A collision caused by an impaired driver can disrupt your health, work, and finances. Drunk driving car accidents in McAllen may also involve criminal evidence, insurance disputes, or questions about shared responsibility.

A skilled car crash attorney can protect your claim while you recover. Backed by more than 25 years of service and over 10,000 clients represented, our personal injury team at Javier Villarreal Injury Law Firm knows how to investigate serious crashes and challenge insurers that try to limit responsibility.

What Evidence Can Strengthen an Impaired Driving Claim?

A driver’s arrest may support your case, but an arrest alone does not determine civil liability. Driving while intoxicated in a public place violates Texas Penal Code § 49.04. Suspected drunk driving crashes in McAllen require evidence that connects the driver’s intoxication to the conduct that caused your injuries.

Useful evidence may include:

  • Police reports and officer observations
  • Breath, blood, or field sobriety test results
  • Body camera or dashboard camera footage
  • Witness statements and nearby surveillance video
  • Vehicle damage and crash reconstruction findings
  • Bar, restaurant, or electronic payment records

Evidence can disappear quickly. We can send preservation notices, obtain available records, interview witnesses, and work with qualified experts when the facts require technical analysis.

Compensation Available After an Alcohol-Related Collision

Medical treatment can place serious pressure on your finances, especially when follow-up care or physical therapy continues long after a collision caused by an impaired driver in McAllen. Missing work can add to that strain when your injuries keep you from returning to the same job or handling your usual duties.

You may be able to seek compensation for medical costs, lost income, reduced earning capacity, or property damage. A claim may also account for the physical pain and mental anguish caused by the crash. We can gather records that show how the collision affected your health, work, and daily life while fighting to make sure the insurance company takes those losses seriously.

Some cases may support exemplary damages when the driver’s conduct was especially reckless. Under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 41.003, a claimant must prove fraud, malice, or gross negligence by clear and convincing evidence. We will review the facts to determine whether those additional damages may apply.

Time Limits for Drunk Driving Injury Claims

Texas law gives you a limited period to bring a personal injury lawsuit. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003 generally requires these cases to be filed no later than two years after the claim arises. Waiting beyond the applicable deadline can cost you the right to seek compensation, even when the evidence strongly supports your case.

The longer you wait, the more difficult it may become to build a strong claim. Video footage may be erased, witnesses may become difficult to locate, and important records may take time to obtain. Evidence from a drunk driving collision in McAllen may come from police reports, sobriety test results, body camera footage, or medical records. Our team may also investigate where the driver obtained alcohol.

Acting quickly gives us more time to investigate the collision and protect the evidence tied to your injuries. Some circumstances can affect the filing deadline, so we will review the facts, identify the time limit that applies, and keep your claim moving while you focus on recovering.

Speak With a McAllen Drunk Driving Crash Lawyer

The consequences of drunk driving car accidents in McAllen can affect your health, your finances, as well as your family for months or years. You deserve a legal team that will take your losses seriously. We can deal directly with the insurance companies while fighting to make it right.

Schedule a free consultation with Javier Villarreal Injury Law Firm. We will review the circumstances and explain your options before fighting for you. Call the Law Champ and Win by Knockout with a team focused entirely on personal injury cases.