Sealy Drunk Driving Accident Attorney
In Texas (as in the rest of the country), driving with a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of .08 percent or higher is unlawful. While these restrictions limit many drivers from operating vehicles while under the influence of alcohol, an alarming number of people across the state continue to drive while intoxicated. These types of accidents often result in particularly devastating injuries, as they typically occur at high speeds, with no attempts by the at-fault driver to avoid the collision. For this reason, treating drunk driving-related injuries is usually expensive, leading to the accrual of a wide range of medical bills and property damage costs. All of this can prove extremely debilitating for victims, so if you were recently injured in an accident caused by an intoxicated driver, it is important to speak with an experienced Sealy drunk driving accident attorney who can help you seek compensation for your losses.
Recovering Compensation from Drunk Drivers
In most car accident cases, injured parties can only recover compensation from another driver or an insurer if they can prove that the other person’s negligence was the cause of the crash. When it comes to DUI cases, however, this is not always necessary. This is because proof that a driver was intoxicated at the time of an accident satisfies the requirements of negligence per se, which means that plaintiffs do not have to prove negligence in order to obtain compensation. Instead, the injured party need only demonstrate that the inebriated driver’s actions caused him or her to sustain an injury.
A plaintiff will still, however, need to submit a variety of evidence to prove that a driver was intoxicated at the time of an accident. Such evidence could include police reports, hospital records, BAC test results, eyewitness testimony, and video recordings of the accident. Once this has been established, the injured party will also need to provide a link between the accident and his or her own injuries, which can usually be achieved through the submission of photographs and medical records.
Negligent Restaurants and Bars
Intoxicated motorists are not the only individuals who can be held liable for a drunk driving accident. In fact, in Texas, bar and restaurant employees can be required to compensate victims of a drunk driving accident if they:
- Sold alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person who then caused an accident; or
- Sold alcohol to a minor who then caused an accident.
Ultimately, whether a restaurant or bar can be held partially liable for drunk driving accident-related injuries will depend on whether the injured party can prove that the drunk driver was obviously intoxicated when he or she was served at the establishment in question. Security footage and eyewitness testimony often play a crucial role in these types of cases, as employees are rarely willing to admit that they over-served a person or failed to check for a minor’s identification.
Contact Our Sealy Drunk Driving Accident Legal Team
For help filing a claim against the drunk driver who caused your own accident, please call The West Law Office, PLLC at 281-347-3247 today.
