BAC Level & Car Accidents

Drunken Driving Accident Lawyer Michael Grossman Discusses Blood Alcohol Content and Car Accidents

According to recent studies, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that lowering the legal blood alcohol level has significantly reduced the amount of drunk drivers on the road.

Since most states lowered the legal blood alcohol concentration level from 0.10% to 0.08% in the early 1990’s, the number of fatal drunk driving accidents has been on the way down. However, drunken driving accidents still account for 16,000 deaths on American roads every year. The problem of drunken driving is far from fixed.

If you have been injured or a loved has been killed by a drunk driver, you have the right to file a lawsuit to recover damages. However, you may not be aware that the drunk driver is not the only person against whom you can file such a lawsuit. Under Texas dram shop laws, the drinking establishment might also be held accountable if it did not serve the drunk driver responsibly before he or she got into the accident in question.

Texas dram shop laws do not remove liability from the driver, but they just encourage the bars to act in such a way as to make the roads of the Lone Star State safer for everyone. By making the party that supplies the drinks accountable, the laws can reduce the amount of drunk drivers on the roads.

The responsibility of bartenders to regulate the drinking of their clients is a great one, so the Texas Alcoholic Beverages Commission (TABC) has established rules and regulations to let bartenders and servers know how to spot patrons who are on the verge of inebriation and to cut off sales when they’ve reached the point of public intoxication. The aim of these laws and those that allow compensation in dram shop cases is to do whatever possible to ensure the public’s safety. Servers must be trained in the art of not only recognizing signs of obvious drunkenness like slurred speech, swaying posture or drowsiness, but also the ability to count drinks for heavy drinkers who can mask the signs of inebriation. If any drinking establishment fails to do so, then it can be held accountable through a civil suit.

If you think you have grounds for a lawsuit, you should contact our experienced drunken driving accident attorneys at Grossman Law Offices. Since drunken driving accidents can involve multiple defendants, they can be very difficult to comprehend for most people without significant legal experience. We’ve been resolving drunken driving litigation for 20 years, and we know what to do and whom to sue no matter what the circumstance. If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed by an intoxicated driver, then call us today at 1-855-326-0000 (toll free) for a free consultation. We will answer any questions you have about the specific details of your case and tell you how we can help you recover from the harm that has been done to you.