Dallas Drunk Driving Accidents

Victims of Dallas DWIs and Drunk Driving Have Rights!
Drunk driving is illegal in every state in the country, including Texas. The legal limit for DWI/DUI cutoffs is .08 blood alcohol concentration, or BAC. The average person reaches a BAC of .08 after only a few drinks.

When a DFW resident chooses to get behind the wheel with a BAC over the legal limit, they're taking their lives - and the lives of everyone else on the roads - into their own hands. Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) is a serious crime with serious penalties. Unfortunately, the penalties don't always deter Dallas drunk drivers, and the injuries that come out of a drunk driving accident can be devastating. These accidents usually occur at high speeds, which cause more serious injuries ranging from broken bones to brain injuries, or even death.

In Texas particularly, drunk driving is a serious problem. Texas has a higher rate of drunk driving fatalities every year than every other state - Texas is number one in drunk driving deaths. Over 1,500 traffic-related fatalities in Texas every year are drunk driving deaths, which accounts for over 45% of all annual traffic fatalities in the state. That's a much higher percentage than in any other state, and represents a serious risk to the people of Texas.

If you or a loved one is injured in a Dallas drunk driving accident, don't let the driver get away with it. You have rights. Let an experienced advocate fight on your side to get you compensation for your injuries.

Dallas DWI Medical Expenses Grow Quickly
Unfortunately, many Dallas drunk driving or DWI accidents result in injuries that require medical treatment. The Dallas traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers tend to be worse than a minor fender-bender with someone who was distracted on the road, and the medical bills can grow quickly. At the very least, you are likely to require emergency room treatment for immediate medical needs. For more severe Dallas drunk driving accident injuries you might receive surgery, or worse yet, have a lifetime disability.

These bills add up quickly. An emergency room visit, follow ups with your general practitioner and a modest round of physical therapy can easily cross the $10,000 threshold. If you sustain more serious injuries in your drunk driving accident, such as herniated disks, surgery, scarring or broken bones, your medical bills could pass the $100,000 mark.

Insurance Companies Rush You to Settle Dallas DWI/Drunk Driving Cases - Beware!
If you're injured in a Dallas drunk driving accident, you're likely to run into one of two scenarios with an insurance company: either the insurance company refuses to pay you at all or the insurance company tries to get you to settle quickly for a tiny amount of money.

Insurance companies know that juries are not very sympathetic to drunk drivers. If a case goes to court, juries are far more likely to throw the book at drunk drivers. There is no excuse for drunk driving, and juries are not sympathetic with drivers who ignore the law and drive drunk.

Because insurance companies have this valuable piece of information, and know you don't, they'd much rather offer you a lowball settlement and get you to sign a release against the driver. This prevents you from suing later if your medical bills climb, and effectively gets them off the hook for the Dallas drunk driving accident.

Don't let insurance companies take advantage of you - talk to a knowledgeable Dallas drunk driving attorney who can be your advocate and make sure you don't become a victim a second time. When you work with a good DFW drunk driving attorney, you can focus on your recovery and let the attorney worry about the insurance company.

Dallas Drunk Driving Linked to Wrongful Death Cases
Unfortunately, Dallas drunk driving cases sometimes result in fatalities. With over 1,500 drunk driving-related deaths per year, it's inevitable that some North Texas families have to deal with drunk driving fatalities every year. If you're a parent, spouse or child of a family member killed in a Dallas drunk driving accident - an accident caused by the drunk driver's flagrant negligence - you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim.

Any loss of life due to a drunk driving accident is tragic. In addition to the emotional baggage, you often have financial damages too. If the family member was a breadwinner, you will be without that source of income - deprived by some drunk driver's negligence. You might also have medical bills, and you'll have funeral expenses. All of these things are eligible for a wrongful death claim against the drunk driver's insurance company.

An experienced Dallas drunk driving or DWI attorney can help you with your wrongful death claim. While a recovery won't bring back your lost family member, it can help ease the financial burden of dealing with a loved one's loss.

Drunk Driving in Dallas: Does Criminal or Civil Law Apply?
Drunk driving is both a civil and a criminal offense. Driving while intoxicated, or DWI, is a crime. DWIs can range from misdemeanors to felonies based on the specifics of the collision. Intoxicated drivers who are caught in the act, especially in a Dallas drunk driving accident, are typically charged with a DWI and prosecuted in criminal court for drunk driving. In addition to the criminal penalties imposed by the state, though, you as a victim are eligible to file a civil case to get your own recovery.

Texas civil law provides remedies for victims of Dallas drunk driving cases. Under civil law, you can make a claim against the drunk driver's insurance company, or sue the driver. You must prove negligence on behalf of the drunk driver, but the fact that drivers are under the influence is almost always enough to constitute negligence. Records from the criminal case can help here.

In the best case scenario, you can make a claim against the Dallas drunk driver's liability insurance policy. The insurance company should pay for your damages, including medical bills, damage to your vehicle, lost wages and other related expenses. If the driver lacks insurance, you might still be able to sue the individual, but you might also be able to make a claim against your uninsured/underinsured policy.

You don't have to wait for a criminal case against Dallas drunk drivers to be completed. You can file a civil lawsuit at the same time that a criminal lawsuit is pending. An experienced DFW DWI attorney can actually work with the criminal case to help produce records and evidence relevant to your civil case.

An Experienced Dallas Drunk Driving or DWI Attorney Can Help
The right Dallas drunk driving attorney can help you with your case. A good, experienced DWI attorney knows how to use criminal investigations to help your civil case, including obtaining copies of police reports, relevant testimony and other important documents to help with your case. These documents can help you establish liability and help to prosecute the Dallas drunk driver in your case. The two cases are separate, but a good DWI attorney knows how to derive benefit from the criminal case.

The Anderson Law Firm is an experienced firm in prosecuting Dallas drunk driving cases. We offer free consultations to drunk driving victims, with absolutely no obligation. Feel free to call us to talk about your case and find out how we can help you get the drunk driving recovery you deserve.

CLICK HERE TO CONTACT THE ANDERSON LAW FIRM

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