Holding Alcohol-Impaired Drivers Accountable– Intoxicated Driver Accident Lawyer in Parker County

Whether you are injured in a car crash or have a loved one taken from you prematurely, the physical and emotional pain can be overwhelming.  If the driver who causes the collision is intoxicated, the needless nature of your suffering and loss can be even more upsetting.  Although most people would not dispute the dangers of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, drunk driving remains the leading cause of traffic-related fatalities.  Approximately 300,000 drunk drivers operate a vehicle on U.S. roadways everyday, but law enforcement arrests only 2,800 based on FBI data.  Despite tougher sentences and stricter drunk driving laws, 50-75 percent of drivers convicted of DUI offenses continue to drive even after their driver’s license has been suspended.

Our Parker County drunk driving accident attorneys at the Fulgham Hampton Law Group are committed to holding intoxicated drivers responsible for the harm they cause.  Drunk drivers claim the lives of 10,000 people per year and cause permanent debilitating injury to many other victims.  While our law firm tenaciously pursues the fullest measure of compensatory damages to cover both financial and intangible losses against drunk drivers who injure others, we also frequently pursue punitive damages.  Punitive damages are designed to punish wrongdoers for particularly egregious conduct and discourage such conduct in the future.  Since we have nearly 30 years of collective experience representing thousands of injury victims, we have a proven track record of recovery in drunk driving cases.

Unique Challenges in Drunk Driving Accident Lawsuits

Lawsuits against intoxicated drivers would seem to be easier to win because of the strong evidence of liability, but these cases can be much more difficult than they appear at first glance.  If the motorist who slammed into your vehicle was impaired by alcohol, chances are that this was not the first time the at-fault driver operated a motor vehicle while drunk.  FBI data reveals the average drunk driver operates a motor vehicle while intoxicated an average of 80 times before his or her first arrest.  This disturbing statistic means that there is a reasonable probability that an alcohol-impaired driver will not have insurance because of a driver’s license suspension or exposure to high insurance rates.

The challenge in these cases is determining a party who is liable AND financially able to pay a judgment or settlement.  When a defendant has no insurance coverage or personal assets, such as a home that can be used to satisfy a judgment, the defendant is said to be “judgment proof.”  In other words, a judgment against a defendant has no value if the defendant lacks money or another way to pay (i.e. insurance).  Our lawyers representing victims of drunk drivers in Parker County carefully analyze the facts and circumstances of a DUI-related injury accident to identify all potentially responsible defendants and sources of insurance, such as:

  • Third-party drivers who also caused the accident
  • Employers of negligent drivers engaged in the course of employment
  • Owners of cars who negligently entrust their vehicle to a driver they know or should know is not competent
  • Vehicle manufacturers if a defect substantially contributed to a crash
  • Public entities for negligent roadway design, construction, or maintenance
  • Auto shops if vehicle malfunctions were the result of shoddy vehicle repairs
  • Plaintiff’s uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage

Whether you are injured by a driver committing DUI in a head-on collision or T-boned in an intersection, you can suffer serious or permanent injuries, such as:

  • Compound fractures & broken bones
  • Impairment of critical bodily organs
  • Loss of limbs
  • Paraplegia or quadriplegia from spinal cord damage
  • Disfigurement
  • Wrongful death

Seeking Justice and Compensation for Victims of Intoxicated Drivers

If you have been injured in by a driver intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, our Parker County bus injury lawyers work diligently to obtain justice for victims and to hold drunk drivers accountable for their conduct.  We invite you to contact us today at (817) 697-4400 for a free case evaluation.