Were You Injured by a Drunk Driver in Dallas?
Drunk driving accidents cause devastating injuries. When an intoxicated driver causes a collision, victims may have the right to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim.
The Dallas personal injury attorney at The Law Office of Fidel Alex Martinez, PLLC can investigate the accident and pursue maximum compensation to cover the cost of your medical treatment, lost wages, and other damages you have suffered.
You should consider talking with a lawyer if:
- A suspected intoxicated driver caused your collision.
- The other driver was arrested after the accident.
- Your injuries prevent you from returning to work.
- You will be needing future medical treatment.
- You suffered a permanent disability or disfigurement.
- An insurance company is disputing your claim.
- You are being pressured to accept an early settlement.
- A family member died because of the collision.
Hold Drunk Drivers Accountable
If an intoxicated driver caused your injuries, you may have the right to pursue compensation. Call (972) 639-8170 for a free consultation.
What Makes Us Different?
Fidel Alex Martinez provides personalized legal representation for people who have been injured in drunk driving accidents throughout Dallas and the surrounding communities. Our legal team works closely with each client to understand how the accident has affected their health, family, career, and financial well-being.
Throughout the process, we strive to provide clear communication and legal guidance tailored to each client's individual circumstances. Here’s why so many people have come to trust our firm:
- Personalized legal strategies: Every drunk driving accident presents unique challenges. We tailor our approach to each client's circumstances, considering the available evidence, severity of injuries, insurance coverage, and financial losses.
- A record of favorable case results: Our firm has helped injured individuals and their families pursue compensation and hold negligent parties accountable for the harm they have caused.
- Free initial consultations: We offer injured victims and their families an opportunity to discuss their accidents, ask questions, and better understand their legal options at no upfront cost.
- Experience handling complicated injury claims: We represent clients facing substantial medical expenses, lengthy recovery periods, lost income, and potentially permanent disabilities following serious accidents.
- Bilingual legal services: Our Spanish-speaking support allows clients to communicate comfortably with our team, receive answers to their questions, and stay informed throughout the legal process.
- A commitment to personal injury law: Our practice focuses on helping individuals harmed by negligence, allowing us to devote our attention and resources to pursuing compensation for accident victims.
- No attorney's fees unless we recover compensation: We handle personal injury cases on a contingency-fee basis, so clients do not owe attorney's fees unless we successfully obtain compensation on their behalf.
- Featured on Univision: Our firm's appearance on Univision demonstrates our community presence and commitment to serving individuals and families from diverse backgrounds.
How Can a Lawyer Help When You Have Been Injured?
If you have been injured in an accident caused by an intoxicated driver, a Dallas DUI injury lawyer can help you understand your legal rights and pursue compensation for your losses. At The Law Office of Fidel Alex Martinez, PLLC, attorney Fidel Alex Martinez can handle the legal aspects of your claim while you focus on your recovery.
Our firm can assist with your case by:
- Investigating the accident: Reviewing police reports, accident scene photographs, surveillance footage, dash cam recordings, witness statements, and other available evidence to determine how the collision occurred.
- Gathering evidence of intoxication: Examining blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test results, field sobriety test findings, police body camera footage, and observations of the driver's behavior before and after the crash.
- Establishing liability: Using the available evidence to demonstrate how the impaired driver's negligent actions contributed to the accident and your injuries.
- Evaluating your damages: Assessing medical bills, lost wages, future treatment expenses, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, and other accident-related losses.
- Handling insurance negotiations: Communicating with insurance adjusters, addressing settlement offers, and pursuing compensation that reflects the full extent of your damages.
- Representing you in court: Preparing your case for trial and presenting evidence before a judge or jury if the insurance company refuses to offer a fair settlement.
Can You File a Personal Injury Claim Without a DUI Conviction?
A DUI or DWI conviction is not required to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim in Texas. Criminal charges and civil injury claims are handled separately, and each involves different legal standards and objectives. Criminal proceedings focus on determining whether a driver violated the law and should face penalties, while civil claims allow injured individuals to seek compensation for damages resulting from another person's negligence.
