Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers in Arlington, Texas

Driving after having a drink is never a good idea. Driving even after having one drink diminishes the driver’s capacity to operate a motor vehicle safely. Not only is operating under the influence of alcohol a crime in Texas, but it can lead to substantial civil liability for the driver and possibly others who contributed to the intoxication of the driver.

The Fulgham Hampton Law Group Arlington drunk driving accident lawyers are ready to protect your rights. If you suffered injuries in a collision caused by a drunk driver or a family member died in a fatal drunk driving collision, the Fulgham Hampton Law Group will aggressively fight to protect your rights to recover financial compensation. We understand that no financial sum can return your lost loved one unfairly and tragically taken from you or restore you to the health you enjoyed before a reckless and selfish driver collided with you. However, pursuing all legal remedies available to you and your family under Texas law can help you feel that justice was done and aid you in your recovery.

Arlington Drunk Driving Statistics

Despite all of the work Texas legislators, Texas prosecutors, local and state law enforcement agencies, and civil groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) have done to educate the public about the horrors of driving under the influence, drunk driving crashes continue to occur at an alarming rate in Arlington.

The Texas Department of Transportation maintains statistics from drunken driving stats across the state and for each municipality. The latest statistics currently available are from 2016. In 2016, there were 452 drunk driver crashes in Arlington. Among those crashes there were:

  • 4 fatal accidents,
  • 29 incapacitating crashes,
  • 32 incapacitating injuries,
  • 85 crashes with injuries,
  • 107 non-incapacitating injuries,
  • 64 crashes with potential injuries,
  • 118 possible injuries,
  • 260 non-injury crashes,
  • 725 people uninsured in crashes,
  • 10 crashes of unknown severity, and
  • 42 people whose injuries were undetermined.

Civil Liability of Drunk Drivers

Drunk drivers are liable for the damage they cause in car crashes. Every person driving in Texas owes other drivers a duty to operate his or her vehicle safely.  A part of that duty is to drive sober. Every after just a drink or two, a person can lose the ability to control the vehicle, and even if the operator does not feel intoxicated or “buzzed,” alcohol diminishes reaction times, cognitive function, balance, and compromises decision making.

Other parties might be liable as well for your loss. Texas enacted a law known as a “Dram Shop” laws. Under that law, the establishment that served that the driver who was “obviously intoxicated” can be liable for damages to parties injured in drunken driving accidents as well as the driver of the vehicle.

What Next?

What you should do after a drunk driving accident depends a lot on the circumstances of the crash. You should tend to any injuries you have and focus on those primarily. You should call for police assistance or make sure another person calls if you are unable. Observe as much of the crash site as possible and convey that to the officers. Also, try to pay attention to the other driver to observe his or her behavior. Obviously, your safety and the safety of your passengers is the priority.

Remember that liability is not absolute. Auto insurance companies and other insurance companies will not cave in to your demands for settlement just because you were the victim of a drunken driving accident. These companies will try to point to some of your behavior while driving to show that you contributed to the crash. That is why it is important to retain competent and experienced counsel to represent you.

Victims of Drunk Drivers Should Seek Their Own Counsel Immediately

If you or a family member is a victim of a drunk driver, you might think that the prosecution team is your legal advocates. While they can help you and your family as victims of a crime, they do not represent you, they represent the government. Only a competent and experienced drunk driving crash attorney from the Fulgham Hampton Law Group will protect your interests. Call us today at 817-697-4400 to discuss your legal options.