and expert testimony. County courts at law handle mid-range disputes on a presumably faster, lighter docket. Both are real trial courts with judges and juries.
Can I file where I live instead of where the crash happened?
Sometimes. Texas venue rules generally allow suit in the county where the events occurred or where the defendant resides — not simply where the injured person lives. If you were hurt in Arlington by a driver who lives in another county, more than one venue may be proper, and the choice can be strategic.
Does the amount I sue for lock me into that court?
Largely, yes. The amount pleaded determines jurisdiction, so pleading $20,000 in justice court caps your recovery there even if later treatment proves the case is worth far more. That is why the court decision should wait until you have a real picture of your medical costs,future care, and damages.
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different and past results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Jim Ross Law Group, P.C., 2201 E Lamar Blvd #110, Arlington, TX 76006.