Intoxicated Accident Injury Attorney

Dallas Intoxicated Accident Injury Attorney Michael Grossman Discusses Drunk Driver Accident Lawsuits

Drunk driving wrecks can be horrific for a multitude of reasons, including losing a loved one, or serious personal injury to yourself.

If you or someone you know has been in one of those accidents, it would be a wise move to quickly contact qualified legal help so you have a chance to get the complete compensation for your loss or injury. Dallas intoxicated accident attorney Michael Grossman of Grossman Law Offices has dealt with several of these cases that involve a Texas Dram Shop Cause of Action, and he can help you make sure you get the right compensation so you can continue on with life after being injured or losing a loved one due to someone’s reckless and negligent actions.

Grossman Law Offices provides this article to you so you can gain additional knowledge about your legal options if you’ve been part of an intoxicated driver accident in Dallas or another suburb in the Metroplex. Dallas intoxicated driver accident cases aren’t as easy to figure out as they seem at first glance, and the information you’re about to glance at will explain why that usually happens. However, this piece isn’t meant to be a replacement for solid legal representation. Drunk driving cases usually have several unique factors that require certain legal maneuvers to be used, so it would be smart for you to not waste time and call for legal help if you or a family member has been in an intoxicated driver accident. We hope you read this information, and then give Grossman Law Offices a call at 1-855-326-0000 (toll free) for a free consultation.

How Are Drunk Driving Accident Cases Different Than Normal Car Accident Cases?

There are two key differences between intoxicated driver accidents and your regular car accidents that are basic fender-benders. First difference is that drunks usually cause considerably more damage, both to property and others, than those regular drivers who cause an accident when they don’t pay attention briefly. Along with that, not to anyone’s surprise, the death rate is far bigger in accidents with drunk drivers than with accidents including sober drivers. As such, litigating a Dallas intoxication accident lawsuit can be way more challenging for inexperienced law firms since there’s so much money at stake, which usually means that insurance policy the drunk driver had will be fought for fiercely.

The second main difference is that while a drunk driver is obviously responsible for any injuries or deaths they caused, there usually are several other groups that can be deemed liable for the accident as well. That means the drunk driver and others can be found responsible, which will create a greater chance at compensation for you so you can return to your regular lifestyle quicker. That’s why it’s vital to have qualified Dallas intoxication accident lawyer Michael Grossman in your corner, who will work nonstop to make sure justice is reached with all those responsible for this horrendous tragedy.

How Can More Than Just the Drunk Driver Be Held Liable?

It’s obvious that with most your drunk driving cases, the drunk driver is at fault for any injuries or deaths they cause due to their selfish and reckless actions. However, if you need quick financial assistance to help with medical bills or funeral expenses, they may not be the best choice to focus on at first when it comes to getting compensated. They definitely should have to be held accountable, but there are usually more parties who contributed to the intoxicated driver accident in Dallas; parties that, to some degree, assisted the drunk driver in creating the accident.

The Dram Shop Law, as explained by the Texas Civil Practices and Remedies Code, states that effected parties can pursue personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits against any businesses that serve a drunk person enough alcohol to surpass the legal blood-alcohol content level of .08%, or allowed that customer to leave their establishment and drive away drunk. That means that the bar, restaurant, or other establishment that provides alcohol can be found liable for any wrecks that their customers created while drunk. This explains why multiple parties are included in a Dallas intoxicated driver accident case than just the drunk driver. In this situation, the bar that was serving is deemed vicariously liable for the drunk driver’s wreck.

Why Can Bars Be Held Responsible for a Drunk Driving Accident?

If every business that served alcohol was serious about making sure their customers didn’t leave their place while intoxicated, the totals for intoxication related injuries and deaths would definitely decline. That’s why bars are held responsible for their drunk customer’s negligent behavior in hopes of decreasing the chances of this from really happening. However, if you watch the latest local news, that hasn’t put a stop to drunk driving accidents.

Ironically, these businesses, if found guilty of negligence, usually have a better chance to award compensation for a victim or family member of someone who was lost. They will usually cooperate quick too since they don’t want to see their reputation take a hit out on the town. Along with that, by making sure these restaurants and bars are accountable for their behavior, a signal is delivered to local citizens that placing greed ahead of safety causes hazards for the same group of people the restaurant is catering to.

It needs to be mentioned that just because you’re prosecuting a bar or establishment doesn’t mean they will technically give you a huge amount of money as compensation If a drunk driver and alcohol-serving business are co-defendants in a case, the court will figure out what amount of liability each defendant carries. The amount of compensation for each negligent party is figured out by their percentage of liability. That means in this case the drunk driver would be on the hook for the bulk of the liability and your compensation. Understand, though, that this shouldn’t keep you from making sure everyone responsible is held to account. The first reason is that this ensures their behavior is brought to justice. Then, by going after numerous liable parties, you’ll have a better chance at receiving solid and fair compensation. To seek compensation from lots of people usually grants a better result then going after just one person by themselves.

