Denton Drunk Driving Attorneys

Texas Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys Serving Denton, Texas

Drunk driving remains a significant problem on Texas roads. In 2023, 1,090 people died in Texas crashes involving at least one drunk driver, according to the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT).

All drivers on Texas roads have a legal duty to drive in a manner that guards against preventable accidents. Drunk driving impairs a driver’s ability to drive safely. Drinking reduces a driver’s ability to spot dangers in the roadway or to react in time to prevent a crash. The ability to judge speed and distance becomes impaired. Drivers may fail to understand how close another car, bicyclist, or pedestrian is to their vehicle. Drinking also slows down reaction speeds. Even if a drunk driver spots a hazard, they may not react in time to avoid it. 

Drinking and driving are a deadly combination. If you or someone you love has been injured or killed by a drunk driver, reach out to an experienced Denton drunk driving accident lawyer today. 

DUI Injury and Accident Statistics

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 12,429 US residents died in drunk driving crashes in 2023. On average, 34 people nationwide lose their lives in these accidents each day – about one every 42 minutes. 

A driver’s inebriation is measured by blood alcohol concentration, or BAC. In Texas and other states, the legal BAC limit to drive a motor vehicle is 0.08 percent. 

However, NHTSA research notes that drivers can lose small-muscle control, exhibit impaired judgment, lose some ability to track moving targets, and experience reduced ability to do two things at once – like steer a car and watch the road – at a BAC as low as 0.02 percent. 

Over 0.08 percent, nearly all drivers show visible signs of impairment that are significant enough to prevent them from driving a vehicle safely. However, the majority of drunk driving crashes involve drivers with a BAC over 0.08 percent, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). In 2022, for example, 31.9 percent of all traffic crash deaths were caused by a driver with a BAC of 0.08 percent or above. About 5.5 percent of deaths were caused by a driver with a BAC between 0.01 and 0.07 percent. (The remaining crash deaths did not involve alcohol.)

These numbers suggest that the “legal limit” of alcohol use for drivers is not the “safe limit.” A driver with a BAC below the legal limit may still cause a fatal crash or serious injuries. Drivers with a BAC above the legal limit are often visibly impaired, but they choose to get behind the wheel anyway. When they cause a crash, others pay the price. 

Texas Drunk Driving Statistics

The 1,090 people killed in Texas drunk driving crashes in 2023 represent 25.45 percent of all those killed on Texas roads that year, according to TXDOT. Drunk driving thus has an outsized impact on roadway death statistics, as fewer than one in four drivers are drunk at any given time.

2020 saw a sharp reversal in drunk driving trends in Texas. Between 2014 and 2019, the state made slow but steady progress in decreasing the number of drunk driving fatalities and serious injuries. In 2020, however, the death rates jumped. They rose again in 2021 and 2022. While 2023 saw a decrease in total deaths, its total count was still higher than any year between 2014 and 2019.

According to TXDOT, drunk driving accidents in 2023 were most common:

• In the early morning. Alcohol-related crashes were most common between 2:00 and 3:00 a.m. than at any other time.
• On Sundays. The highest number of drunk driving crashes in Texas occurred on Sundays in 2023. 

However, drunk driving collisions can and do occur at any time of day and any day of the week. When they happen, it’s important to enlist an experienced Denton drunk driving accident attorney to help you protect your legal rights. 

Denton and Denton County Drunk Driving Statistics

Every Texas town, city, and county is affected by drunk driving crashes, injuries, and deaths. Denton is no exception. 

In 2023, the Texas Department of Transportation recorded four deadly drunk driving crashes in Denton, claiming a total of four lives. Denton was also the site of seven DUI crashes that caused serious injury to ten people. Another 27 drunk driving collisions caused 37 minor or moderate injuries. In total, Denton saw 151 drunk driving-related crashes in 2023. 

