A drunk driving crash can change your life in seconds. One moment you are driving down US-377 through Roanoke, and the next you are dealing with serious injuries, a totaled vehicle, and a stack of medical bills. If a drunk driver hurt you or someone you love near Roanoke, Texas, you have legal rights, and Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys is ready to help you use them. Our firm serves injury victims throughout the Denton County area, including Roanoke and the surrounding communities along FM 1171 and State Highway 114.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under Texas Penal Code Section 49.04, a person commits the offense of Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) when they operate a motor vehicle in a public place while intoxicated. Texas Penal Code Section 49.01 defines “intoxicated” in two ways. First, it means not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties due to the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, or any combination of those substances. Second, it means having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or more, measured as grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, 210 liters of breath, or 67 milliliters of urine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This matters for your civil case. A driver does not have to be legally drunk under the BAC standard to be held responsible for your injuries. If a driver had any alcohol or drugs in their system that impaired their ability to drive, that impairment can support a personal injury claim against them. The criminal standard and the civil standard are different, and you do not need a criminal conviction to recover compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas law also increases the severity of the offense in certain situations. Under Penal Code Section 49.04(d), a DWI becomes a Class A misdemeanor when the driver’s BAC measures 0.15 or higher. Under Section 49.045, a driver commits a state jail felony when they drive while intoxicated with a passenger younger than 15 years old in the vehicle. These aggravating factors can also strengthen your civil claim by showing the driver’s conduct was especially reckless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drivers with a BAC of 0.08 are approximately four times more likely to crash than sober drivers, and at a BAC of 0.15, that risk jumps to at least 12 times higher. These numbers make clear why Texas law treats higher BAC levels more seriously, and why victims of drunk driving crashes deserve serious legal representation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas has one of the most severe drunk driving problems in the United States. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), more than 1,000 people died in DUI\/alcohol-related crashes in Texas in 2024 alone. That translates to three Texans killed every single day because a driver chose to get behind the wheel impaired. Alcohol-related crashes accounted for roughly 25 percent of all traffic deaths in the state that year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Denton County area, including Roanoke, sits at the intersection of several heavily traveled corridors. State Highway 114, which runs directly through Roanoke, connects the area to Fort Worth and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. US-377 and FM 1171 also carry significant local traffic. These roads see a mix of commuters, commercial trucks, and weekend travelers, and that traffic volume increases the exposure to impaired drivers, especially late at night and on weekends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to TxDOT, more than 1,000 people died in Texas from DUI\/alcohol-related crashes in 2024, meaning three Texans were lost every day because a driver ignored the risks. Nationally, NHTSA estimated that 11,904 people were killed in drunk driving crashes involving a driver with an illegal BAC of 0.08 or greater in 2024. These are not abstract numbers. They represent real families in communities like Roanoke, Trophy Club, Southlake, and across Denton County.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you were hurt in a drunk driving crash near Roanoke’s Alliance Town Center area, along the SH-114 corridor, or anywhere in the surrounding region, the attorneys at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys want to hear your story. Call us at (940) 800-2500 for a free consultation. Past results in other cases do not guarantee the same outcome in yours, but we are committed to building the strongest possible case for every client we represent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas law allows drunk driving accident victims to pursue two categories of damages: compensatory damages and, in appropriate cases, exemplary damages. Compensatory damages are meant to make you whole for what you lost. Exemplary damages, sometimes called punitive damages, are meant to punish conduct that was especially reckless or malicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Compensatory damages in a drunk driving accident case typically cover medical expenses, including emergency room treatment, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and future medical care. They also include lost wages for the time you missed at work, as well as reduced earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term. Pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life are also recoverable under Texas law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 41 governs exemplary damages in personal injury cases. Under Section 41.003, exemplary damages may be awarded when the plaintiff proves by clear and convincing evidence that the harm resulted from fraud, malice, or gross negligence. Choosing to drive with a BAC well above the legal limit, especially after consuming alcohol at a bar or restaurant near Old Town Roanoke, can support a finding of gross negligence. This gives victims of drunk driving accidents a potential avenue for damages that go beyond simple compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Texas also has a “dram shop” law under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 2.02. This statute allows injured victims to pursue claims against bars, restaurants, or other alcohol providers who served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person who then caused an accident. If the drunk driver who hit you was served at a local establishment in the Roanoke area before the crash, that business may share legal responsibility for your injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n