Intersection Accident Attorney in McAllen, Texas

Intersection accidents in McAllen account for a disproportionate share of the city’s 2,853 annual car crashes, and they are among the most legally complex collisions to resolve — because two or more drivers often tell conflicting stories about who had the right of way. If you were hurt in an intersection crash anywhere in the Rio Grande Valley, understanding how fault is established, what evidence matters most, and how Texas law protects your right to compensation is the first step to recovering what you are owed.

Chris Sanchez is a personal injury attorney at The Relentless Lawyer, serving McAllen, Edinburg, Pharr, Mission, and the Rio Grande Valley, Texas.

McAllen’s Most Dangerous Intersections

Not all intersections in McAllen are equally hazardous. Based on crash data and local traffic patterns, the following corridors and crossings have been identified as high-frequency collision sites:

Business 83 and 10th Street: One of the busiest commercial corridors in McAllen, where heavy retail traffic, frequent left turns, and compressed signal timing create regular rear-end and angle crash conditions.
Nolana Avenue and 23rd Street: A fast-moving arterial road where failure-to-yield and red-light violations are recurring factors in serious collisions.
Sam Houston Boulevard and Jackson Avenue: A high-volume intersection in an area of rapid commercial and residential growth, where traffic volumes have outpaced road design.
Trenton Road and 10th Street: A mixed residential and commercial zone with complex traffic patterns and a documented history of angle crashes.
I-2/US-83 access ramps: Merging conflicts and high-speed traffic make entry and exit points along the interstate particularly hazardous, especially during peak hours.
Spur 115 and FM 2061/South McColl Road: Growing traffic volumes on these southern corridors have created conflict points that were not present when these roads were originally designed.

If your crash happened at or near one of these locations, there may be a documented crash history at that site — information that can support your claim by demonstrating that the intersection’s design or signal timing was a contributing factor alongside the other driver’s negligence.

Common Causes of Intersection Crashes in McAllen

Failure to Yield the Right of Way

Under Tex. Transp. Code § 545.151 through § 545.156, Texas law sets clear right-of-way rules at intersections. Drivers entering an intersection from a stop sign, making a left turn, or merging from a private driveway must yield to oncoming traffic. Failure to yield is one of the leading causes of angle crashes — also called T-bone or broadside collisions — which produce serious injuries because the sides of vehicles offer far less protection than the front or rear.

Red Light Violations

Running red lights is a straightforward traffic violation under Tex. Transp. Code § 544.007, but it is also extremely dangerous and extremely common. A driver who enters an intersection on a red light typically strikes another vehicle perpendicularly, producing high-energy crashes that cause spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and fatalities. Establishing that the other driver ran a red light — through traffic camera footage, dashcam video, or witness testimony — is often the central factual dispute in these cases.

Distracted Driving

Texas banned texting while driving in 2017, but distracted driving remains a major cause of intersection crashes throughout McAllen. A driver looking down at a phone for even two seconds while approaching an intersection can fail to register a red signal or a vehicle crossing in front of them. Phone records, obtained through the discovery process in litigation, can establish that the at-fault driver was using their device at the moment of impact.

Left-Turn Collisions

A driver making an unprotected left turn bears the duty to yield to oncoming traffic. Left-turn crashes at McAllen intersections are common, and the turning driver is typically found at fault — unless they had a protected green arrow, the oncoming driver was speeding, or the oncoming driver ran a red light. These cases require careful analysis of the specific signal phase and timing at the intersection.

Impaired Driving

Alcohol and drug impairment significantly elevates the risk of intersection crashes by slowing reaction times and impairing judgment about gaps in traffic and signal status. Impaired driving accounts for 40% of fatal crashes in Texas. An intersection crash caused by a drunk or drugged driver may support a punitive damages claim in addition to compensatory recovery.

How Fault Is Determined in an Intersection Crash

Intersection crashes are routinely disputed because both drivers typically claim they had the right of way. The following types of evidence are most important in establishing fault:

Traffic and surveillance cameras: Many McAllen intersections are monitored by city traffic cameras. Nearby businesses — gas stations, pharmacies, fast food restaurants — often have exterior cameras with views of the street. This footage must be preserved immediately through legal demand letters before it is overwritten.
Dashcam footage: If your vehicle or the at-fault vehicle was equipped with a dashcam, that footage can be decisive. An attorney can send an evidence preservation demand letter to prevent the destruction of this data.
Event data recorder (black box) data: Most modern vehicles record speed, braking, and throttle data in the seconds before a crash. This data, obtained via subpoena or through a vehicle inspection, can corroborate or contradict a driver’s account of the crash.
Eyewitness testimony: Pedestrians, cyclists, and occupants of other vehicles near the intersection may have seen the crash. Witness statements taken close in time to the crash are far more reliable than those taken months or years later.
Accident reconstruction: In serious crash cases, an accident reconstruction expert can analyze physical evidence — point of impact, crush damage, tire marks, vehicle positions — to determine the speed and direction of each vehicle and who entered the intersection first.
Police crash report: The responding officer’s report, including any citations issued, reflects the officer’s assessment of fault based on their investigation. While not conclusive, it carries weight in settlement negotiations.

