Were You the Victim of a Drunk Driving Accident in Dallas?
According to the Texas Department of Transportation, a person is killed or injured in a vehicle collision every twenty minutes in Texas, many because of drunk drivers. And the wrong lawyers see these tragedies as “easy money.”
Not Easy Money:
Lawyers of all kinds, not just injury lawyers, will want to represent you if your family was the victim of a drunk driver because they see the case as “easy money.” But any lawyer who thinks these cases are “easy,” doesn’t know — or doesn’t care — that, in order to really obtain the best possible justice for a family, the lawyer needs to be ready to work very hard.
Two of our recoveries highlight the danger of working with attorneys who want the “easy money” they think they can get from a DWI case. The first family consulted with three attorneys, each of which said the case was worth $50,000. But they hired us, and we closed the case for well over $6,000,000. More recently, other lawyers enthusiastically told the family that they “could get $1,000,000” on the case. We closed it for $10,000,000.
You’ve seen enough suffering and injustice already. We know how to navigate these stormy waters with you. We’ve done it before, and we intend to do it again.
Facts:
It is illegal to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) level of .08 % or higher in the state of Texas. Anyone found to be operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol will be charged with a criminal offense. If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunk or impaired driver, you have the right to demand compensation for your injuries with the help of a Dallas car accident attorney. Every year, drunken driving accidents are responsible for a shocking number of deaths and severe injuries.
Although it is commonly known that drunk driving is against the law and is dangerous, many individuals continue to do it and thereby put the lives of everyone on the road in danger. Thousands of people lose their lives every year in accident caused by intoxicated drivers. In addition to criminal penalties, those who have injured another individual while driving under the influence could be sued in civil court by the injured individual in order to obtain compensation. When the accident victim does not survive, his or her family can bring a wrongful death claim against the responsible party.
The obvious negligence involved in drinking and driving may lead many to believe that an attorney is not necessary. If you are seriously injured due to the reckless driving of an impaired driver, it is even more important that you have someone at your side that can fight for your full and fair compensation. Insurance companies will attempt to lessen the amount of compensation that you receive. Our Dallas drunk driving accident victim lawyers can protect your right to be reimbursed for damages and thus prevent future financial problems. Call The Lenahan Law Firm at (214) 295-1008.
"All I can say that Marc was hired by our family after a terrible tragedy caused by a drunk driver that resulted in the loss of my brother... This was a difficult case to prove because of the circumstances, but he stayed at it and got justice for our family."
- G.M.
Signs of a Drunk Driver
It is unlikely you will be able to protect yourself from a drunk driver as their actions are largely unpredictable. However, knowing the signs of a driver that is potentially intoxicated can help you avoid them on the road, as well as identify them to police following an accident. Some common indicators that a driver is drunk are:
- Sudden stops and starts
- Weaving across the road
- Ignoring the lanes
- Speeding
- Swerving
- Driving excessively slow
- Sudden and illegal turns
- Hitting or almost hitting fixed objects
- Tailgating
- Improper signaling
- Running red lights or stop signs
If you notice a car near you exhibiting these signs, it is in your best interest to give them a wide birth. You should allow them to pass you or take a turn that would keep you out of their path. Once you know you are not in danger, you should then call 911 and inform them that you saw a possible drunk driver. From there, they will hopefully be able to track the driver down and keep them from causing any harm or injury.
Were You Hurt in a Drugged Driving Accident?
A DUI isn’t exclusive to alcohol. There are other drugs and medications that can negatively impact the driver, either by reducing a driver’s reaction time, causing erratic behavior, or causing drowsiness. In Texas it’s against the law to operate a vehicle while on substances that impair a person’s ability to drive safely. These substances include:
- Cocaine
- Heroin
- Over-the-counter drugs like nighttime cold medicine
- Cannabis
- Pain killers
- Anxiety medications
While many of these drugs are against the law, others are perfectly legal, and are often prescribed by a medical professional. Many Texans don’t know that they can be charged with a DUID for driving while taking certain medications. It is important to always refer to the side effects and warnings on medicine labels. If it says you should not operate heavy machinery will taking on the drug, that includes driving a car. When your doctor prescribes a new medication, it is vital that you have a conversation about what the side effects and dangers may be.
What Are Some Common Drunk Driving Accident Injuries?
Car accidents can be, and often are, devastating. This holds particularly true for drunk and drugged driving accidents, as the negligent driver has often lost control of the vehicle. Some of the common injuries include:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
- Crush injuries
- Broken and fractured bones
- Spine injuries
- Internal damage
- Burns
- Road rash
- Amputation or laceration
- Death
Catastrophic injuries mean high medical bills, lost wages, incredible pain, and extreme emotional distress. If you have been harmed in a drunk or drugged driving truck accident you need some of the very best representation. You deserve justice. We at The Lenahan Law Firm fight for our clients to get them every penny we can. Contact us at (214) 295-1008.
Texas Dram Shop Laws
While the most likely liable party is the drunk driver themselves, they may not be the only one responsible. Texas, like many other states, has dram shop laws that make a business responsible if they continued to serve an already drunk patron. This law makes sure that bars, restaurants, and shops take responsibility for the alcohol they serve. If a patron is clearly too inebriated to take care of themselves or make responsible decisions, then it is the business’s job to refuse to serve them any more alcohol. This rule applies to patrons who were drunk before entering the business and patrons who became drunk while at the business.
This law also allows you to hold a business responsible if they served alcohol to a minor. People under the age of 21 are already known to make irresponsible choices. If you add alcohol into the mix, that means that that patron is very likely to get into their car, despite being drunk. It is incredibly important to hold a business liable for their poor decisions, as that drunk driver may not have caused an accident and your injuries had they been cut off at the appropriate time.
Obtaining the Compensation You Deserve
No one should have to endure the physical and emotional pain of severe injury caused by a criminally negligent drunk driver. Our firm focuses solely on severe injury because we believe that severe injury victims deserve the highest quality of service. Instead of taking on hundreds of cases at a time like many other personal injury firms, we take on a limited number of cases so that we can devote ourselves to obtaining the results that our clients deserve.
We also have a highly skilled legal team, including those who have become leaders in their profession and who understand the dynamic of working with individuals affected by crimes. Attorney Marc Lenahan was selected as the 2013 President-Elect for the National Crime Victim Bar Association, and was the organization's president in 2014.
Drunk Driving Accident Case Results
- $10,004,323 Recovered ($4,029,590 in fees & expenses) in DWI Wrongful Death
- $1,250,000 Recovered ($524,253 in fees & expenses) in DWI Injury
View more case results here.
Contact our firm to learn more about what we can offer.
Additional Information
- Preventing Repeat DUI Offenders: Legal Actions and Advocacy
- Drunk Driving: How Alcohol Impairs the Brain
- Are Drivers Who Are High Safer Than Those Who Are Drunk?
- Drunk Driving - NHTSA
"I honestly am not sure what we would’ve done without you and your team. You have our deepest gratitude."
- Charles D.
