When you are the victim of someone who chose to drink and drive, you have the right to seek full compensation.
If you are injured, you can request payment for your medical expenses as well as additional car accident compensation. Injured dwi accident victims need guidance from experienced Houston drunk driving accident lawyer Steve Lee.
Our team offers a free consultation to injury victims who need to learn about their options and get help filing insurance claims or lawsuits.
Alcohol affects drivers in many ways.
Signs of intoxication include reckless driving such as missing or ignoring traffic signals and other vehicles, speeding, and changing lanes rapidly. All these combine to leave innocent motorist like you in a drunk driving crash with serious injuries and high medical bills.
Holding drunk drivers accountable is something Attorney Sam Lee focuses on doing with knowledge and tenacity.
Texas is an at-fault state for automotive insurance. This means the driver who causes a crash must pay for any damages and injuries that occur. Filing an injury claim against the responsible party’s insurance policy can be challenging.
Our personal injury lawyers can take this burden off your shoulders. Our can also take the insurance company and defendant to court if they refuse to pay you the compensation you need to heal.
Steve Lee and his team offer the following services to DUI accident injury victims:
- We file your insurance claim and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf for a fair settlement.
- We connect you with medical specialists to diagnose and treat your severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), internal organ damage, and spinal damage.
- We compile a list of damages, such as your medical expenses, lost wages, and subjective losses. These include pain and suffering resulting from disfigurement, paralysis, and depression.
- If the insurance company does not meet our demands for your damages, we will file a personal injury lawsuit for you.
- If you or a loved one dies from a drunk driving accident, we help the survivors file a wrongful death case.
As an accomplished Houston drunk driving accident attorney, Steve Lee and his team offer over 40 years of skill and success to pursue the compensation and justice you deserve. When a driver chooses to drive while intoxicated, leaving you facing extensive medical treatment, you must ensure they do not get away with it.
Criminal charges may put them in jail, but only a drunk driving accident injury claim in civil court can make them pay what you are owed.
The Importance of Hiring a Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
While it might seem clear that the intoxicated driver who hit you is the only one to blame for your injuries, the truth is that determining liability in a car crash is not always so easy.
In Harris County, a driver is considered legally intoxicated when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0.08% or more.
The Houston police or local law enforcement officials who respond to your accident will administer a “breathalyzer” test in the field of the suspected drunk driver.
Or HPD may choose a more accurate test at the police station. The intoxicated driver can be charged and jailed to face criminal charges.
While they will undergo a criminal case, this does nothing to address how their negligent actions have harmed you.
You must file a claim against their insurance policy or file a lawsuit.
Houston car accident lawyer Steve Lee can obtain relevant evidence from the criminal trial that can support your civil claim. He will combine it with other materials, such as police reports and medical records, to build the strongest case possible.
Dram Shop Laws That Apply in Houston
The drunk driver is not the only person who may be a fault.
Under Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Ann. §2.01 (The Texas Dram Shop Act), any person or establishment licensed to sell or serve alcohol can be held liable in certain conditions.
The Act allows you to sue the bar or restaurant that served the driver if your attorney can prove that it was apparent that the drunk driver was already intoxicated to a level where they would present an obvious danger to themselves and others. Your lawyer must also show that intoxication was a proximate cause of the crash and that your injuries (or the wrongful death of a loved one) directly resulted from the accident.
Some important things to note about dram shop laws:
- You can file an insurance claim against the drunk driver to recover your losses, but you must file a personal injury lawsuit against the dram shop. This is your only remedy option against an establishment.
- Individuals who serve alcohol at a party, known as social hosts, are exempt from the Dram Shop Act. Unless they charge money and sell alcohol, you would need to file a personal injury lawsuit against them.
- Restaurants and bars that knowingly serve alcohol to minors under age 18 lose any protection under the Dram Shop Act and can be aggressively pursued by your drunk driving lawyer in Houston.
As you can see, interpreting the law to your advantage takes experience and substantial training, plus time in the courtroom. Without these skills, you could be left with nothing from an insurance claim or lawsuit against the drunk driver’s attorney. Instead of facing that risk, contact our office to speak with Steve Lee during a free consultation and get started with your case.
Contact Our Experienced Houston Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
Facing the many details and tasks after a drunk driving accident can be overwhelming when you are seriously injured and need to concentrate on getting better. You and your family can rest easy by putting these concerns in the hands of Houston drunk driving accident lawyer Steve Lee. Beginning with a free consultation, he and his team will be by your side every step of the way.
We know you will have many bills to pay and may hesitate to hire an attorney for fear of the costs. In addition to our free case review, we also work on a contingency fee basis. This means we take our fees as a percentage of your settlement, so you do not have to pay us unless we secure financial relief for you. We work to reduce your worries and your costs right from the beginning.
Instead of trying to go it alone, hire attorney Steve Lee and his team to negotiate with the insurance company and hold the responsible parties accountable for a drunk driving accident. Contact us for your free case evaluation today.