Houston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer

Injured by a drunk driver in Houston, TX? Contact the top Houston drunk driving accident lawyer to seek justice and compensation.

Being hit by a drunk driver on roads like I-45, Highway 59, or Westheimer can result in serious injuries that change the course of your daily life. Fractures, nerve damage, and head injuries require surgeries, therapy, and months of follow-up care. The financial pressure builds fast, with hospital bills stacking up alongside lost paychecks, while the driver who caused your injuries may walk away with minimal immediate consequences.

The driver who hit you may not be the only one responsible for your injuries. Under Texas Dram Shop laws, the bar, restaurant, or club that overserved them can also be held liable if they continued serving alcohol to someone who was obviously intoxicated. These establishments often carry commercial insurance policies with significantly higher limits than personal auto coverage, which means more resources available for your recovery.

At DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, our Houston personal injury lawyers understand the complex evidence required in drunk driving cases, from blood alcohol test results and bar surveillance footage to expert testimony on impairment levels. We move quickly to preserve critical evidence like credit card receipts and security camera footage that can disappear within days, while building a comprehensive case that addresses your medical expenses, lost income, and the physical and emotional trauma unique to being struck by an impaired driver.

Contact us today for a free consultation and discover how our Houston drunk driving accident lawyers can help you hold all responsible parties accountable and secure the full compensation you deserve.

How Our Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Help Victims in Houston, TX

Being hit by a drunk driver means dealing with hospital bills, missed paychecks, and phone calls from insurance adjusters, all at the same time. At DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, we step in immediately so you do not have to face that alone.

Our first priority is securing the evidence that builds your case before it is gone.

• Preservation letters: We notify bars, restaurants, and other establishments to hold point-of-sale records, surveillance footage, and employee information before they are deleted.
• Official records: We request the Houston Police Department crash report, officer body camera footage, 911 audio, and the driver’s toxicology results.
• Video subpoenas: We issue legal demands for traffic camera recordings and nearby business footage, which can be overwritten in as little as 30 days.
• Insurance shield: All adjuster calls go through our office from the moment you hire us. You will not have to speak with them directly.

Injured by a drunk driver in Houston, TX? Contact the top Houston drunk driving accident lawyer to seek justice and compensation.

What Texas Law Says About Drunk Driving and Your Claim

In Texas, a driver with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or higher is legally intoxicated. BAC is measured by a breath or blood test and reflects the amount of alcohol in a person’s system at the time of the crash.

When a driver violates that law and causes a crash, Texas applies a legal principle called negligence per se. This means their act of breaking a safety law automatically establishes that they were at fault, which strengthens your claim significantly.

Your civil injury case is also completely separate from the driver’s criminal DWI case. The standard of proof in a civil case is lower, so you can recover compensation even if the driver is never criminally convicted.

Can You Sue the Bar That Served the Driver?

Under the Texas Dram Shop Act, a bar, restaurant, or club can be held legally responsible for your injuries if they served alcohol to someone who was obviously intoxicated. Observable signs such as slurred speech, stumbling, or aggressive behavior are sufficient to trigger this liability.

This matters because bar and restaurant insurance policies often carry higher coverage limits than a personal auto policy. Pursuing a Dram Shop claim can significantly increase the total compensation available to you.

Bar receipts, credit card records, and surveillance footage are the key evidence in these cases, and they disappear fast. Contacting a Houston drunk driving accident lawyer within days of your crash gives us the best chance of preserving that proof.

Who Pays Your Medical Bills While Your Case Is Pending?

Your most urgent concern after a crash is often how to pay for care right now. Personal Injury Protection (PIP) is a type of coverage included in many Texas auto policies that pays for your medical bills and a portion of lost wages immediately, regardless of who caused the crash.

If you do not have PIP or health insurance, we can help. DeHoyos Accident Attorneys works with medical providers who treat patients under a letter of protection. This written agreement allows you to receive treatment now while the provider waits to be paid from your future settlement.

If your health insurance does cover your treatment, be aware of subrogation. Subrogation is the right of your insurer to be repaid from your settlement for what they spent on your care. We manage that process so you keep as much of your recovery as possible.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Houston DWI Crash?

Texas law allows you to pursue both economic damages, which are direct financial losses, and non-economic damages, which cover losses that are harder to put a dollar amount on. You may be entitled to compensation for:

• Medical expenses: Emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, physical therapy, prescription costs, and future treatment related to your injuries.
• Lost income: Wages you have already missed and reduced earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term.
• Pain and mental anguish: Physical suffering, emotional distress, PTSD, and loss of enjoyment of daily activities.
• Property damage: The full cost to repair or replace your vehicle and any personal belongings damaged in the crash.
• Punitive damages: Extra compensation the court can award to punish a drunk driver for grossly reckless behavior.

