Drunk Driver
Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth
Among the many collision scenarios handled by Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth, cases involving a drunk driver occupy a distinct place in the firm's car accident work. Operating from 4200 South Fwy Ste 13 B along the South Freeway corridor in Fort Worth, this personal injury attorney practice concentrates on the aftermath of motor vehicle wrecks — and crashes caused by an impaired motorist carry legal features that set them apart from a routine fender bender. This page profiles how the firm approaches that specific aspect of its practice for people across Fort Worth and Tarrant County.
How Drunk Driver Cases Fit Into the Firm's Work
Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth focuses squarely on car and truck wreck injuries, and impaired-driving collisions are one of the more serious situations the firm addresses within that focus. Because driving under the influence is illegal in Texas, a wreck caused by a drunk driver often opens the door to a gross negligence claim — something not typically available in ordinary accident cases. Gross negligence describes conduct involving an extreme degree of risk, such as choosing to drive while intoxicated, where the driver had actual and subjective awareness of the danger yet proceeded anyway. Establishing that standard is a central part of how the firm builds these cases.
What an Impaired-Driver Case Involves in Plain Language
When someone is hurt by a drunk driver, two tracks often run at once. The district attorney pursues criminal charges against the impaired motorist, while the injured person's civil claim seeks compensation for their losses. Under the Texas Constitution, restitution is a guaranteed right of a crime victim, and a court may order the drunk driver to pay back the person they have wronged. These tracks can be confusing when they overlap, and part of the firm's role is helping a plaintiff understand their rights and responsibilities as a claim moves through both the criminal and civil systems.
Liability is not always simple, either. If the injured driver is found partially responsible, negligence is pursued when the majority of fault rests with the drunk driver, while gross negligence remains available because the intoxicated driver knowingly put others at risk. The firm has described situations where an injured party was themselves intoxicated but another driver was actually at fault — for example, a person stopped at a stop sign who is struck by someone who ran a light or lost control. In those circumstances the firm would still pursue a claim carefully against the at-fault party.
Damages the Firm Helps Injured People Pursue
A diligent approach to these cases includes investigating the collision, speaking with witnesses, and calculating the full scope of a client's losses. Injured claimants may be eligible for both economic and non-economic damages, and the categories the firm works to recover include:
- Medical expenses tied to the crash
- Loss of income and wages
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
In certain cases where the defendant's actions involved fraud, malice, or gross negligence, punitive damages may also be awarded. Because a drunk driving crash can meet the gross negligence threshold, determining whether punitive damages apply is a meaningful part of the analysis in these matters.
| Aspect | What It Involves | Typical Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Legal theory | Negligence and possible gross negligence | Proving extreme risk and subjective awareness |
| Parallel proceedings | Criminal charges pursued by the DA alongside a civil claim | Restitution as a crime-victim right under the Texas Constitution |
| Shared fault | Injured party may bear partial responsibility | Claim still pursued against the at-fault driver |
| Compensation | Economic and non-economic damages | Punitive damages where fraud, malice, or gross negligence apply |
How Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth Approaches a Drunk Driver Claim
The firm's handling of an impaired-driver case generally follows a practical sequence:
- Review the circumstances of the collision and confirm how the impaired driver was involved.
- Investigate the crash, gather evidence, and speak with witnesses.
- Assess how criminal charges and any restitution intersect with the injured person's civil claim.
- Evaluate shared liability where the injured party may bear some fault.
- Calculate the full range of economic and non-economic losses.
- Determine whether the gross negligence standard supports a claim for punitive damages.
- Pursue accountability against the at-fault party on the injured person's behalf.
Serving Fort Worth and the Surrounding Tarrant County Communities
The office sits on Fort Worth's south side near the busy Interstate 35W route that gives it a South Freeway address, making it accessible to clients traveling from across the metroplex and wider North Texas region. Beyond central Fort Worth, the firm serves neighborhoods and nearby communities including Worth Heights, Oakridge Terrace, Rosemont, Morningside, Fairmount, Ryan Place Improvement, South Hills, Wedgwood East, Polytechnic Heights South, Historic Stop Six, Ridglea Hills, Arlington Heights, and Crestline Area, as well as Edgecliff Village, Forest Hill, Everman, Kennedale, Benbrook, and Arlington. Because impaired-driving crashes are more common at night and on weekends and often occur on the highways running through and around the city, having a local practice focused on wreck injuries gives area residents a dedicated resource close to home.
As a locally based personal injury attorney in Tarrant County, Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth can be reached by phone at +1 817-440-7157 for questions about drunk driver collisions and other motor vehicle wreck injury matters.
Getting here
From The Shops at Clearfork
From The Shops at Clearfork, it's about 9.9 miles and roughly 12 minutes heading southeast. Edwards Ranch Rd connects to the Chisholm Trail Pkwy, which carries you most of the way to the office.
Common questions
How many years in jail for drunk driving and killing someone in Texas near TX 76115?
In Texas, causing a death while driving intoxicated is typically charged as intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony carrying roughly 2 to 20 years in prison, plus fines. That criminal case is separate from any civil claim the victim's family may pursue. Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth, located along the South Freeway at 4200 South Fwy in TX 76115, handles the civil side, including wrongful death matters throughout Tarrant County.
Is the drunk driver always at fault in TX 76115?
Usually the impaired driver bears significant fault, but Texas follows comparative negligence, so responsibility can be shared among multiple parties. Evidence like police reports, chemical tests, and witness accounts helps establish liability. Firms such as Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth investigate drunk driver crashes for clients across Fort Worth communities like Fairmount, Ryan Place, and Wedgwood East, working to document exactly how a collision in the TX 76115 area occurred.
How to report a drunk driver in Texas near TX 76115?
If you spot a suspected drunk driver in Texas, call 911 and give dispatchers the vehicle description, license plate, location, and direction of travel without following too closely. Prompt reporting can prevent a crash. When someone is already injured by an impaired motorist, personal injury practices like Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth, serving the TX 76115 area and greater Tarrant County, address the resulting car and truck wreck claims.
Is it worth suing a drunk driver in TX 76115?
It often is, especially when serious injuries, medical bills, lost wages, or a death are involved. A civil claim can recover damages that the criminal case does not, and Texas may allow additional compensation in cases of gross negligence. Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth, based in TX 76115, focuses on vehicle-related injury cases—including catastrophic injuries and wrongful death—for people throughout Fort Worth and surrounding communities.
How often is someone killed by a drunk driver in Texas near TX 76115?
Texas consistently reports among the highest drunk-driving death tolls in the nation, with impaired driving contributing to a large share of fatal crashes statewide each year. These preventable losses affect families across Tarrant County. Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth, situated near the busy Interstate 35W corridor in TX 76115, represents clients dealing with the aftermath of fatal car and motorcycle accidents in the Fort Worth area.
What not to say to an injury lawyer in TX 76115?
You should be fully honest with your own injury lawyer—there is nothing you should hide, since attorney-client conversations are confidential and complete facts help your case. The real caution is what you say to insurers and the other side: avoid admitting fault or guessing about details. Practices like Aulsbrook Car & Truck Wreck Injury Lawyers Fort Worth, serving TX 76115 and nearby communities, guide injured clients on communicating carefully after a wreck.