Drunk driving car accidents in Baytown still occur too frequently, and intoxicated or drugged driving remains a leading cause of motor vehicle wrecks. If you believe the driver who caused your accident was drunk, you are probably feeling angry and you are likely to have many legal questions. A trusted car accident attorney could help answer your questions and channel your anger into justice by pursuing accountability for what happened to you in a civil lawsuit. With the assistance of our legal team, you could seek financial damages for the pain and suffering the drunk driver has inflicted on you and your family.
People who drive drunk could find themselves facing both criminal and civil charges. Under Texas state law, the legal limit for drunk driving generally occurs when a driver’s blood alcohol concentration is 0.08 percent. If the motorist is a commercial driver, their legal limit is only 0.04 percent. If the driver is under 21 when an accident occurs, there is no permissible legal blood alcohol level. People convicted of drunk driving in criminal prosecutions face jail time, heavy fines, and the loss of their driver’s licenses.
Although seeing an alleged drunk driver who caused an accident face criminal charges can bring a sense of justice to an injured party, the criminal justice system cannot alleviate the physical pain or take away their financial burdens caused by the accident. When an alleged drunk driver causes an accident, the person they struck and injured could pursue a lawsuit for damages in civil court. If they already faced criminal charges, the injured party could use the drunk driving conviction as evidence proving their negligence and liability for the crash.
However, even if the alleged drunk driver did not face criminal penalties, they could still face a civil lawsuit. Instead of having to prove to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt that the driver was legally drunk as in a criminal prosecution, the injured party would only need to establish that it was more likely than not that the driver was drunk. Even if the driver’s blood alcohol level was not yet at the legal limit, a hardworking Baytown attorney might be able to prove that the driver’s drinking impaired their driving ability and caused them to drive recklessly and injure someone.
Unfortunately, people injured in drunk driving crashes do not have long to decide if they want to bring a civil lawsuit. Florida law only grants people two years after suffering an injury in a car crash to file a claim. If they do not file a lawsuit within the two-year statute of limitations, a local court would not hear their claim.
In addition to statutory limitations, there are other reasons for bringing a lawsuit promptly. If injured people wait too long, it might be harder to locate witnesses and those witnesses might not recall specific details as clearly. Evidence can also get misplaced.
Speaking with a knowledgeable Baytown attorney as soon as possible after a drunk driver accident gives the legal team ample time to begin developing a solid legal strategy for a case.
Sadly, drunk driving car accidents in Baytown are still alarmingly common. If an intoxicated driver harmed you or your loved one, you deserve to receive compensation for what you have endured.
Consult with an experienced personal injury attorney who could guide you through a legal claim and work on your behalf to get the compensation you need.
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