Cases involving a high BAC, a prior DWI record, or severe injuries typically result in higher compensation than a standard car accident claim.

What if the Drunk Driver Has No Insurance or Fled the Scene?

If the at-fault driver has no insurance or left the scene, you still have options. Your own Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist coverage, commonly called UM/UIM, is designed for exactly this situation and can cover your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages.

Beyond your own policy, we investigate every possible source of recovery. If a bar overserved the driver, a Dram Shop claim against that establishment becomes an important path to compensation. We identify all available sources so that a driver’s lack of insurance does not leave you without a recovery.

What to Do After Being Hit by a Drunk Driver in Houston

The actions you take in the hours after a crash directly affect the strength of your claim.

Call 911 and Get Medical Care

Always call 911, even if your injuries seem minor at first. A police report creates an official record of the crash, and a medical evaluation documents the connection between the accident and your injuries.

Document the Scene and the Driver

Take photos of all vehicle damage, skid marks, and the surrounding area. If you notice signs of impairment in the other driver, such as open containers, unsteady movement, or slurred speech, note those details and share them with the responding officer.

Find Out Where the Driver Was Drinking

Ask the driver, or nearby witnesses, where they were coming from. The name of a specific bar or restaurant is critical information for a Dram Shop investigation and could significantly expand your recovery.

Decline Recorded Statements to Insurers

The at-fault driver’s insurance company may call you quickly and ask for a recorded statement. Politely decline and let them know your attorney will be in touch. Recorded statements can be used to minimize your claim.

Contact DeHoyos Accident Attorneys

We are available 24 hours a day because evidence does not wait for business hours. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can act to preserve surveillance footage, bar records, and witness accounts.

Why Choose DeHoyos Accident Attorneys for Your Drunk Driving Case?

At DeHoyos Accident Attorneys, you get direct access to attorney Ryan DeHoyos, who personally handles your case rather than handing it off to a paralegal or junior associate. Ryan’s background includes a decade of corporate experience before law school, which gives him a precise, strategic approach to dealing with insurance companies that most firms cannot match.

Our firm has secured compensation for injured clients throughout Houston and the surrounding area. We are recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star, hold an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, and carry five-star ratings on Google, Avvo, and Super Lawyers.

We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win. We also advance all case costs, including expert fees, filing costs, and records requests.

How Long Do You Have to File a Drunk Driving Claim in Texas?

Texas gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a government vehicle or employee was involved, you must provide formal written notice of your claim within six months.

The legal deadline is two years, but the practical deadline is much shorter. Bar surveillance and traffic camera footage can be deleted in as little as 30 days. Acting quickly is the difference between having strong evidence and having none at all.

Drunk Driving Accident FAQs

Can I Win My Claim if the Drunk Driver Was Not Convicted of DWI?

Yes. A civil injury claim requires proof by a preponderance of the evidence, meaning it is more likely than not that the driver was at fault, which is a much lower bar than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard required for a criminal conviction.

Can I Recover Punitive Damages From a Drunk Driver in Texas?

Texas courts can award punitive damages when a driver’s conduct shows gross negligence, which drunk driving commonly satisfies, particularly in cases involving a high BAC or a prior DWI conviction.

What if I were a Passenger in the Drunk Driver’s Car?

Being a passenger does not bar your claim. You can pursue compensation through the driver’s auto insurance policy and potentially through a Dram Shop claim against the establishment that served them.

How Quickly Can Bar Surveillance Footage Be Deleted?

Surveillance footage is often retained only for a short time, so preservation letters should be sent immediately after the crash.

Will My Case Settle or Go to Trial?

Most drunk driving cases settle once we have documented liability and the full scope of your damages, but we prepare every case as if it will go to trial, which pushes insurers to make stronger settlement offers.

Contact a Houston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today

Mounting medical bills, missed work, and pressure from insurance adjusters can make an already difficult situation feel impossible. DeHoyos Accident Attorneys is here to take that weight off your shoulders.

Your consultation is free, confidential, and comes with no obligation. Call (832) 745-4878 or contact us online to speak with a Houston drunk driving accident lawyer who will fight to get you the full compensation you deserve.

Houston Drunk Driving Accidents Infographic

Ryan DeHoyos

Ryan DeHoyos is an experienced Houston-based personal injury lawyer. Recognized as a “Rising Star” on Super Lawyers (2019), Ryan DeHoyos can help secure the compensation you deserve so that you can move on with your life in the knowledge that you have received some measure of justice. He represents clients who have been injured in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or any other type of accident and gets them the compensation they deserve. Call him at (832) 745-4878 for a free consultation.