Drunk driving accidents continue to be a threat on Texas highways despite increased awareness about the danger of drinking and driving, as well as stricter laws and criminal penalties for DUI and DWI.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) says more than 1,000 people were killed in Texas in 2011 in car accidents where at least one driver was under the influence of alcohol. This is 34.5 percent of all people killed in motor vehicle accidents in Texas over the course of the year.

People who are injured by impaired drivers in Texas, or the families of those who are killed in impaired driving accidents, have the right to seek compensation for their losses. Injury attorney Kevin Krist has successfully obtained recoveries for hundreds of personal injury victims throughout southeast Texas, including Houston, Pasadena, Katy, Baytown, and League City. He’s ready to do the same for you.

If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury in an accident caused by an impaired driver in southeast Texas, contact Houston personal injury lawyer Kevin Krist today for a free consultation about your case. You can reach a Houston drunk driving accident lawyer at the Law Office of Kevin Krist by calling 281-677-3963, or use our firm’s online form. You’ll hear back from Mr. Krist within 24 hours.

If you hire Kevin Krist as your personal injury attorney, you can be assured that he will be the lead attorney on your case from start to finish. Kevin Krist provides personal representation to every injury client he represents. Mr. Krist is ready to put his skills and experience to work on your case today.

Impaired Driving Accidents in Texas

Drunk or impaired driving causes hundreds of injuries and deaths each year in Texas. In 2011, according to TxDOT, there were 1,039 people killed in Texas car crashes that involved alcohol. This included:

  • 635 drunk drivers
  • 155 passengers in cars driven by drunk drivers
  • 139 people in other cars
  • 109 pedestrians.

Texas, like every state in the U.S., makes it a crime to drive with a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) at or above 0.08 percent. A conviction for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Texas results in a fine, up to six months of jail time and suspension of the offender’s driver’s license for up to a year. Subsequent DWI convictions lead to stiffer penalties. Yet Texas leads the nation in drunk driving crashes and fatalities, according to TxDOT.

Drivers can also be impaired by drugs, and the Texas DWI statute covers intoxication from drugs as well as alcohol. Texas Penal Code Section 49.01(2) says:

“’Intoxicated’ means:

(A)  not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties by reason of the introduction of alcohol, a controlled substance, a drug, a dangerous drug, a combination of two or more of those substances, or any other substance into the body;  or

(B) having an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more.”

That means impaired driving in Texas includes “drugged driving,” as it is sometimes called, as well as drunk driving. And drugged driving in Texas includes driving under the influence of illegal drugs, as well as driving while impaired by the effects of legal prescription or over-the-counter drugs.

Legal Options After a Texas Drunk Driving Accident

Law enforcement and criminal penalties cannot eliminate the threat of drunk and drugged driving. But Texas civil law allows the victims of impaired driving accidents to seek restitution from those responsible for their losses and their pain and suffering.

People injured in Texas drunk driving motor vehicle accidents, and/or their families, may be entitled to recover damages through a personal injury lawsuit for:

  • Medical costs
  • Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
  • Disfigurement and permanent impairment
  • Pain, suffering and mental anguish
  • Exemplary damages (also called “punitive damages”).

After a fatal impaired driving accident, immediate family members (for example, a spouse, child or parent) may be entitled to recover damages through a wrongful death lawsuit for:

  • Funeral expenses
  • Mental anguish
  • Loss of the deceased family member’s earning capacity
  • Loss of the deceased family member’s care, maintenance, support, advice, counsel and services
  • Loss of companionship and society
  • Exemplary damages.

Call Our Houston Impaired Driving Accident Lawyers Today

If you or a loved one has suffered a catastrophic injury or death in an impaired driving accident in southeast Texas, contact a Houston drunk driving accident lawyer of the Law Office of Kevin Krist at 281-677-3966, or through the firm’s online form.

Let Kevin Krist explain how he can put his personal, proven experience to work for you, so you can get the compensation you deserve as a Texas drunk driving accident victim. Kevin Krist represents accident victims on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no fees until he recovers compensation on your claim.