Drunk Driving Accidents Continue to Rise in Texas

The Statistics Are Astonishing

Every year I check to see what the statistics for drunk driving in the state of Texas once they are released by Texas Department of Transportation. As of today, the 2015 records are not out yet, but if the 2014 numbers are indicative of what 2015 numbers will be like, the numbers will be simply astonishing.

In 2014, there were 925 fatal alcohol related crashes, and 1702 accidents that involved injuries that produced critical injuries, in the state of Texas. Of those accidents, 1,041 Texans were killed, and 2,328 people were left with permanent debilitating injuries.

Just as disturbing is the fact that DUI related crashes injured nearly 6,000 people across the state of Texas with non-life threatening injuries. This brings the confirmed total injured or killed in Drunk Driving accidents in Texas to 9,289 in 2014 alone.

 

What Those Sobering Statistics Mean

Those numbers mean that alcohol related deaths accounted for nearly 30% of all fatalities and fatality crashes in the state of Texas in 2014.

Also, there is a category call “possible injuries” which means that the injuries were either unconfirmed at the time of the accident, or whether or not DUI was involved, the number of “possible injuries” is very high. TXDOT estimates that there could be an additional 6,304 possible DUI injuries in 2014. That would bring the possible grand total number of injuries due to drunk driving from 9,289 all the way up to 15,593.

 

What Can I do if I Have Been Injured by a Drunk Driver?

After the accident, you need to speak with an attorney about your rights. Drunk driving claims are typically negligence claims against the driver, but they can also involve the true owner of the vehicle, the company that owns the vehicle, and the bar that served the driver drinks.

All of these different people could also be held liable if they had anything to do with the driver being on the road at the time of the accident. You need an attorney who is willing to go the extra mile to insure that you are compensated for your injuries.

 

Don’t Trust the Insurance Company!

The insurance company is likely going to either try to deny coverage in some way, or give you an extremely low offer that seems like it may be enough to you before you know everything about your injuries and your rights. Don’t accept it! The insurance company is not representing your interests. They only care about their insured, and protecting their bottom line. If they can get you to take a low-ball offer early in the process then they have won the day, and you are out in the cold, and the money they offered is likely not enough to cover the full cost of your injury.

Don’t let that happen to you. You need an attorney who can stand up to the insurance company and break down the barriers they have set up to keep from getting you the necessary compensation for your injuries.

 

Don’t Do It Alone!

The law surrounding these personal injury cases is difficult and court procedures are difficult for even experienced attorneys to understand. On top of that, you better believe the insurance company is going to have an attorney (and a darn good one, too!) and you will be at a severe disadvantage if you do not have an attorney by your side.

These cases can also be quite expensive to see all the way through. The hiring of experts and compiling of evidence is an expensive process. You need an attorney who can afford to bring these experts in for you to help prove your case.

Here at Guest and Gray, not only do we provide you with upfront assistance of the cost to prove your case, we take our personal injury cases on a contingent fee basis. That means we do not get paid unless you get paid. Period.

 

Call Guest and Gray if you have been injured in an accident! Don’t Wait!

If you have been injured in an accident, you need to be aware of you rights. You need to know who you can sue to get the money you need for your recovery. It may not always be who you think. It could be the driver of the car you were in. You could have an action against the bar that you were at who overserved the driver. It could someone else’s negligence. Whoever it is, Guest and Gray will fight for you and do everything in their power to get you the money you need to put your life back together.