Houston Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys
Were you injured in a car accident? Was it due to the negligent actions of a drunk driver? If so, contact the Houston personal injury lawyers of Lowenberg Law Firm to discuss your legal options. You might be entitled to compensation for the losses you suffered.
The injuries car accidents cause can be debilitating and have long-term effects. When someone chooses to get behind the wheel after drinking, the result can be catastrophic. It’s an entirely preventable situation, but poor judgment can lead to a traumatic crash that causes injuries and death.
Even a minor injury can come with extreme emotional anguish that lasts for years. You could develop post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, or a phobia of driving. Severe injuries can disrupt your whole life and lead to expensive medical treatment and chronic pain. The expenses you incurred should not be your financial responsibility if someone else were entirely to blame for the collision. They should be held liable for their wrongdoing.
Drunk driving is dangerous and illegal if the person’s blood alcohol concentration is at or above 0.08%. Alcohol impairs driving abilities and causes motorists to experience a range of debilitating symptoms. It’s harder to operate a vehicle safely or react appropriately to hazards and emergencies. When an accident occurs, the victims often sustain life-threatening injuries. In 2019, 10,142 people died in crashes involving drunk drivers.
The Houston drunk driving accident attorneys of Lowenberg Law Firm are ready to help you fight for justice. We can handle your case so you can focus on recovering. You shouldn’t be forced to pay for your medical care and other costs when someone else is responsible for putting you in harm’s way. Let us be your advocate and seek the maximum compensation possible on your behalf. Call us for a free consultation at (832) 241-6000.
Hire a Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Immediately
It’s critical that you seek legal representation immediately after an accident involving a drunk driver. If you attempt to handle the case alone, you will likely get much less compensation than you deserve. At Lowenberg Law Firm, our team has over two decades of experience helping accident victims hold drunk drivers accountable for their wrongdoing. We know what it takes to build a solid case and reach a favorable outcome.
You might think you have a straightforward claim to bring against the other motorist. After all, they were driving drunk, so they should be financially responsible for your losses. Unfortunately, it’s not always that easy. You need to gather substantial evidence that proves what happened. Additionally, insurance companies and defense attorneys don’t want to accept liability for the at-fault party’s actions. They will aggressively fight against your case to disprove the validity of your injuries.
At Lowenberg Law Firm, our Houston drunk driving accident attorneys are familiar with state laws and the procedure we must follow to pursue compensation on behalf of our clients. We know your rights and the amount of money you should receive to cover your surgery, prescriptions, physical therapy, and other medical bills. Don’t make the mistake of pursuing your claim or lawsuit without a qualified lawyer on your side.
Proving Who is Liable for a Drunk Driving Accident
It’s vital to understand the importance of evidence in a drunk driving case. Even though the other driver was under the influence of alcohol when the crash happened, you still have to prove it. Simply pointing the finger at them won’t be enough.
Lowenberg Law Firm has experience investigating drunk driving accidents and collecting the evidence necessary to show who was at fault and how their actions contributed to a victim’s injuries. The evidence we need will depend on the circumstances but could include:
- Traffic camera footage
- Bank statements or receipts from alcohol purchases
- Security video surveillance of a bar or restaurant
- Police reports
- Results from chemical testing
- Copies of your medical records
- Pictures from the crash scene
- Legal documents from any criminal case against the at-fault driver
- Statements from eyewitnesses
Having a qualified and dedicated lawyer in your corner can increase your chance of recovering the compensation you’re owed from the negligent motorist. If you try to pursue your case without the help of a legal team, you could receive insignificant compensation or end up with a denied insurance claim.
Compensation You Can Recover in Houston
Texas follows a traditional fault system when it comes to car accidents. That means the at-fault driver becomes liable for the injured person’s losses. These losses might include:
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Physical impairment or disfigurement
- Past and future medical bills
- Mental anguish
- Loss of household services
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
Every vehicle owner and operator must carry car insurance with minimum liability limits for bodily injury and property damage, or provide proof that they can cover up to $55,000 in case they cause an accident. You can seek a settlement for the past and future losses you suffered by filing a claim with the drunk driver’s liability insurance company.
The value of your case will depend on a range of factors. Lowenberg Law Firm knows how to maximize the value of a case and find all available evidence to show how much money you deserve for your losses. Some of the factors we might need to use to assess the value of your claim are:
- Length of time it takes to recover
- Amount of hours missed from work
- The total cost of medical treatment and other expenses
- Type and severity of the injury
- Estimated vehicle damage due to the accident
- Degree of fault placed on all parties involved in the crash
- The estimated cost of necessary treatment in the future
- Amount of insurance coverage on the at-fault driver’s liability policy
We understand the importance of receiving the full and fair amount of compensation necessary to pay for your bills and compensate for your suffering. You can depend on us to aggressively negotiate with the insurance company and take your case to court if necessary.
What if the Driver Responsible for the Accident Doesn’t Have Insurance?
Although state laws require drivers to purchase liability insurance, some don’t. You might have encountered someone without the insurance coverage you need to cover your losses. If the drunk driver doesn’t have liability insurance or high enough limits, you could file an uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) claim with your own insurance company.
Texas is a state that is required to give drivers buying car insurance the option to carry UM coverage with minimum limits for bodily injury and property damage. If you have UM on your car insurance policy, you could file a claim to recover the cost of medical care, lost wages, and property damage. You might also be able to seek compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced because of the crash.
Lowenberg Law Firm can review every available insurance policy to determine how much coverage is available and what we need to do to recoup your total losses. If you don’t share any blame for the injuries you sustained, you should be entitled to the entire available limits up to the value of your claim. Paying out of pocket for your bills should not be something you have to face.
Filing a Lawsuit Against the Drunk Driver
There’s a significant difference between a civil lawsuit and a criminal case. If you file a lawsuit against the drunk driver, what you’re doing is seeking monetary compensation for your losses. The at-fault party doesn’t suffer additional consequences due to their actions. However, if the state pursues criminal charges, they could serve time in prison if convicted of the criminal offense.
If you want to sue the other driver for money for your injuries, you must abide by the two-year statute of limitations in Texas. This is the specific timeframe for initiating civil action against another person in court. The two-year period begins on the date of the accident, and if you don’t file within that window, you could lose your right to hold the motorist liable in court.
It’s essential to understand a specific statute that could impact the amount of money you receive from a lawsuit. Proportionate responsibility allows a jury to diminish the plaintiff’s losses by the percentage of fault they share for an accident. In other words, if your actions partially contributed to the collision, you could receive much less compensation than you would if the drunk driver was 100 percent at fault.
As an example, let’s say the accident resulted in $100,000 in total losses for you. Under normal circumstances, you could receive the whole amount in compensation. However, if the jury determined you share 20 percent of the fault for your injuries, you could only receive up to $80,000 for your losses. If you were more than 50 percent responsible for the crash, you would be prohibited from gaining any financial recovery.
Contact an Experienced Houston Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
Lowenberg Law Firm has a reputation for our years of experience and dedication to our clients. You will not be alone in your fight for justice. We will be there for you every step of the way to provide the support and guidance you need. You suffered greatly because of another person’s recklessness. We take cases like this seriously and try to meet our client’s needs for obtaining compensation.
We offer an initial consultation for free, so you don’t feel the burden of additional expenses at this already stressful time. We can meet with you at our Houston office to discuss your case and advise you whether we can help. We will review all the details you present to us and explore every legal option possible to determine whether you’re entitled to compensation from the drunk driver.
If you suffered injuries in a drunk driving accident someone else caused, call Lowenberg Law Firm at (832) 241-6000 for your free consultation now.