A drunk driver does not need to be criminally convicted for you to pursue compensation. Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers has over 20 years of experience representing crash victims across the Houston area. If you need a DUI accident lawyer in Bellaire, we are ready.
A Bellaire car accident lawyer from our firm builds civil cases that move independently of any criminal proceedings. Criminal charges can help, but your injury claim does not wait for them.
DUI crashes produce some of the most serious injuries on Texas roads, where impaired drivers choose to drive despite being under the influence.
How DUI Accidents Differ From Other Car Crashes in Bellaire
Texas law usually calls this offense driving while intoxicated (DWI), though many people still use the term driving under the influence (DUI). These crashes may create evidence that does not exist in an ordinary collision. A Bellaire personal injury lawyer can request records from the DWI investigation and compare them with the physical evidence from the crash.
Video from a nearby store or intersection may be gone within days or weeks. The same goes for damaged vehicles, witness contact information, and other evidence that can help prove what happened. Our firm starts looking for that information right away instead of waiting for the criminal case to end.
Texas does not require a criminal conviction before an injury victim can recover civil damages. The civil and criminal cases run independently. Drunk drivers who avoid conviction in court can still be held fully accountable in a civil claim, and that is exactly where our focus stays.
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Common Injuries in Bellaire DUI Crashes
A DUI collision can leave someone with injuries that affect far more than the first few days after the crash. Treatment may continue for months, and some people never return to the same level of health or independence they had before the collision.
Injuries our clients have reported after DUI crashes include:
- Traumatic brain injury and concussion
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Broken bones, including femur, pelvis, and rib fractures
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Facial fractures and dental injuries
- Soft tissue injuries to the neck and back
- Burns from post-crash fires
Many of these injuries require long-term treatment, multiple surgeries, and months away from work. The financial toll compounds quickly, and insurance companies rarely account for the full picture without pressure from an attorney who has handled these cases before.
Bellaire DUI Accident Lawyer Near Me (713) 500-5000
Dram Shop Liability in Bellaire DUI Cases
The driver may not be the only party responsible for a DUI crash. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code § 2.02 may support a claim against an alcohol provider when it was apparent to the provider that the customer was obviously intoxicated to the extent that they presented a clear danger to themselves and others, and that intoxication proximately caused the crash.
The question usually comes down to what the staff saw before serving another drink. Our attorneys look closely at the customer’s behavior inside the establishment and speak with people who were there. That investigation may reveal whether the business ignored signs that the person should no longer receive alcohol.
Dram shop cases open the door to additional coverage and financial resources beyond what a single driver’s policy may provide. Our firm investigates whether a bar, restaurant, or retailer contributed to the crash in every DUI case that involves prior commercial alcohol service.
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Exemplary Damages in Texas DUI Accident Cases
A Texas DUI crash may support a request for exemplary damages when the driver’s conduct rises to the level of gross negligence. These damages serve a different purpose from the money awarded for an injured person’s losses because they address conduct that shows an extreme disregard for the safety of others.
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 41.003 allows exemplary damages when clear and convincing evidence proves gross negligence. In a DUI case, the driver’s level of impairment and conduct before the collision may give the jury grounds to make that finding.
While Texas caps exemplary damages in many standard personal injury cases, statutory caps do not apply to felony DUI offenses involving serious bodily injury. A high blood alcohol result or other proof of serious impairment can still put added pressure on the defense because a jury may view the decision to drive as more than ordinary negligence.
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What to Do After a DUI Accident in Bellaire
What you do in the hours after a DUI crash can shape the entire outcome of your claim. Medical care comes first, both for your health and because a gap in treatment gives the insurer room to argue the injuries were minor or unrelated to the collision.
Our firm helps clients locate medical providers who accept payment after the case resolves. That can remove the need for an upfront payment and allow treatment to continue without delay.
Do not speak to the at-fault driver’s insurer before calling an attorney. Adjusters reach out quickly after DUI crashes and use recorded statements to limit what you recover. The drunk driver’s insurer has legal counsel working on their behalf from day one, and you should too.
What a Bellaire DUI Accident Attorney Will Do for Your Claim
Your Bellaire DUI accident attorney needs to build two parallel arguments: one establishing fault and another documenting the full extent of your damages. Both require evidence gathered fast after a crash. Our firm starts working on both tracks the same day we accept a case.
In Bellaire and throughout Harris County, nearby surveillance footage may help settle a dispute over how the crash happened. Our firm looks for that evidence early, before a business can record over it or the insurer starts challenging fault.
Brian White is Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, and our firm prepares every case as if it will go before a jury. When an insurer representing a drunk driver refuses to offer fair value, we do not refer the case out. We take it to trial.
Contact a DUI Accident Lawyer in Bellaire Today
The police may have arrested the drunk driver, but that does not pay your medical bills or replace the income you lost. A civil claim gives you a separate way to pursue the financial harm the crash caused.
Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers has helped thousands of clients across the Houston area recover from crashes that were not their fault. If you need a DUI accident lawyer in Bellaire, our team is ready to step in from the first call.
Call our office and a real person answers. We will review your case, explain what your claim is worth, and get to work. That is what Get Brian means.
Call or Text (713) 500-5000 or Complete a Case Evaluation Form
