Dallas Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
A Dallas drunk driving accident lawyer goes after the driver who hit you, and often a second target the insurer hopes you never find: the bar that kept serving him. When an impaired driver runs a light, crosses the center line, or flees the scene, the proof is everywhere and it disappears fast. We move to lock it down. You pay nothing unless we win.
A drunk driving case has more than one target.
A Dallas drunk driving accident case is different from a regular wreck because the driver made a choice, the law treats that choice harshly, and there is often a second party to hold accountable: the bar or restaurant that kept serving him before he got behind the wheel.
On roads like I-635, US-75, and I-35E, that choice turns into the same crashes again and again:
Wrong-way and head-on crashes, when an impaired driver enters a highway or lane going the wrong direction.
Red-light and rear-end crashes, when slowed reactions mean the driver never brakes in time.
Hit-and-runs, when a driver flees the scene to avoid a DWI arrest.
A drunk driving crash is never just an accident.
Alcohol slows reactions, blurs judgment, and wrecks coordination, and around the bars and highways of Dallas that shows up in a handful of predictable, deadly patterns. None of them are bad luck. Each one traces back to a choice, and often to a business that kept pouring.
Wrong-way & head-on
An impaired driver entering I-635 or US-75 the wrong direction, or drifting across the center line, causes some of the most violent crashes on the road.
Red-light & rear-end
Alcohol delays braking by critical seconds. The driver plows into stopped traffic at a light or never slows for a turn.
Late nights out
The hours after the bars close around Deep Ellum, Uptown, and Lower Greenville are the deadliest, when the most impaired drivers are on the road.
Impaired and speeding
Drunk drivers misjudge speed and distance. Add high speed on a Dallas freeway and a survivable crash becomes a fatal one.
Hit-and-run
To dodge a DWI arrest, an impaired driver may flee the scene. That does not end your car accident claim; your own coverage often steps in.
The bar kept pouring
Many crashes trace back to a bar or restaurant that served a visibly drunk patron. Under Texas law, that business can answer for it too.
Two cases run at once. We work both.
After a drunk driving crash there are two tracks: the state’s criminal DWI case and your civil claim for what you lost. They are separate, and you do not need a conviction to win yours. We use the criminal file as leverage and build the proof the insurer hopes you never gather.
The crash report and the officer’s DWI findings, field sobriety notes, and arrest record.
The breath or blood test results and the criminal DWI file as it develops.
The bar or restaurant’s receipts, POS data, and surveillance, to prove who kept serving him.
The vehicle’s event data recorder and the driver’s phone records.
Witness statements from the scene and from the bar, before memories fade.
Your medical records, tied to the crash on the record.
Accident reconstruction engineers to rebuild the crash from the physical evidence.
Toxicology experts to translate a BAC into how impaired the driver actually was.
Alcohol-service experts on what a trained bar should have seen and done.
Treating doctors and life care planners to price out your injuries and future care.
Economic experts when an injury limits or ends your ability to work.
The law these cases turn on
A DWI is negligence per se, which means the driver’s violation of the law is built-in proof of fault, and your civil case only has to meet the lower “more likely than not” standard, not the criminal “beyond a reasonable doubt.” Under the Texas Dram Shop Act (Alcoholic Beverage Code § 2.02), a bar or restaurant that served an obviously intoxicated patron can be a second defendant with its own insurance. And because the driver chose to drive drunk, Texas allows exemplary (punitive) damages that you cannot get in an ordinary wreck.
The insurer wants a quick, quiet settlement before the bar’s records surface and the criminal file fills in. We want every defendant identified and every policy on the table first.
General process; every case is handled on its own facts.“I spent over a decade directing insurance defense. I know exactly what a carrier looks for to deny or shrink your claim, because I found it for them.”Managing Litigation Attorney · former insurance defense director
The drunk driving cases we take in Dallas.
We represent everyone an impaired driver puts at risk: other drivers and their passengers, people on foot or on a bike, even the drunk driver’s own passengers, plus families who lost someone. Who was driving and who served the alcohol decides which policies pay.
Drivers & passengers
You were stopped at a light, going through an intersection, or driving home when an impaired driver hit you. The DWI arrest is powerful evidence, and we make sure it is preserved.
Pedestrians & cyclists
A drunk driver who hits a person walking or riding causes catastrophic injuries. These victims have no metal around them and deserve the hardest investigation we can run.
Dram shop cases
When a bar or restaurant over-served the driver, the Texas Dram Shop Act may let you recover from that business too. We investigate the service that put him on the road.
Hit-and-run & uninsured
If the drunk driver fled or carried no insurance, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage often pays. Many people do not realize they already have it.
