Marcela never imagined that she would be caught in a battle for justice for her son, Jesus, who lost his life in a tragic drunk driving accident.
Facts
Location
Central Texas
What happened?
Marcela's son was driving home when his vehicle was struck by a driver who had recently left a bar. The drunk driver was served to excess, in violation of Texas law.
Type of Case
3rd Party Dram Shop / Wrongful Death
Resolution
A pre-trial settlement that was acceptable to both parties.
It was spring break, and her son was driving home after dropping off a friend. He took a quiet country road, trying to avoid any dangers. But there was no escape despite getting more than half of his vehicle off the road to avoid an oncoming car. A drunk driver collided head-on with his vehicle, taking his life instantly. Marcela's world was shattered.
From the very beginning, Marcela felt lost and overwhelmed. She was searching for answers, calling every police station, every hospital, desperately trying to find out what happened to her son. She was met with silence, confusion, and misinformation. "Nobody could tell me anything or wanted to or was able," Marcela recalls. For over 36 hours, she lived in a nightmare of uncertainty until finally, a call from the sheriff’s office confirmed her worst fears.
Nobody said anything. Nobody knew anything. Nobody could tell me anything
By Sunday night, I had exhausted all the phone calls that I could make from home while they were in town looking, going places. And so a friend of his and mine did me the favor of taking me. So it was an all night thing in every place that you can imagine we went to and nobody said anything. Nobody knew anything. Nobody could tell me anything until in this part I really, really hate. But I love to mention because this is another part of the fact that people are not prepared to deal with this.
To add to her grief, Marcela faced unexpected cruelty. An insurance company representing the drunk driver called her and claimed that her son was at fault. “I’ve done this for 24 years. I work with insurance. I know how it works,” Marcela says. “I don’t think they were aware that that is the one last thing that you can say to anybody that's involved in this kind of claim, especially being the mother.” It was a painful turning point. She hung up, furious and determined. “That did it for me,” she says. “That same day... I heard it again... and that made me make the phone call.”
It was then that Marcela reached out to Grossman Law Offices. Though initially reluctant to involve a law firm, Marcela was desperate to prove her son’s innocence and hold the responsible parties accountable. From her first conversation with the team at Grossman Law, Marcela felt a sense of peace she hadn't felt since the tragedy began. “They allowed me to voice everything that I needed to voice regarding how everything was so wrong,” she recalls. “They gave me the confidence of knowing that there was going to be out there, somebody that was going to be able to tell me, ‘You're right, your son didn't do anything wrong.’”
They allowed me to voice everything that I needed to voice...
And they allowed me to believe that somebody could get me that proof that I needed. They gave me the, I don't know the word, the confidence of knowing that...somebody that was going to be able to tell me, you're right, your son didn't do anything wrong. That phone call gave me that.
Grossman Law Offices honored Marcela's request to handle the case with minimal intrusion into her life. “I don’t want to be bothered. I don’t want to have to be dealing with phone calls. I don’t want to have to be dealing with anything... just contact me at the end when you have the proof that I need,” she told them. The firm did exactly that, providing her with space to grieve and focus on her family while they pursued justice on her behalf.
Throughout the case, the firm kept Marcela informed and empowered her to make decisions. One pivotal moment came when they presented her with options regarding a settlement offer. "Cory called me and basically he told me they had accomplished what they needed to accomplish... he said, 'I'm going to give you the options.’" They had gathered proof that the other driver was liable, but the coverage was low.
This tragedy did not make me rich or my child rich, and it didn't give me what I ultimately want.
I wish I could have my son back, but it didn't happen. I want somebody to learn, somebody to know that there is a piece of responsibility within each person to say, there's something wrong here. We need to change it. Something has to give. Something has to change. It's not only on the person that was drinking, it's on the person that gave him the liquor to drink.
Marcela, who had never been interested in monetary compensation, decided to settle. "I don't care about the money. It's never been about the money. All I want is... are you telling me that you have proof that they served him, that they did what they said they hadn't done? And he's like, 'Yes.' I said, 'Okay, then let's settle.'"
For Marcela, the resolution was not about financial compensation but about vindicating her son’s name and bringing awareness to the broader issue of responsibility in drunk driving cases. "All I wanted was for somebody to tell me, ‘Your son didn't do anything wrong,’" she says. “Grossman Law Offices took the time to put out there that clipping of the accident that took my child's life when nobody else said or did anything about it. That means the world to me. My son was important.”
Marcela’s experience with Grossman Law Offices changed her perception of what a law firm could accomplish. It gave her a new understanding of the importance of compassionate, client-focused legal advocacy.
Grossman Law Offices gave me the knowledge that my son was not just another accident death.
He was a human being and an important human being part of this world. Their kindness towards me in the few phone calls because of what I asked, it's like I felt respected and I felt my son respected. So all I can say is I'm grateful.
Though the pain of losing her son will never fully heal, Marcela finds comfort in knowing that Grossman Law Offices helped her achieve her goal: justice and acknowledgment of her son’s innocence. "I’m beyond grateful," she says. "There is no other word than thank you for everything, for the way you treated me, the way that you respected my wishes, and the way that this is being wrapped up... it’s giving me more peace, the peace that I started with."
Marcela’s story is a testament to Grossman Law Offices' commitment to their clients, ensuring that they are treated with dignity, respect, and compassion every step of the way.