Fort Worth Drunk Driving Injury Lawyer

Drunk Driving is a serious problem in Fort Worth & North Texas

Drinking and driving is a dangerous and illegal practice. Alcohol impacts concentration, motor skills, judgement, reaction time, and other skills necessary to operate a vehicle safely. If you are in an accident with a drunk driver, you could hold him or her accountable for your injuries—but you can also file a claim against the establishment that provided the driver with alcohol.

What is a Dram Shop Claim?

A dram shop claim refers to a civil case you can file against a bar, tavern, or another establishment that sells alcohol. If this establishment provides alcohol to a person who later causes an injury to another, it could be liable for the victims’ damages.

What are the Dram Shop Laws?

According to Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code Section 2.01, bars, taverns, and other alcohol retailers may be liable for a victim’s damages if it sold, provided, or served alcoholic beverages to an obviously intoxicated customer. If the customer then got into an accident and caused injury to another person, that victim could file a lawsuit against the establishment.

Texas’s dram shop laws do not apply to social hosts. If a person attends a party and a friend overserves alcohol to him or her, that friend would not be liable if the drunk person causes an accident. However, if the social host served alcohol to a minor, the adult may be liable for any accident the drunk minor causes.

What kind of damages come from Dram Shop Cases?

A drunk driving car accident can lead to serious, debilitating injuries. Through a dram shop lawsuit, you can hold a business accountable for the losses you sustained, allowing you to recover from your injuries. You can collect compensation for your economic, or financial losses, as well as your non-economic damages, which are also known as pain and suffering.

Common types of damages in dram shop claims include the following.

• Lost wages and loss of future earnings
• Past and future medical expenses
• Disability accommodations to your home or vehicle
• Property damage, including vehicle repairs
• Emotional distress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Funeral and burial expenses, if applicable
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of care, companionship, and consortium