Austin Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

A drunk driver’s decision to get behind the wheel can change your life in an instant. Whether you were hit while driving, walking, or biking, the aftermath of a DUI accident can leave you with painful injuries, overwhelming medical bills, and deep emotional scars.

If you’ve been harmed because of someone else’s reckless choices, you deserve a legal team that will fight for accountability. At Dow Law Firm, our Austin personal injury lawyers are committed to standing up for victims and helping them secure the compensation they need to heal and move forward.

Contact a dedicated drunk driving accident attorney in Austin today to schedule a free consultation and take the first step toward justice.

Why Choose Dow Law Firm to Handle My Drunk Driving Accident Case in Austin?

Drunk driving accidents are often among the most devastating types of motor vehicle crashes. If you were injured in a crash caused by an intoxicated driver, you need a legal team that understands how to hold negligent drivers accountable.

Dow Law Firm is a top choice for drunk driving accident cases in Austin, Texas, because:

We have recovered millions in car accident and other personal injury claims
We have deep experience handling cases involving negligent and intoxicated drivers
Our attorneys have been recognized by leading legal organizations like the National Trial Lawyers and the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
We handle cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we win.

Call us today to schedule your free case consultation with an Austin drunk driving accident attorney who will fight for you.

Why Do I Need an Austin Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer?

Building a case requires in-depth knowledge of DUI laws in Texas. An Austin drunk driving accident attorney will be able to establish that the defendant’s intoxication level was too high to safely operate a vehicle. By failing to exercise reasonable care, the defendant broke the law and must be held liable.

To do this, your drunk driving accident lawyer will file all necessary paperwork in a timely fashion, assemble evidence from eyewitness testimony, police reports, and accident reconstruction, and develop a strong argument. Choosing to pursue legal action without an attorney can jeopardize the success of your claim and, in turn, your financial future.

DUI Laws in Texas

Texas law strictly prohibits drivers from operating a vehicle while intoxicated. In most cases, a driver is considered legally intoxicated when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0.08 percent or higher.

Drunk driving cases often involve both criminal and civil proceedings. While criminal charges may punish the intoxicated driver, they do not compensate victims for their losses. A personal injury claim allows injured victims to seek financial recovery for the harm caused by the crash.

When a driver operates a vehicle with a BAC of 0.08 percent or more and causes a crash, this may establish negligence per se in a civil injury claim. Negligence per se means that the driver violated a safety law designed to protect the public, which can serve as automatic evidence of negligence.

However, a driver does not have to have a BAC of 0.08 to be considered negligent. Any amount of alcohol in a driver’s system may still constitute negligence if it impaired their judgment, reaction time, or coordination and contributed to the accident.

Drunk Driving Accident Statistics in Texas

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, drunk driving accidents frequently result in serious injury and death. In 2016 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that:

28 percent of all traffic-related deaths in the United States involved an impaired driver
10,497 people died in alcohol-related driving crashes
More than 1 million drivers were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics

Who Is Most At-Risk for a DUI?

The short answer is that younger people are more likely to drive while impaired. Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that young drivers between 16 and 24 years of age accounted for 41 percent of drivers involved in fatal alcohol-related crashes in 2016.

Victims of drunk driving accidents in Austin can rely on our attorneys to pursue negligent parties to the fullest extent of the law.

How Much is My Drunk Driving Accident Claim Worth in Texas?

The value of a drunk driving accident claim depends on several factors unique to you and your damages. Several factors commonly influence the value of a claim:

The severity of your injuries
The cost of past and future medical treatment
Time missed from work and lost wages
Reduced ability to earn income in the future
The level of pain and suffering caused by the crash
Whether the accident caused permanent disability or disfigurement
The amount of available insurance coverage
Whether punitive damages may apply due to intoxicated driving

If a bar, restaurant, or other establishment overserved the driver, they could share liability for the collision under Texas’s dram shop laws. This factor can increase the available insurance coverage for your claim and its value.