You may still be eligible to file a personal injury claim even if the impaired driver was never arrested, formally charged, or convicted. Evidence of negligent driving behaviors, such as speeding, running traffic signals, failing to yield, drifting between lanes, or following too closely, may help establish responsibility for the collision.
A Dallas drunk driving accident attorney can investigate the circumstances of your crash, review the available evidence, and determine whether you have grounds to pursue compensation, regardless of the outcome of any criminal proceedings.
What Types of Compensation Are Available?
A drunk driving accident creates immediate expenses as well as losses that continue for years. Available compensation depends on the severity of your injuries, the extent of your damages, and other factors.
A personal injury claim may seek compensation for:
- Medical expenses: These may include emergency transportation, hospital care, surgery, diagnostic testing, doctor appointments, medications, and other necessary treatment.
- Future medical expenses: Serious injuries may require additional surgeries, rehabilitation, physical therapy, medication, medical equipment, or ongoing care.
- Lost wages: If your injuries prevent you from working, your claim may include income you lost while receiving treatment and recovering.
- Loss of earning capacity: Long-term or permanent injuries may affect your ability to perform your previous job or earn the same income in the future.
- Physical pain: Compensation may address the physical pain caused by your injuries, medical procedures, and recovery.
- Mental anguish: Serious accidents and injuries can also cause qualifying emotional and psychological harm.
- Physical impairment: An injury may interfere with mobility, independence, hobbies, household responsibilities, or other aspects of everyday life.
- Disfigurement: Permanent scars, burns, amputations, and other lasting changes in physical appearance may support a claim for disfigurement damages.
Injuries Caused by DUI Drivers
Severe injuries may require surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and months of follow-up care. After the accident, you may be unable to return to the same occupation or perform activities that were previously part of your everyday life.
Some accident injuries are immediately obvious, while others may not produce significant symptoms until later. Seeking appropriate medical attention after a collision can help identify injuries and establish medical documentation connecting your condition with the accident.
DUI accident injuries may include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Concussion
- Spinal cord damage
- Neck and back injuries
- Broken and fractured bones
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Facial injuries
- Severe burns
- Cuts and lacerations
- Knee and leg injuries
- Shoulder and arm injuries
- Nerve damage
- Amputation
- Paralysis
- Permanent physical impairment
Justice Starts With One Call
A drunk driving crash can leave you facing medical bills, lost income, and lasting injuries. Fidel Alex Martinez can pursue compensation from those responsible for your losses. Call (972) 639-8170 to learn more today.
Your Attorney Will Collect Evidence to Build a Strong Claim
When an impaired driver causes a collision, they may be held financially responsible for the injuries and losses resulting from their negligence. Alcohol and drug impairment can affect a driver's ability to make sound decisions, react to changing road conditions, maintain control of their vehicle, and recognize potential hazards. These impairments increase the risk of dangerous driving behaviors and serious accidents.
Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) test results can provide valuable evidence in a drunk driving accident claim, especially when they indicate that the driver was legally intoxicated around the time of the collision.
Additional evidence that may help establish the driver's negligence and responsibility includes:
- Police accident reports and officer observations
- Field sobriety test results
- Police body-camera and dashboard-camera recordings
- Statements from witnesses who observed the driver's behavior
- Traffic surveillance footage showing how the collision occurred
- Records of a DUI or DWI arrest or conviction
A Dallas drunk driving accident attorney can review this evidence to determine how the driver's impairment contributed to the crash and build a claim for compensation.
Employers Can Also Be Liable
Employers may also be held responsible for drunk driving accidents if they negligently hire or retain employees with known alcohol-related driving issues. For example, an employer may face liability if it knew or should have known about a driver's previous DUI convictions, alcohol-related accidents, incidents involving drinking at work, or other documented behavior suggesting the driver posed a danger to others on the road.
What Should You Do After an Accident Involving a DUI Driver?
