Carabin Shaw is one of the leading personal injury law firms in San Antonio and Texas. They have extensive experience in car accident cases, focusing on securing compensation for clients that reflects the full extent of their medical bills, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Specialization: Personal injury, car accidents,truck accidents, wrongful death, 18-wheeler accidents.
Why choose them? Carabin Shaw Law Firm offers a complimentary initial consultation, and their team is recognized for aggressively advocating for their clients’ rights.

Drunk Driving Car Accidents in Houston – Lawyers Who Hold Impaired Drivers Accountable

Drunk driving car accidents in Houston are entirely preventable tragedies that destroy lives and families every single year. Despite aggressive law enforcement efforts and public awareness campaigns, impaired drivers continue to get behind the wheel and cause devastating crashes on Houston roads. When a drunk driver injures you or someone you love, the law gives you the right to hold them financially accountable — and in many cases, to seek punitive damages that go beyond compensating your losses to punish the drunk driver for their reckless choice. Houston car accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw pursue these cases with the intensity and determination they deserve.

Houston’s vibrant nightlife scene, sprawling bar and restaurant districts, and reliance on automobile transportation create a perfect storm for drunk driving accidents. Montrose, Midtown, Washington Avenue, and downtown Houston see a high concentration of alcohol-related crashes, particularly on weekend nights and holidays. But drunk driving accidents happen at all hours and in all parts of the city. Experienced car accident attorneys in Houston at Carabin Shaw handle drunk driving cases aggressively, pursuing every available dollar of compensation including punitive damages to make sure their clients receive full justice.

If you have been injured by a drunk driver in Houston, the criminal justice system will handle the criminal charges. But the criminal case does nothing to compensate you for your injuries and losses. Car accident lawyers at Carabin Shaw file the civil claim that puts money in your pocket and holds the drunk driver personally responsible. Call today for a free consultation.

The Devastating Impact of Alcohol on Driving Ability

Alcohol impairs virtually every skill required for safe driving. At a blood alcohol concentration of just 0.02 percent — well below the legal limit — drivers begin to experience a decline in visual function and the ability to perform two tasks simultaneously. By 0.05 percent, steering control deteriorates and response time to emergency situations slows significantly. At the legal limit of 0.08 percent, concentration, speed control, information processing, and perception are all substantially impaired.

Many drunk driving crashes involve drivers with BAC levels far above the legal limit. At 0.10 percent and above, reaction time and vehicle control are severely degraded. Drivers at these levels may weave between lanes, drive at erratic speeds, ignore traffic signals, and fail to perceive hazards until it is far too late. The resulting crashes are frequently high-speed and high-force, producing catastrophic injuries or death.

Punitive Damages in Drunk Driving Accident Cases

Texas law allows victims of drunk driving accidents to seek punitive damages — also known as exemplary damages — in addition to compensatory damages. While compensatory damages cover your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other actual losses, punitive damages are specifically designed to punish the drunk driver for their grossly negligent behavior and to deter others from making the same reckless choice.

To recover punitive damages, your lawyers must present clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with gross negligence, conscious indifference, or malice. Driving while intoxicated is exactly the kind of conduct Texas courts recognize as grounds for punitive damages. The amount of punitive damages awarded is determined by the jury based on factors such as the severity of the defendant’s conduct, the degree of harm caused, and the need for deterrence. These awards can be substantial and often represent a significant portion of the total recovery.

Dram Shop Liability – Holding Bars and Restaurants Accountable

In some drunk driving accident cases, the establishment that served alcohol to the intoxicated driver may also bear legal responsibility. Under the Texas Dram Shop Act, a bar, restaurant, or other alcohol provider can be held liable if they served alcohol to a person who was obviously intoxicated to the extent that they presented a clear danger to themselves and others. If that intoxicated person then causes a car accident, the establishment that over-served them shares financial liability for the resulting injuries.

Dram shop claims add another source of financial recovery to your case, which is especially valuable when the drunk driver has limited personal assets or insurance coverage. Proving a dram shop claim requires evidence that the establishment knew or should have known that the person was visibly intoxicated and continued serving them anyway. Surveillance footage from the bar, server testimony, receipts showing the volume of drinks purchased, and witness observations can all support this claim.

Social Host Liability in Texas

Texas law also addresses situations where a private individual — rather than a commercial establishment — provides alcohol to someone who later causes a drunk driving accident. Under limited circumstances, a social host who serves alcohol to a minor can be held liable for injuries caused by the intoxicated minor. However, Texas social host liability is more limited than dram shop liability, and adults who provide alcohol to other adults at private gatherings generally do not face civil liability.

Your lawyers will analyze the specific facts of your case to determine whether any third-party liability claims — dram shop or social host — are applicable. These additional claims can significantly increase the total compensation available to you.

The Relationship Between Criminal and Civil Cases

When a drunk driver is arrested and charged with DWI in Houston, the criminal case and your civil claim proceed on separate tracks. The criminal case is prosecuted by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and focuses on punishing the offender through fines, jail time, and license suspension. Your civil claim is a separate legal action focused on recovering compensation for your injuries and losses.

A criminal conviction or guilty plea can help your civil case by establishing that the driver was legally intoxicated at the time of the crash. However, you do not need to wait for the criminal case to conclude before filing your civil claim, and a civil case can succeed even if the criminal charges are reduced or dismissed. The burden of proof is lower in civil court — preponderance of the evidence versus beyond a reasonable doubt — which means it is easier to establish liability in the civil arena.

Carabin Shaw Aggressively Pursues Justice for Drunk Driving Victims in Houston

Carabin Shaw’s Houston car accident lawyers take drunk driving cases personally. They believe that drivers who choose to get behind the wheel after drinking should face the full consequences of their actions. Their team pursues every available source of compensation including punitive damages and dram shop claims to maximize the recovery for their clients. If you have been hurt by a drunk driver in Houston, contact Carabin Shaw today for a free consultation.