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Carreras Law Firm
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Practice area · Starbase, TX

Car accident lawyer in Starbase

If you were hurt in a car crash in Starbase, the insurance company is already working to pay you less. We work so you recover what is fair, with no upfront cost.

The context in the Valley
8,233
crashes in Cameron County in 2024 (TxDOT). The growing traffic of contractors and heavy equipment toward SpaceX on SH-4 adds risk in a once-quiet area.
Local context: In Starbase, access via SH-4 / Boca Chica Blvd toward the SpaceX facilities has brought growing traffic of contractors and heavy equipment tied to the space program.
The first thing you should know

If you were hurt in a crash in Starbase that was not your fault, you can claim compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and pain. Texas follows the 51% rule: you can recover as long as your responsibility is 50% or less.

What to do after a crash in Starbase

What you do at the scene can protect your case:

  • Call 911 and get medical care, even if you feel fine.
  • Take photos of the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries.
  • Get the other driver's and witnesses' information.
  • Do not admit fault or give statements to the other insurer.
  • Keep everything: the report, medical bills, expenses.
The most important step
Get a lawyer before you talk to the insurance company. It is the one step on this list that keeps working for you every day after the crash, not just on the day it happened.

The 51% rule and your compensation

In Texas, you can recover compensation as long as your responsibility in the accident is 50% or less. If they pin 51% or more on you, you recover nothing. That is why the other driver's insurer will fight to raise your percentage of fault.

Also, your compensation is reduced by your percentage: if you are 20% at fault, you receive 80%. Keeping that percentage low, with evidence, is a central part of a good case.

Why Texas is not a "no-fault" state

Unlike some states, Texas is an "at-fault" state: whoever causes the accident (and their insurer) is responsible for the damages. This means you can claim directly against the at-fault driver, not just against your own insurance.

This opens more options to recover what is fair, but it also means the at-fault insurer will fight hard to pay as little as possible. That is where having someone on your side changes the outcome.

The deadline to claim in Texas

The ideal move is to hire a lawyer and start right away. The sooner you start, the better the case gets built.

That said, in Texas you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. And here is something almost nobody explains to you: opening a claim with the insurance company does not stop that clock. You can spend months negotiating in good faith, believe your case is moving along, and still lose your right to sue when the two years run out.

Having that window also does not mean the case is worth the same in month one as it is in month twenty three. What changes over time is not your right. It is the evidence that still exists.

Some evidence deletes itself. Camera footage from intersections, businesses, and parking lots gets overwritten automatically, often within days or weeks. If nobody requests it in time, it is gone and it does not come back. That is why moving quickly genuinely matters.

But video is not the only thing that builds a case. The police report, photos from the scene, your medical records, witnesses, vehicle data, maintenance records, and the other driver's history are all sources that are often still available even as you approach the two year mark. Time having passed does not automatically mean you no longer have a case.

There is one important exception. If a government entity is involved, such as a city, a county, or a school district, the deadline to give notice can be six months or less, and some cities require it within weeks. That is the scenario where waiting really can cost you the entire claim.

So here is the honest answer. If the crash just happened, act today. If time has already passed, do not assume you missed your chance. Tell us what happened and we will tell you what evidence can still be worked with.

Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code §16.003; Texas Tort Claims Act §101.101.

How Carreras Law Firm helps

We deal with the insurer so you do not have to, gather the evidence that protects your percentage of fault, and calculate the real value of your case, not the insurer's low offer. We handle everything in Spanish, start to finish.

We charge nothing unless we win. The consultation is free and with no obligation.

Legal Disclaimer

This page is provided by Carreras Law Firm, PLLC for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not legal advice and is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Every case is different, and the law changes over time. Reading this page, or contacting our firm through this website, does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until an attorney-client relationship has been established in writing. Nothing on this page guarantees any particular result. If you have been injured in Texas, contact Carreras Law Firm, PLLC for a free consultation with an attorney. Attorney Markin Carreras is licensed to practice law in Texas. Principal office in Houston, Texas.

Do not talk to the other insurer first
The other driver's insurer will call soon and sound friendly. What you say can be used to lower your compensation. You can say you will respond through your lawyer.
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Were you in a crash in Starbase? Tell us what happened.

Tell us what happened

A lawyer on our team reviews your case, in Spanish, and tells you honestly what options you have. Free and with no obligation.

Free consultation · No fee unless we win
McAllen Office
1200 Auburn Ave, Ste. 490
McAllen, TX 78504
(346) 680-2695
Houston Office
440 Louisiana St., Suite 972
Houston, TX 77002
(346) 680-2695