Despite the warnings that people constantly receive about the dangers of drinking and driving, many individuals still choose to get behind the wheel of their car or truck after having too much to drink. Intoxicated drivers cannot operate their vehicles carefully and safely. As a result, they cause serious traffic accidents and subsequent injuries.
Drivers of passenger vehicles in San Antonio are legally intoxicated if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) meets or exceeds 0.08 percent. However, the law considers commercial drivers, including tractor-trailer operators, legally intoxicated with a BAC of 0.04 percent or higher. A zero-tolerance policy applies to drivers under 21 years old.
If you recently suffered injuries in a motor vehicle accident that a drunk driver caused, seek advice from a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Waiting too long to seek legal representation might prevent you from filing a claim or lawsuit for monetary damages.
The experienced and compassionate San Antonio drunk driving accident lawyers at DJC Law have the knowledge and experience to recover the favorable monetary damages you deserve for your car accident injuries. If the insurance company refuses to compensate you fairly, we can initiate litigation and resolve your case at a courtroom trial or other litigation proceeding.
Start protecting your rights and financial future by scheduling a free consultation with our San Antonio drunk driving accident attorneys. Our legal team is ready to seek justice for you from the drunk driver who caused your injuries.
Why Choose Us to Represent You in Your Case?
When choosing a lawyer to represent you in your drunk driving car accident case, we know you have numerous choices. Unlike many other personal injury law firms in the area, we base our approach on your case's unique facts and circumstances and tailor our approach to your specific needs. Also, unlike many personal injury law firms in Texas that resolve all their cases via settlement, we are not afraid to file a lawsuit and resolve your legal matter at a civil jury trial or other litigation proceeding.
Let us pursue the full monetary recovery you deserve for all of your car accident injuries. In San Antonio, you can rely on DJC Law to provide the representation and guidance you need.
How Much Is My San Antonio Drunk Driving Accident Case Worth?
Drunk driving car accidents in San Antonio can lead to debilitating injuries that may require accident victims to undergo significant medical treatment. Accident victims may also need to miss time from work, resulting in a high amount of lost income.
When a drunk driving car accident victim can establish the legal elements of their claim or lawsuit, they may recover monetary damages.
In a drunk driving accident case, the injured car accident victim, not the at-fault driver, must satisfy a legal burden of proof.
The at-fault driver does not need to prove anything in the case, but a claimant must demonstrate:
- The other driver was legally intoxicated when they caused the crash. Often, an accident victim only needs a police report or DUI conviction records to satisfy this element.
- The car accident happened as a direct result of the other driver’s intoxication.
- They suffered at least one physical injury due to their accident.
When victims of drunk driving accidents can establish these legal elements, they may recover monetary compensation. The damages that car crash victims can recover in their personal injury claim or lawsuit depend on the injuries they suffered, the cost of their medical treatment, and other accident-specific circumstances.
First, accident victims can recover monetary damages for their past and anticipated medical costs, including the costs associated with various medical visits, medical procedures, and treatments. In addition, if the accident victim had to spend time away from work to recover from their injuries, they can recover lost income or compensation for loss of earning capacity.
In addition to these various out-of-pocket expenses, victims of drunk driving car accidents can also receive compensation for their intangible losses.
Those losses may compensate accident victims for all their:
- Past/future pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Permanent disabilities or disfigurements
- Loss of the ability to use a body party
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Lifetime care costs
- Loss of spousal companionship and consortium.
Our knowledgeable legal team can develop realistic expectations for your case so that you may get an idea of the types and amounts of monetary damages you can recover in your case. We can also handle the negotiations with the insurance company adjusters on your behalf or represent you during a litigation proceeding.
We want to maximize the compensation you recover for your drunk driving accident injuries.
Where Do Drunk Driving Accidents Frequently Occur in San Antonio?
With the increased number of cars on San Antonio roadways, the number of drunk driving accidents in the area has increased significantly.
Given the significant traffic on highways, drunk driving accidents are particularly common in these high-speed roads:
- Interstate 35
- North Interstate Highway 35
- Interstate 10
- U.S. Route 281
- Interstate 410
- U.S. Route 90
- U.S. Route 87
- U.S. Route 181
- State Highway 16
- U.S. Route 281
- Texas Route 130
- Interstate 37
- Texas Route 211
- State Highway 151
- U.S. Route 81
Drunk driving accidents may also happen in downtown San Antonio or near St. Mary’s Strip because of the many restaurants and bars that serve alcohol.
They are also common near the campuses of the University of Texas, Texas A&M, Trinity University, and other colleges in the city. Mixing young students with alcohol and driving can often spell disaster for others when accidents happen.