Texas Comparative Negligence in Intersection Crashes

Because intersection crashes often involve disputed facts, insurance companies frequently attempt to assign partial fault to the crash victim. Under Texas’s modified comparative negligence rule (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 33), your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault — and if you are found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Even a 20% or 30% fault assignment can cost you thousands of dollars in reduced compensation. This is one of the primary reasons intersection crash victims benefit from legal representation: an attorney who thoroughly investigates the scene and secures evidence quickly can prevent bad-faith fault assignments from sticking.

Injuries Commonly Seen in Intersection Crashes

The perpendicular or near-perpendicular impact geometry of T-bone collisions means that side-impact crashes produce some of the most severe injuries in any crash category:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) from lateral head impact against the window or door
Spinal fractures and cord injuries from lateral compression forces
Rib fractures and internal organ injuries
Pelvic and hip fractures from door intrusion
Shoulder and arm injuries on the struck side
Knee and lower extremity injuries from door-to-occupant contact

Head-on crashes at intersections, though less common, produce devastating injuries at combined speeds that no vehicle safety system is fully designed to absorb.

What to Do After an Intersection Crash in McAllen

Call 911 immediately and wait for police — do not let the other driver persuade you to handle it privately
Photograph the intersection from multiple angles, including traffic signals, signage, and road markings
Identify and speak to all witnesses before they leave the scene — get names and phone numbers
Note the names and badge numbers of all responding officers
Seek medical care that day, even if you feel okay — internal injuries and spinal injuries are not always immediately apparent
Contact a McAllen personal injury attorney before speaking with any insurance adjuster

For a free consultation, contact Chris Sanchez at The Relentless Lawyer at therelentlesslawyer.com or call our McAllen office.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is fault determined when both drivers claim they had a green light?

This is one of the most common disputes in intersection crash cases. Fault is established through physical evidence — traffic camera footage, dashcams, event data recorder data — and witness testimony. An attorney can move quickly to preserve surveillance footage from businesses near the intersection before it is overwritten. Signal timing records from the City of McAllen’s traffic management system may also be relevant.

What if I was turning left and got hit by an oncoming car that was speeding?

Fault may be shared in this scenario. The turning driver generally has a duty to yield, but if the oncoming driver was traveling significantly above the speed limit, the turning driver may have reasonably judged the gap as sufficient. Texas comparative negligence rules would apportion fault between both parties, and your recovery would be reduced by your percentage of responsibility.

Are intersection crashes different from rear-end crashes legally?

Yes. Rear-end crashes involve a strong presumption that the following driver is at fault. Intersection crashes involve more complex right-of-way analysis and frequently turn on competing factual accounts of the crash. They require more aggressive evidence gathering and are more likely to require litigation.

Can I sue the City of McAllen if a malfunctioning traffic signal caused my crash?

Potentially yes, but claims against government entities are governed by the Texas Tort Claims Act (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ch. 101), which requires written notice within six months of the incident. Government entities have limited immunity, but claims for road defects and signal malfunctions can proceed under proper circumstances. Act quickly if you believe a signal or road condition contributed to your crash.

What if I was a passenger in a vehicle involved in an intersection crash?

As a passenger, you were not responsible for the crash. You can bring a claim against any at-fault driver — including the driver of the vehicle you were in — and your recovery is not limited by the comparative fault of the driver who was transporting you. Passengers often have the clearest path to full compensation.

How long does an intersection crash case take to resolve in Texas?

Cases with clear liability, documented injuries, and cooperative insurance companies may settle in three to nine months. Cases involving disputed fault, serious injuries with ongoing treatment, or uncooperative insurers may take one to three years, including litigation. Your attorney should give you a realistic timeline based on the specific facts of your case.

What is an angle crash and is it the same as a T-bone?

Yes — an angle crash, T-bone collision, and broadside collision all refer to the same basic impact geometry: one vehicle striking the side of another, typically at or near a perpendicular angle. These crashes are particularly dangerous because the door panel and window provide limited structural protection compared to the front or rear of a vehicle.