You may be entitled to compensation if you’ve been injured because of the negligent driving of an intoxicated driver. You have an additional right to sue any establishment that served the driver alcohol. This is a legal statute known as DRAM shop law.

It can be challenging to navigate the legal process alone, but with the help of a DWI accident attorney, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries.

The legal process will begin by filing a personal injury claim against the intoxicated driver. You will need some documentation from your medical provider in order to document your damages. Your attorney can help you file this claim and will walk you through all the various forms needed for your case.

Under Texas law, a vendor of alcoholic beverages may be held liable for damages caused by an intoxicated person if the vendor served or provided alcohol to the individual when it was apparent that they were obviously intoxicated. The law applies not only to bars and restaurants but also to other vendors of alcohol, including liquor stores and convenience stores.

DRAM shop law does not relieve the intoxicated person of personal responsibility for their actions, nor does it excuse the victim's own negligence or fault in causing the injury or damages. The law does not apply if the individual who was served alcohol was a minor.

Due to the complex nature of car wrecks caused by drunk drivers, you should consult with a personal injury lawyer who can advise you on your legal rights and options under Texas law.

How long you can keep a rental depends on a variety of factors. Those factors may include:

• The severity of the accident.
• The amount of time it will take for repairs to be completed.
• The terms of your rental agreement with the rental company.
• The terms of the insurance company paying for the rental, where applicable.

In many cases, the rental company or insurance provider will cover the cost of a rental car for the duration of repairs to your damaged vehicle, up to a certain limit. This could range from a few days to a few weeks or even longer.

If you need the rental vehicle longer than the time allowed by your rental or insurance agreement, you may need to pay out-of-pocket to extend the rental duration. If the damage to your vehicle is extensive, it may take longer to repair, which could result in a longer rental period.

Read: Do I need GAP insurance? Is it worth it?

Additionally, if the accident was not your fault and you are waiting for the other driver's insurance company to cover the cost of the rental, the length of the rental period could depend on how fast the other driver's insurance company processes your claim.

There are scenarios in which you may have to pay out-of-pocket to obtain a rental car, such as:

• You didn't have rental assistance on your own policy
• The at-fault party did not have insurance coverage
• The at-fault party's insurance company is disputing liability

It's important to review the terms of your rental agreement or insurance policy to determine the specific length of time and dollar allowance per day you are entitled to for a rental car. Your rental or insurance agent will be able to answer questions or concerns about the terms of your rental car.

To obtain a rental, you will need to file a claim against the at-fault driver's insurance and check your insurance policy to see if you have rental coverage.

After an accident, insurance companies will conduct an investigation to determine who caused the accident. In the best-case scenario, the at-fault party's insurance company will accept liability right away and their insurance company will cover the cost of a rental vehicle.

More often than not, liability may be disputed. This means that one or both insurance companies need more evidence to determine who exactly caused the accident.

If this happens to you, you may need to use your own rental coverage on your policy to get into a rental car ASAP. If you don't have the coverage on your own policy or can't afford to pay for a rental out-of-pocket, you will have to wait until the at-fault party's insurance company accepts liability.

This also means that if you did not have rental assistance on your insurance policy and the other person was uninsured, you will be responsible for obtaining your own rental vehicle.

How long will I have a rental car after an accident? Read more.

Never give a statement or sign anything without consulting with an attorney first. Even a greeting, such as "how are you doing today?", can be used to make it sound like you weren't hurt at all. In some cases, they'll try to place the blame on you!

Insurance adjusters are trained to use anything you say to diminish the value of your case. Attorneys are here to make sure that they don't. You should hire an injury attorney as soon as possible and refer all questions about your injuries to your attorney. #CallMyLawyer

Our attorneys know that insurance adjusters are not there to help you. They are there to protect the company and their own interests. They will try to get you to settle for less than what you deserve and they don't care if you get the medical treatment you need.

In a jury trial, the defendant (at-fault, negligent party) always has insurance on their side.

The defendant's lawyers are provided by their insurance company to defend them from the lawsuit. However, during the trial - no one is allowed to even mention that insurance companies are involved. You can't even say the word "insurance" for fear of a mistrial.

This is one of the best kept secrets helping the insurance companies maintain their position as one of the most profitable industries in the world! Insurance companies are not keen to let this information out to their customers.

Even though liability insurance is a requirement in Texas, insurance companies don't want people to know that the defendants in a jury trial have liability coverage in case they are ever sued to avoid paying out big awards to the plaintiffs (injured victims).