If you recently suffered injuries in a drunk driving accident anywhere in San Antonio, turn to the experienced legal team at DJC Law. We can review your drunk driving accident with you and determine your legal options for moving forward. We can then file a claim with the drunk driver’s insurance company or file a lawsuit against the drunk driver directly in the Texas State Court System.
What Are the Most Common Types of Drunk Driving Accidents in San Antonio?
When the drivers in San Antonio drive while intoxicated, they significantly increase their chances of causing various types of traffic accidents.
Some of the most common motor vehicle crashes that result from drunk driving accidents include:
- Rear-end accidents, where a driver negligently causes the front of their vehicle to hit the back of another vehicle
- Sideswipe accidents, where an intoxicated driver negligently causes the vehicle to shift into another travel lane, striking another vehicle
- Rollover accidents, where an intoxicated driver negligently loses control of their vehicle, causing it to strike another car that subsequently rolls over on the highway
- Broadside or T-bones collisions, where a drunk driver fails to yield the right-of-way to another vehicle, causing the front of their car to hit the side of the other vehicle
- Head-on collisions, where a drunk driver negligently causes their vehicle to cross the center dividing line or median strip, striking another car directly
You have legal options if you suffered injuries in one of these accidents due to a drunk driver. To maximize your chances of obtaining favorable monetary recovery, you must speak with a drunk driving accident attorney in your area immediately.
At DJC Law, our legal team can review all potential options and determine the best course of action to follow. We can then handle every step of the claims filing and litigation processes.
What Are the Most Common Injuries in San Antonio Drunk Driving Accidents?
Drunk driving accidents in San Antonio frequently happen at high speeds. Consequently, drivers and passengers may stand to suffer severe injuries in these accidents. In some accidents, victims suffer permanent injuries that will never fully heal and can cause lifelong symptoms, disabilities, or impairments.
The specific injuries that accident victims suffer will depend upon a variety of factors, including how their body moves in the vehicle during the accident, whether a part of their body strikes something in the car, the number of collisions that occur, and the amount of force involved in the accident.
Some of the most common drunk driving accident injuries include:
- Cuts and abrasions
- Soft tissue contusions (including whiplash injuries)
- Bruises
- Rib fractures
- Bone breaks
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
- Traumatic head and brain injuries
If you sustained any of these injuries in your recent drunk driving accident, the experienced San Antonio drunk driving accident lawyers at DJC Law are on your side. Our legal team can begin handling the legal aspects of your case while you attend medical appointments and focus all your attention on getting better.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a San Antonio Drunk Driving Collision
Following a drunk driving car accident, our legal team can handle all negotiations with the drunk driver’s motor vehicle insurance company.
Insurance companies do everything in their power to undermine the strength of an accident victim’s claim. In fact, the insurance company wants to offer as little monetary compensation as possible to resolve the claim. To achieve this goal, many insurance company adjusters will allege that the accident victim’s injuries are not severe or pre-existing (in other words, they are unrelated to the crash).
Our skilled legal team can retain medical professionals and other experts to testify favorably in your case. We can also threaten the insurance company with litigation in the court system if they refuse to compensate you fairly.
Essential Steps to Take Following a Drunk Driving Car Accident in San Antonio
If you sustained injuries in a drunk driving accident, complete your medical treatment regimen fully. For example, depending on your treatment provider's recommendations, you might need to follow up with your primary care doctor, undergo surgery, or visit a physical therapist’s office.
If you fail to complete your medical treatment regimen or discharge yourself from a particular medical facility, the insurance company adjuster handling your case may become skeptical. Specifically, they may believe that your injuries are not severe and that they do not deserve favorable compensation as part of your claim or lawsuit. By completing your medical treatment regimen, you show the insurance company that your injuries are severe and that you are taking your personal injury case seriously.
Next, you need to obtain copies of pertinent documents. For example, you should obtain copies of medical treatment records, medical bills, police reports, witness contact information, injury photographs, and property damage photographs that you have available. Once you forward all these documents, we can include them as part of your settlement demand package.
Call a Knowledgeable San Antonio Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today
Sometimes, a person who suffered an injury in a drunk driving accident might think their case is straightforward and they don't need a lawyer. This is nearly always a mistake. Insurance companies are always looking for a reason not to give compensation to anyone. The best way to prevent this is by enlisting professional legal representation.
At DJC Law, our experienced and compassionate San Antonio drunk driving accident lawyers welcome the opportunity to fight for your legal rights and, if necessary, pursue your case at a civil jury trial or other litigation proceeding. We will do everything possible to maximize the monetary compensation you recover for your drunk driving accident injuries.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a personal injury law firm in San Antonio, please call us at (210) 220-2222 or contact us online.