Yes, more than one person can be liable for a drunk driving accident in Texas. While the drunk driver is usually primarily responsible for a wreck, anyone else who contributed to the car accident, even indirectly, can only be on the hook for resulting damages.
If you’ve been injured in an accident because of an impaired driver, Dow Law Firm’s Round Rock drunk driving accident lawyers can help you explore your legal rights and pursue compensation from anyone who’s at fault.
How Does Texas’s Comparative Negligence Rule Apply to Drunk Driving Accident Cases?
In Texas, a modified comparative negligence rule applies to most personal injury cases, including those related to drunk driving car accidents.
Under the law, anyone who plays a part in causing an accident can be financially responsible for resulting harm, including a victim’s medical bills, loss of income, property damage, and pain and suffering. This includes drunk driving accident victims themselves, too. Liability and awarded damages are proportionate to fault.
Let’s say you’re hurt in a three-car collision with a drunk driver in Round Rock. An investigation reveals that the driver of car A was intoxicated, the driver of car B was texting, and that you were speeding. All three drivers can be liable for the wreck.
The drunk driver is assigned 80 percent fault, driver B is assigned 15 percent fault, and you’re assigned 5 percent of the blame. The drunk driver would be liable for 80 percent of your damages, and the texting driver would be on the hook for 15 percent of your damages. You’d essentially be ineligible to receive 5 percent of your damages due to your shared fault.
If your contribution to the drunk driving accident was greater than half, you’d potentially lose the right to recover any compensation at all. Partnering with a skilled drunk driving accident attorney can help protect you from any shared fault allegations.
Texas Dram Shop Laws Expand Liability for Drunk Driving Accidents
In Texas, businesses that sell or furnish alcohol to minors or visibly intoxicated customers can be financially responsible for damages if that customer causes a motor vehicle accident resulting in personal injury or wrongful death.
Texas dram shop laws also extend to social hosts if they provide alcohol to a minor who is not their child or spouse.
In other words, if you’re hit by a drunk driver who recently left a bar or restaurant, the business could be sued for damages if they overserved the driver. This doesn’t negate the driver’s liability. Instead, it opens up additional avenues in which you can potentially recover compensation for catastrophic injuries you’ve suffered in an avoidable drunk driving car accident.
Call an Experienced Drunk Driving Accident Attorney at Dow Law Firm For Help
Everyone on the road has an obligation to drive safely. Just because someone else makes a “bigger” mistake doesn’t mean that others can avoid liability if they also contribute to a traffic accident.
If you’re a victim of a drunk driving accident in Texas, you have the right to pursue compensation from any driver or party who caused you harm, no matter how small or indirect their role might have been.
The drunk driving accident lawyers at Dow Law Firm can help you evaluate your legal options, put a plan into action, and fight for the money you need to get back on your feet. Contact us at (512) 240-9951 to learn more and schedule a free case review with a Round Rock drunk driving accident attorney today.