DWI Wreck Complication AttorneysDallas Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys

There is nothing wrong with having a drink or two to wind down after a stressful week. But when someone drinks with friends at a bar or has wine at dinner with a date, it can quickly escalate into affecting his ability to operate a car safely. For those who don’t know their limit—or who think it will be okay just this one time—a night like this can end in disaster. When you are at the receiving end of his mistake, the results could be devastating.

Alcohol is not the only culprit in these tragic impaired-driving accidents. More and more, people are driving while under the influence of drugs. Individuals who use marijuana or a harder illicit substance—or even prescription or over-the-counter medicines—can experience the same slowed reaction times, impaired judgment, and recklessness that causes drunk drivers to crash. These impairments can be harder to prove, however, as there is no reliable field test for drug use yet.

At the Button Law Firm, we are committed to making our streets safer by holding impaired drivers responsible for the harm they do. If you are the victim of one of these reckless drivers, we can work with you to ensure the protection of your rights to compensation.

Types of Wrecks Caused by Drunk Drivers

Some of the common types of accidents caused by drunk drivers include:

  • Head-on collisions. Drunk drivers can become drowsy or fall asleep at the wheel, cross the centerline of a highway, and veer into oncoming traffic to cause a head-on collision. Because of the momentum and kinetic energy of two vehicles, this type of wreck often means catastrophic injury and even death.
  • Rear-end collisions. Alcohol impairs a person’s ability to judge distances, so reaction times might be inappropriate, leading to a drunk driver rear-ending another driver.
  • Pedestrian crashes. Drunk drivers often experience impaired vision, so they may not see a pedestrian—especially at night.
  • Wrong-way wrecks. It’s difficult to read traffic signs when driving under the influence, so drunk drivers might not even realize they are driving in the wrong direction or entering the highway on an exit ramp (yes, it really happens).
  • Sideswipe accidents. A sideswipe accident is a collision between the sides of two vehicles that are traveling in the same direction or opposite directions. A sideswipe can easily turn deadly if a drunk driver over-corrects and loses control of the car.
  • T-bone crashes. Also known as a broadside collision, t-bone crashes often occur when one driver runs a red light or fails to give another driver the right-of-way. Drunk driving is often behind t-bone crashes.

How Bad Is the Problem in Texas?

At the Button Law Firm, we focus on car wreck injuries caused by drunk and distracted drivers. Unfortunately, this keeps us very busy. Texas leads the nation in drunk driving fatalities. 

Texas Drunk Driving Accident Statistics

Some important facts about impaired driving in Texas from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) include the following:

  • 44% of all traffic fatalities in 2015 were alcohol-related (.01 BAC or higher).
  • 1,552 deaths were caused by legally drunk drivers (.08 BAC or higher).
  • 894 of those deaths were caused by “super” drunk drivers (.15 BAC or higher).
  • There were an estimated 71,000 drunk driving arrests in 2015.

These are frightening statistics, which is why we work so hard to hold these drivers accountable for their risky decisions. When a loved one is killed by a drunk driver, you may have cause to file a wrongful death claim against the driver. We proudly represent the survivors of such tragedies and bring years of experience and dozens of successful cases to the table when we take your case. fatal texas crashes report on a graph chart

What Damages Can You Recover?

When you suffer at the hands of a drunk driver, you can take legal action to recover for the harm done to you and to punish the driver and others who may have contributed to the accident. In Texas, you may be able to pursue the following claims:

  • Personal injury lawsuit. In a personal injury claim, you can seek economic damages, including all costs associated with your medical treatment and earnings you lost because you could not work, and non-economic damages, including compensation for pain and suffering and mental anguish.
  • Texas dram shop lawsuit. Under the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code, if you are injured by a drunk driver who was served in a bar, you may be able to sue the bar for contributing to the accident. This law only applies if the bar served alcohol to someone under the age of 18 or the customer was “obviously” intoxicated.
  • Wrongful death lawsuit. If a loved one was killed by a drunk driver, immediate family members might be able to bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the drunk driver to recover compensation for the deceased person’s medical bills and hospitalization costs, funeral expenses, lost future wages, and for the survivors’ loss of companionship.

During your initial consultation with Russell Button, he will help you determine the best course of action in pursuing compensation.  

dui accident attorney Russell ButtonTalk with Our Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Today

Call the Button Law Firm as soon as you can after you have been injured or a loved one was killed by an impaired driver. We will immediately seek all relevant evidence of the driver’s impairment and pursue all possible avenues of compensation so that you may begin your road to recovery.

We know how difficult getting through situations like this can be. The Button Law Firm wants to help guide you – as we have helped guide many of our clients within Midland, Houston, Dallas, and the surrounding areas. You can give us a call at (214) 699-4409 or email us at [email protected]. You can contact us online to schedule a free consultation by filling out the form below or by chatting with a member of our team.

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Russell Button
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Dallas, Houston, and Midland Texas trial and personal injury lawyer dedicated to securing justice for clients.