The drunk driver’s passengers
If you were riding with a driver who turned out to be drunk, you may still have a claim, against the driver and, in some cases, the bar that over-served them.
Wrongful death
When a drunk driver kills someone, Texas law lets the surviving family bring a wrongful death claim, with a separate survival claim for what your loved one endured.
What your case is worth, and why it can be more.
There is no honest average for a Dallas drunk driving case. But these cases often reach more than a regular wreck, because there can be a second defendant, more than one insurance policy, and extra damages the law reserves for drivers who chose to drive impaired.
Injury & future care
The lasting medical picture, not just today’s bills; surgery, long recovery, and ongoing care all raise the stakes.
How clear the impairment is
A DWI arrest, a high BAC, and a failed sobriety test are built-in proof of fault, which gives you real leverage.
How many policies exist
The driver’s auto policy, the bar’s dram-shop policy, and your own coverage can each add a layer to reach.
Exemplary damages
Because the driver chose to drive drunk, Texas allows punitive damages on top, which are rare in ordinary crashes.
Where the money actually comes from
A drunk driving claim often reaches more than the driver’s auto liability policy. When a bar or restaurant over-served the driver, its dram-shop liability insurance becomes a second source of recovery. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage steps in when the driver flees or carries no insurance. And where the conduct was egregious, exemplary damages can add to the total. Finding every defendant and every policy is the job, because the size of a recovery depends on how much coverage we can reach.
How we handle the risk. You pay nothing up front. Our fee comes out of the recovery, and only if we win, so we can tell you honestly whether an offer is fair or worth taking to trial. Under Texas law, being more than 50% at fault can bar recovery, which is one more reason to lock the DWI and dram-shop evidence down early. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Dallas bilingual lawyers, in the language you think in.
Yes. Our team works in English and Spanish, so if English is not your first language, you can tell us what happened in your own words and follow every step of your case.
Hablamos español. La consulta es gratis y no paga nada a menos que ganemos.
A native Spanish speaker, Laura handles serious injury and wrongful death cases for Spanish speaking clients across Texas, start to finish, in their own language.
Senior Associate Attorney · bilingual, English & SpanishWhat our clients actually say.
Real reviews and video testimonials from people the firm has represented. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
“They took the time to answer all my questions and made me feel confident in them. The whole staff was very friendly and professional.”
“After speaking with them I could finally relax. Rodrigo made sure my physical therapy was covered and has been invaluable to us.”
“A very good experience with Rodrigo. He was knowledgeable and responsive to every question I had about my situation.”
“The team was professional, and knowledgeable. They made the whole legal process smooth and stress free.”
“Their communication went above and beyond. They handled all my medical visits and my settlement was way more than I expected.”
“Muchas gracias Rodrigo y a todo el equipo. si están envueltos en un accidente te ayudan en todo el proceso.”
“Excelente servicio al cliente, muy atentos con sus clientes. La comunicación es muy buena.”
“She walked me through the whole process and kept checking in, not just on the next step but on how I was doing.”
“They took the time to answer all my questions and made me feel confident in them. The whole staff was very friendly and professional.”
“After speaking with them I could finally relax. Rodrigo made sure my physical therapy was covered and has been invaluable to us.”
“A very good experience with Rodrigo. He was knowledgeable and responsive to every question I had about my situation.”
“The team was professional, and knowledgeable. They made the whole legal process smooth and stress free.”
“Their communication went above and beyond. They handled all my medical visits and my settlement was way more than I expected.”
“Muchas gracias Rodrigo y a todo el equipo. si están envueltos en un accidente te ayudan en todo el proceso.”
“Excelente servicio al cliente, muy atentos con sus clientes. La comunicación es muy buena.”
“She walked me through the whole process and kept checking in, not just on the next step but on how I was doing.”
Dallas drunk driving FAQ.
Straight answers, specific to Texas, to what victims ask most after a drunk driving crash. Not sure how it applies to you? A free review sorts it out.
How long do I have to file a drunk driving accident claim in Texas?
Do I need the driver to be convicted of DWI to win my case?
Can I sue the bar that over-served the driver?
What are exemplary or punitive damages?
The drunk driver fled or had no insurance. What now?
I was a passenger in the drunk driver’s car. Can I still claim?
How much is my drunk driving accident case worth?
What if a drunk driver killed someone in my family?
Should I talk to the driver’s insurance company?
How much does a drunk driving accident lawyer cost?
Hit by a drunk driver
in Dallas? Let’s talk.
Tell us what happened and we will tell you, honestly, where you stand under Texas law, who can be held accountable, and what your case looks like. We represent drunk driving victims across Dallas and Dallas County from our office on North Central Expressway. The review is free, the evidence is fading, and you owe nothing unless we win.