An experienced attorney can evaluate the circumstances of your accident and help determine the potential value of your claim. At Dow Law Firm, we even work with experts across multiple disciplines to help assess your injuries and damages. Early legal involvement also allows an attorney to review police reports, obtain intoxication evidence, and begin building a claim that accurately reflects the full impact of the crash.

Common Injuries Associated with Drunk Driving Crashes

Drunk driving accidents frequently involve high-speed collisions and reckless maneuvers. Not surprisingly, the resulting crashes can be violent and catastrophic.

Victims of drunk driving accidents commonly suffer injuries such as:

Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
Broken bones
Back injuries
Neck injuries
Internal organ damage
Burns
Lacerations
Traumatic brain injuries

In some cases, drunk driving crashes result in fatal injuries that lead to a wrongful death claim.

What Damages Are Available After a Crash with an Intoxicated Driver?

Victims of drunk driving accidents may pursue multiple types of compensation against the responsible driver, their insurance company, and/or an establishment that overserved the driver. These claims are intended to help victims address the financial and personal harm related to a crash.

Available damages may include compensation for:

Medical expense
Hospital bills
Future medical treatment
Rehabilitation
Lost wages
Reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Property damage

If the accident was fatal, surviving family members may be eligible to recover money for the victim’s funeral expenses and any loss of companionship and support they’ve experienced.

In drunk driving cases, Texas courts may also allow punitive damages. Unlike other damages that compensate victims for losses, punitive damages are intended to punish reckless behavior like drunk driving and deter similar conduct in the future. While these are rare and not automatically available, they often apply in drunk driving cases.

An experienced Austin drunk driving attorney can help you evaluate your damages and determine the full value of your case.

Who Is Held Responsible for My Injuries After a Drunk Driving Accident in Austin?

Injuries sustained as a result of a drunk driving accident in Austin can range from bruises and lacerations to paralysis and traumatic brain injury. Serious injuries not only take a physical toll but also pose a financial burden. Victims often need long-term medical care and home modifications, and they may be unable to work.

Victims of Austin drunk driving accidents can rely on our team to pursue negligent parties to the fullest extent of the law. This may include the driver of the vehicle or their employer if they were driving for work. Our team of Austin drunk driving accident lawyers can also use Texas Dram Shop laws to hold a bar or establishment responsible for damages if they served an intoxicated guest who went on to cause a drunk driving accident.

Evidence Used in Drunk Driving Cases

Evidence commonly used to establish intoxication in accident cases includes:

Blood alcohol or breath test results
Police officer observations at the scene
Field sobriety test results
Witness testimony
Surveillance or dashcam footage

When intoxication is involved, courts often view the driver’s conduct as particularly reckless because the driver chose to operate a vehicle despite knowing the risks.

Our attorneys can carefully investigate every aspect of your accident to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. This may involve reviewing police reports, obtaining blood alcohol test results, interviewing witnesses, and examining other evidence showing the driver was impaired at the time of the collision.

If your DUI crash involved another vehicle, you may also benefit from the guidance of an Austin car accident attorney with experience handling complex personal injury claims.

How Long Do I Have to Initiate a Drunk Driving Accident Claim in Texas?

Texas law sets strict statutes of limitations for personal injury and car accident claims. In most drunk driving accident cases, victims have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. For cases involving wrongful death, the time period starts on the date of death (and is still two years).

If you fail to initiate legal action within these timeframes, you will lose your right to recover compensation in court. That’s why it is important to begin your claim as soon as possible. Contact a car accident attorney in Austin for help identifying and complying with the filing deadlines relevant to your claim.

Contact a Drunk Driving Accident Attorney in Austin Today

If you or a loved one has been injured in a DUI accident, don’t face the legal process alone. Trust the experienced Austin drunk driving accident lawyers at Dow Law Firm to guide you through every step and secure the compensation you deserve.