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Hi everyone, and thanks for joining us for another one of our frequently asked questions. Today, we’re talking about why it’s smart to hire a lawyer after a car accident with a drunk driver.

Everyone knows that driving drunk is dangerous and against the law. Because of that, you might believe that a drunk driver is automatically at fault for any crash they cause. While it’s likely that the drunk driver is at fault, it’s not automatic. Victims will still have to prove their claims, which is one reason why it’s best to have an experienced Texas car accident lawyer on your side.

As with all car crashes, a car crash with a drunk driver can lead to an insurance payment or a lawsuit. In either case, you’ll have to show that the other driver was at fault. This is easier with a car crash with a drunk driver, because Texas law says driving drunk automatically means the driver has violated their legal duty to drive carefully.

But after that, you still have to show that the drunk driving was the cause of the accident. In some cases, this will be easy. For example, if the drunk driver went the wrong way down a one-way road, law enforcement officers and jurors are likely to decide that the driver wouldn’t have done that sober. But there are some situations where the cause is less clear, such as crashes in bad weather or with multiple drivers. An experienced Texas car wreck lawyer can investigate your case and build a strong case against the driver who caused the DUI car accident.

It’s also possible that you could be partly at fault. That matters in Texas, because state law says that you cannot recover any money if you are more than 50% responsible for an accident. If you’re less than 50% at fault, Texas law reduces the money you can recover by that amount. That is, if you are awarded $100,000 but you are 30% at fault, you will recover only $70,000. Having a lawyer is very important in those cases, because your lawyer will build the strongest case possible that the drunk driver, not you, was responsible for the crash.

Having a lawyer protect your interests after a wreck with a drunk driver ensures that you get the best financial recovery possible. If you’d like to talk to an experienced lawyer about your case and its value, call Jim Adler & Associates for a free consultation. You can reach us through our website, jimadler.com, or at 1-800-567-7575.