Seek appropriate medical attention right away, even if your symptoms don’t seem severe. Some injuries such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and nerve damage may not be immediately apparent, and it is important to receive appropriate evaluation and treatment as soon as possible. Report the collision to law enforcement and cooperate with the accident investigation.
If you can safely do so, capture photographs of vehicle damage and the accident scene. Document road conditions, skid marks, traffic signals, debris, and any visible injuries. Collect contact information from witnesses when possible and contact a Dallas car accident lawyer right away.
Save medical bills, repair estimates, insurance correspondence, and other accident-related records. You should also avoid posting details about the collision or your injuries on social media while your claim is pending.
Pursuing a Wrongful Death Claim in Texas
Under Texas law, certain surviving family members may have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit when a loved one's death results from another person's negligence, wrongful actions, or failure to exercise reasonable care.
Texas allows the deceased individual's surviving spouse, children, and parents to pursue a wrongful death claim. Any one or more of these eligible relatives may file a lawsuit on behalf of all qualifying beneficiaries.
A wrongful death claim may provide compensation for the financial and emotional hardships surviving family members experience following their loved one's death. Recoverable damages may include lost financial support and earning capacity, loss of care and companionship, loss of guidance and support, and mental anguish caused by the death.
What Clients Are Saying
Very great service-Magali Perez (5-Star Google Review)
Everything was really easy and safe. Also, he takes his job very seriously. I completely recommend The Law Office of Fidel Alex Martinez. Very great service, by the way.
He is honest & always willing to help our community- Carmen Iniguez (5-Star Google Review)
I have known Fidel & his law firm for an approximate 10 years. I can recommend him and his firm, knowing he is honest & always willing to help our community. I have referred families, and they have thanked me for the prompt response from Fidel & their cases being treated with much respect.
Talk to Our Dallas Drunk Driving Car Accident Lawyer
The Law Office of Fidel Alex Martinez, PLLC provides free consultations and Spanish-speaking support. We represent personal injury clients on a contingency-fee basis, meaning there is no attorney's fee unless we recover compensation.
If you or someone you love was injured by a suspected intoxicated driver, call (972) 639-8170 to find out how we can help.
Serious Accidents, Serious Results.
Frequently Asked Questions About DUI Accident Injuries in Texas
What does a drunk driving injury lawyer do?
A drunk driving injury lawyer investigates the collision, gathers evidence, identifies potentially responsible parties, documents your injuries and losses, and handles communications with insurance companies. An attorney can also negotiate a settlement or pursue litigation when necessary.
Does there need to be a DWI conviction to file a personal injury claim?
No. A criminal DWI case and a civil personal injury claim are separate legal proceedings. You may be able to pursue compensation based on evidence of the driver's negligence even when the criminal case is still pending or does not result in a conviction.
When should I contact a drunk driving injury lawyer?
Consider contacting an attorney as soon as possible after receiving appropriate medical care. Acting promptly can help preserve accident scene evidence, witness information, video footage, police records, and other evidence relevant to your claim.
What compensation can I pursue after a drunk driving accident?
Depending on the circumstances, compensation may be available for medical expenses, future medical care, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, physical pain, mental anguish, impairment, disfigurement, and other damages available under Texas law.
What evidence can help you prove a drunk driving injury claim?
Evidence may include police reports, photographs, surveillance or dashcam footage, witness statements, medical records, vehicle damage, and available evidence concerning the driver's suspected intoxication. The evidence available will depend on the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Can I file a wrongful death claim after a fatal drunk driving accident?
Certain surviving family members may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim when an intoxicated driver's negligence causes a fatality. An attorney can explain who may bring a claim and what damages may be available under Texas law.
How long does a drunk driving injury case take?
The timeline of a personal injury claim depends on factors such as the severity of the injuries, available evidence, settlement negotiations, and whether a lawsuit becomes necessary. A lawyer can provide a better understanding of the likely process after reviewing the specific circumstances of your case.