A drunk driving accident can be a frustrating experience because of the sheer irresponsibility exhibited by the drunk driver. That is because driving while intoxicated is a reckless act that puts everyone on the road in danger. Furthermore, there are simple ways to avoid doing so by simply using a rideshare service or calling a taxi. No one should be put in danger because someone decides to take the risk and drive home after having one too many drinks.
Fortunately, if you get into an accident with a drunk driver, you are entitled to get compensation from their insurance company. That compensation can be used to pay for all the damages you suffered because of the accident, such as medical bills, repair costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. However, you will need the help of Houston car accident attorney Jerome O. Fjeld, PLLC to help you. He has over two decades of experience and will use all of it to help you get the compensation you need.
So if you are the victim of a Houston drunk driving accident, do not hesitate to contact Jerome O. Fjeld, PLLC as soon as possible.
Why Drunk Driving is Dangerous
Drunk driving is illegal in every state in the country for a good reason: it is a highly dangerous activity that can result in serious injury or death. The main reason is that alcohol intoxication puts a person in a state where they cannot react quickly and make poor decisions if they are able to react at all. That means if an intoxicated driver is faced with a situation where they have to react quickly and decisively, they might fail to do so and cause an accident.
Even in non-emergency situations, the drunk driver might simply lose concentration and drift out of their lane into oncoming traffic or onto the sidewalk. There is no scenario where drunk driving is anything less than completely dangerous, reckless, and irresponsible.
Drunk Driving Penalties in Houston
In Houston, drunk driving is legally known as DWI (Driving While Intoxicated), and the penalties can be steep. In Houston, Texas, a driver is legally intoxicated if their BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) is .08% or higher.
- First Offense – The driver can face a $2000 fine, 180 days in jail, and the loss of their license for up to a year.
- Second Offense – The penalties are a $4000 fine, a month to a year in jail if convicted, and the loss of their driver’s license for up to two years.
- Third Offense – The perpetrator could face a $10,000 fine, ten years in prison, and the loss of their driver’s license for two years.
The penalties can get even worse if there are exacerbating circumstances like a child passenger in the vehicle, the driver caused an injury accident, or there is an open container in the vehicle.
How a Houston Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You
In a DWI case, you will need to prove that the drunk driver was intoxicated when the crash occurred. It might seem simple, especially if the driver is visibly intoxicated and you can smell liquor on them, but you still need concrete evidence to make your case. You can help by contacting the police after the crash, which you should do anyway. Once they arrive, they will conduct a breathalyzer test or field sobriety tests to determine the driver’s sobriety or lack thereof. They can even order a blood test if necessary.
The police will write a report detailing their opinion on who caused the accident and why. Your attorney can obtain the police report, which can help them when it comes to negotiating with the insurance company. You can also record the driver’s drunken behavior with your phone as well. If necessary, your attorney will even hire accident reconstruction experts and obtain witness testimony and surveillance footage that proves the driver’s intoxication.
An attorney will also prove invaluable when it comes to negotiating with the driver’s insurance company. That is because the company will try to pin some of the blame for the accident on you in order to reduce their settlement amount. However, an attorney will work hard to hold the driver responsible for the accident so that you can receive maximum compensation. In some cases, you might even be able to receive punitive damages in addition to the economic and non-economic damages you suffered in the accident. Punitive damages can only be awarded by a jury, which is why you need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney like Jerome O. Fjeld, PLLC.
Contact Jerome O. Fjeld, PLLC If You Were in a Houston Drunk Driving Accident
A drunk driving accident can result in serious injuries and expensive property damage, which is why you need to be fairly compensated if you were in such an accident. If you want to get fair compensation, then you need to contact top Houston personal injury lawyer Jerome O. Fjeld, PLLC. He has spent decades fighting for the rights of drunk driving victims in Houston. He knows how to prove that the driver was intoxicated, and he is not afraid to take on the insurance companies. If the case ends up going to court, then he will provide the adept and diligent representation you need. So do not suffer in silence after a DWI accident; contact Jerome O. Fjeld, PLLC, and let your voice be heard.
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