They are preying on the sympathy of the jury - hoping they will assume the defendant can't possibly pay a big settlement on their own even though it is the insurance company who will pay.

Have a question of your own? Email us at info@seriousinjury.legal OR reach out to us on social media.

Congratulations to Diana and her team on their policy limits win for our client!

Our client was hit by an intoxicated driver that was traveling over the 70 MPH speed limit during rush hour traffic in Mesquite, TX. That driver was arrested and charged for driving while intoxicated.

Our client suffered a loss in the quality of his life and his injuries and pain limited his ability to perform regular duties.

With our assistance, our client was able to receive the medical treatment he needed to recover and get back to his normal routine.

Attorney Jacob Hughey and his wife were out supporting Young Texans of the American Cancer Society's fundraising event last night. #fcancer

YTACS is a network of young professionals working together to raise money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society's mission of saving lives and leading the fight for a world without cancer.

Young Texans Against Cancer was established in 2001. The founding members had something in common: cancer. Some had personally battled cancer while others witnessed loved ones struggling with the illness.

Inspired by their similarities and struggles, the founding members created YTAC to increase cancer awareness among their generation of young professionals and the community. YTAC has raised over $2.5 million in support of the fight against cancer.

Attorney Hughey is proud to support this foundation in their mission and fight against cancer.

A 31-year-old woman faces a charge of intoxication manslaughter in the wrong-way crash death of a Dallas police officer, police officials announced Friday.

Mayra Rebollar was named as the suspect, according to a police news release, in the wrong-way crash that killed Officer Jacob Arellano late Tuesday night in southwest Dallas.

Rebollar was released from the hospital after being treated for her injuries and then booked into the Dallas County jail on Monday, Oct. 17.

Officer Arellano, 25, has been a member of the Dallas Police Department since June of 2019. He was assigned to Northwest Patrol Division, 1st watch. 

Mass and visitation for Police Officer Jacob Isaiah Arellano, #11729, will be held at Saint Paul the Apostle Catholic Church in Richardson, Texas. Dallas Police Department Honors will be rendered at the end of the service.

Officer Arellano is survived by his parents, girlfriend and infant child. Officer Arellano is also survived by his brother, also a Dallas Police Officer.

Source: WFAA, ABC News

How would an injury attorney help the Officer's family?

An experienced personal injury attorney would assist the family in seeking compensatory damages. This type of award can be to reimburse them for medical treatments, medical bills, or any future expenses they may have due to an injury they sustained due to the negligence of another. These are typically referred to as actual damages.

PEARLAND, Texas — Five people were killed, including one juvenile, on Saturday in a crash involving two cars in a south Houston suburb, authorities said.

At about 7:28 p.m., officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the 14700 block of State Highway 288 southbound Frontage Road, according to the Pearland Police Department.

Investigators said two cars were going southbound from Beltway 8 to Shadow Creek Parkway when a red vehicle speeding hit another car, causing it to roll over and ejecting four of the five people inside.

Officials said three of the five passengers, including one juvenile, were pronounced dead at the scene.

The fourth and fifth passengers were transported to the hospital, according to police.

The fourth passenger was pronounced dead at the hospital from the injuries sustained, and the fifth passenger is currently being treated for injuries.

The driver of the red vehicle was transported to the hospital, where officials said they were pronounced dead.

Two juvenile passengers of the red vehicle were also transported to the hospital and are being treated for their injuries, police said.'

Source: KTRK-TV

TAYLOR, Texas (KXAN) — Officers with the Taylor Police Department began an investigation Thursday after an overnight crash resulted in the death of a man near the 2000 block of West Second Street.

According to TPD, a caller reported the collision at 12:23 a.m. Thursday after a pickup truck hit a motorcycle.

TPD said 23-year-old Jesse Daniel Baldenegro, the driver of the motorcycle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to police, 27-year-old Guillermo Hernandez-Huerta was identified as the driver of the pickup truck. TPD said Hernandez-Huerta was exiting the parking lot of a hotel when the crash occurred.

Taylor Police said deputies with Williamson County reported seeing Baldenegro driving the motorcycle at a high rate of speed just before the collision.

According to a release, Hernandez-Huerta ran from the scene before officers arrived.

Later that morning, Williamson County deputies saw Hernandez-Huerta at a gas station, and they stayed with him until officers with TPD arrived.

According to the release, Taylor Police was in consultation with the Williamson County District Attorney’s Office regarding pending criminal charges.

TPD said this was the ­­­­fourth fatal collision in Taylor for 2022.

Source: KXAN, NBC News