What Does the Law Say About Drunk Driving in Texas?

Texas law says it’s against the law for any individual with a blood alcohol level of .08% to drive a vehicle, or be seen in public. Along with that, Texas law has put up measures to make sure bars or other restaurants don’t provide customers with alcohol that would result in them surpassing the BAC of .08%. This is a law because facts show that an intoxicated driver doesn’t have the ability to figure out if they’re too drunk to drive. Since they are unable to determine that while intoxicated, a waiter or bartender must step in and make those choices for the customer. At this juncture is when it’s up to the waiter to watch out for public safety by doing whatever is necessary to keep the driver from getting behind the wheel.

Bars and restaurants are aware of these guidelines and that’s why they establish many rules to make sure their customers are provided for should they get too hammered. You’ll see a lot of times how restaurants will team up with specific cab companies, or provide incentives to those who come to their bar and bring a designated driver. However, if a restaurant or another establishment doesn’t have these safety measures in place, there’s nothing more dangerous to their reputation, or that could effect their profits more, than having to worry about a Dallas intoxicated driver lawsuit. Because of our 20 years of dealing with Texas liquor liability law, Grossman Law Offices can routinely help clients obtain out of court settlements with these businesses, ensuring you get assistance for medical expenses, funeral bills, or property damage expenses you’ve been slammed with because of this business’ negligence.

What Does Proximate Cause Mean in a Drunk Driving Case?

Bartenders and other workers that serve alcohol have been schooled on their duties to their customers. When they don’t follow these duties, whether it’s due to ignorance or greed or some other excuse, and their customer causes an intoxicated driver accident in Dallas leading to injury or death, the bartender is deemed to be a “proximate cause” of the drunk driving accident. That means their choices, or lack of action, helped lead to the drunk driver’s wreck.

What Are Bars or Restaurants Legally Expected to Do?

Bartenders can be held liable because they have to be aware of the numerous legal responsibilities that must be followed by people in their business. For example:

• Bars must make sure each of their servers have obtained a license from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). This involves major training and allows waits to discover what all their legal responsibilities are when it comes to customers. So TABC licensed businesses and their workers can’t play the ignorance card when it comes to their negligent behavior.
• The state has established an expectation that all bars have specific rules and guidelines in place that explain how alcohol is monitored and provided at their respective businesses.
• Bars are also expected to have guidelines in place about how their workers handle drunk customers, and that all workers are aware of and follow these guidelines.
• Along with all that, waiters and bartenders are also required to spot the tell-tale signs that a customer is getting too drunk to drive.

If a bar or other business can show they’ve followed these demands that were previously outlined, they will be deemed not responsible for the accident caused by one of their drunk customers. Since most alcohol serving establishments are aware of this, they will try and act like they meet those requirements if a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit is dropped on them. Called the “Safe Harbor Defense,” a defendant in these cases will attempt to hide behind a lie when it comes to their negligence. The tough part is that it comes down to the plaintiff to prove the defendant was lying about meeting those standards mentioned before. When it comes to a court case, the burden of proof is shouldered on the plaintiff’s attorneys, and it’s that group that has to show the business serving alcohol was negligent and that negligence resulted in the intoxicated driver’s accident in Dallas. This can be extremely daunting for some young, or untalented law firms, but the Dallas intoxicated accident law firm of Grossman Law Offices has been trying dram shop cause of action cases for 20 years. We’re accustomed to these unethical tricks and will work tirelessly to unearth the facts about a business that may have caused you severe personal injury or indescribable loss.

Contact Grossman Law Offices As Soon As Possible After An Intoxicated Driver Accident

We realize that you’re experiencing a very horrific time, especially if you’ve lost a loved one or been hit with a critical injury. What should be part of your healing process is getting financially compensated for that death or injury, since it will help to some degree in returning to a routine. You may feel you don’t have the time, money, or emotional fortitude to pursue a Dallas intoxicated drive lawsuit against a liable party, but it’s usually in your best interests, plus your family’s, to make that choice.

So if you have any doubts about continuing with a personal injury or wrongful death case for an intoxicated driver accident in Dallas, you can contact Grossman Law Offices at 1-855-326-0000 (toll free) for a free consultation, and we will provide answers to your questions, and give you some choices for your situation.

If you’ve been in a Dallas intoxicated driver accident, you should give us a call soon. Waiting too long to include proper legal counsel could damage your case, or even result in you not having any case at all. Do what’s necessary so you can have a chance to get complete and fair compensation for your injury or loss by reaching us today. We’re here to assist during this trying time.