Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer in La Porte, TX
The driver who hit you might face criminal charges. That case was never about paying your bills.
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The state may charge the driver who hit you with a crime. That case belongs to the state. Yours belongs to you. Alcohol figured in 37 of La Porte’s 2024 crashes, including one that killed someone. A criminal charge and a payout are two different outcomes, and only one of them lands in your pocket.
A criminal charge doesn’t write you a check
A DWI conviction can send someone to jail. It does nothing for your medical bills. Your claim runs through the civil courts, on its own, and it needs its own proof, its own filing, its own outcome.
The arrest report becomes your evidence
Police build a real file after a DWI arrest. Breath or blood test results, field notes, the officer’s own account, all of it lands in that report. A civil claim can put that same paperwork to work, even before any criminal case gets decided.
A bar can share the blame too
Sometimes the driver isn’t the only name that belongs on a claim. A bar or restaurant that kept pouring for someone who could barely stand can carry part of the responsibility, depending on the facts. That question gets sorted out case by case, not by a rule of thumb.
A guilty plea can take a year. Your bills can’t.
Criminal cases move slowly. A plea deal or a trial date can sit on the calendar for months, sometimes longer. Your claim doesn’t have to sit there with it. The what-to-do guide outlines the early steps that keep a claim moving no matter how the criminal side plays out.
Your filing window keeps moving either way
The statute of limitations guide gets into how long Texas gives you to file suit, and that clock does not pause for a criminal case. Waiting on a verdict before you act can cost you time you don’t get back.
When the crash takes a life
Some drunk-driving crashes end in a death, not just an injury. The wrongful death guide ranks the kinds of losses a family can claim, from funeral costs to lost income, and who has the right to bring the case forward. That claim runs on its own clock too, apart from anything happening in criminal court.
This case is one the state won’t bring for you. An independent Texas attorney can, and a free case review is where that starts.
Common questions
The DWI charge against the driver got dismissed. Can I still bring a civil claim?
Yes. A civil claim doesn't need a criminal conviction to succeed. Different courts, different burden of proof, and a dismissed charge doesn't erase what an independent attorney can still show happened.
Do I have to wait for the criminal case to wrap up before mine can move?
No. A civil claim can move forward on its own from the start. Many claims settle, or even go to trial, before the criminal case is anywhere near finished.
What proof would show a bar over-served him before the crash?
Receipts, staff schedules, and surveillance footage from the bar can all matter, along with witness accounts of how the driver was acting before he left. It's a fact-heavy question, and it needs to be looked at early, before that kind of proof disappears.
Local news says alcohol played a role in dozens of La Porte crashes last year. How common is this really?
It's not rare. TxDOT's 2024 numbers for La Porte counted 37 crashes where alcohol was a factor, and one of them was fatal. That's a real pattern, not a one-off.
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Learn more →See if you have a case — free
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