Neighboring Dallas, Texas posted even higher numbers: 72 deaths and 93 serious injuries in 986 total DUI-related crashes. Fort Worth’s numbers fell between Dallas’s and Denton’s, with 23 deaths and 26 serious injuries in 469 total collisions.

No one in Texas is insulated from the impact of drunk driving. Even the most careful drivers, passengers, bicyclists, or pedestrians may be killed or seriously injured by someone else’s decision to drink and drive. If you’ve been hurt or lost a loved one, speak to a dedicated Denton DUI injury lawyer today. 

Compensation for Accidents Caused by Drunk Drivers

While prosecutors may decide to punish a negligent drunk driver criminally, they do not compensate the victim of the drunk driver. That’s where our experienced Denton drunk driving accident attorneys step in and aggressively work on your behalf.  We will collect police reports, photos, witness statements, conduct vehicle inspections, collect other evidence, and file claims with the appropriate insurance companies. Our drunk driving accident attorneys can also file lawsuits against the negligent parties to ensure that you and your family obtain the compensation you and/or your family are entitled to receive.

Although the first thing you might think of regarding potential compensation for accidents caused by drunk drivers is the cost of repairing or replacing your damaged vehicle, compensation for your personal injuries can be much larger. Potential financial compensation includes past and future medical bills, lost wages, loss of future earnings, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and potentially, disfigurement and even punitive damages. This compensation may also be available for any family members or passengers injured in the vehicle. 

Injuries Caused by Drunk Driving Accidents

Drunk driving accidents cause notoriously horrific injuries that can lead to life-long disabilities. Some of the injuries caused by drunk drivers include:

• Wrongful Death
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Back and/or Neck Injuries
• Concussions
• Disfigurement
• Broken Bones
• Serious fractures and dislocations
• Burns
• Internal bleeding
• Organ damage
• Amputation

Pursuing Justice after a Drunk Driving Accident – Texas Dram Shop Act

Drunk driving accident cases are not always cut and dry, and the driver’s insurance coverage may not be large enough to cover all of the damages that you may be entitled to receive. Your options for a legal remedy do not end with the intoxicated person’s negligence and available coverage. In fact, there may be many parties responsible for the accident, including the bar that served the drunk driver. Not only is an intoxicated driver held responsible for getting behind the wheel, but the business or person who allowed a visibly intoxicated patron to drive could also be held legally responsible for a crash. This is known as the “Texas Dram Shop Act.”

Texas’ dram shop act is contained in the Alcoholic Beverage Code and holds establishments liable for selling alcohol to obviously intoxicated persons. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code contains the state’s laws regarding both dram shop and social host liability. People, businesses, and organizations who sell alcohol may be held liable for an injury caused by a customer if:

• The alcohol was sold or given to a minor under age 18, or
• When the alcohol was sold, it was apparent to the provider that the individual being sold, served, or provided with an alcoholic beverage was obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others, and
• The intoxication was a foreseeable cause of the injuries sustained in the collision.

As such, in Texas, a bar, convenience store, restaurant, or other establishment that serves alcohol to a drunk driver can also be held liable for damages that occur as a result of an accident. The person suing the bar must prove that they were obviously intoxicated to the extent that they were a danger to themselves or others when they were sold alcohol.

Our attorneys at Chandler | Ross, PLLC will investigate your case closely to determine who is ultimately responsible for your accident and the injuries you sustained. Our attorneys may need to interview bartenders, speak with other patrons at the bar, and meet with police officials to build your case.

With offices in Denton, Dallas, and Fort Worth, Texas, Chandler | Ross, PLLC is well-positioned to provide the most effective and highly skilled drunk driving accident attorneys possible. Don’t wait, and don’t compromise – contact us today for a Free Case Evaluation and see how we can help you. In most cases, you pay nothing unless we are able to settle your case or win a verdict.  Contact Us now at (940) 800-2500 or support@chandlerrosslaw.com to schedule your free personal injury case evaluation and consultation.