Devastated by a Drunk Driver in San Antonio? We Fight for Justice Beyond the Criminal Case.

The choice to get behind the wheel after drinking is a conscious decision to endanger every life on the road. When that reckless decision results in a catastrophic crash, the aftermath for victims and their families is a nightmare of physical trauma, emotional anguish, and financial turmoil. While the criminal justice system may punish the driver with a DUI charge, this does little to address your shattered life, mounting medical bills, and lost livelihood. You are left facing a long, painful recovery while the true costs of someone else’s negligence continue to rise.

At Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law, our San Antonio drunk driving accident lawyers are dedicated to pursuing full civil justice for those injured or families who have lost a loved one. We understand that a criminal conviction is separate from your right to financial compensation. Our mission is to build an unshakable civil case that holds the drunk driver—and any other negligent parties, such as bars or social hosts—fully accountable for the lifelong damages they have caused.

The Unique Horrors of Drunk Driving Accidents in Texas

Alcohol impairs every skill necessary for safe driving: judgment, coordination, reaction time, and vision. This leads to uniquely violent and catastrophic collisions:

• High-Speed, Head-On Collisions: Impaired drivers often drift across center lines or drive the wrong way on highways and frontage roads.
• T-Bone Collisions at Intersections: Drunk drivers run red lights and stop signs at high speed, striking vehicles in the intersection with devastating force.
• Pedestrian and Bicyclist Strikes: Impaired drivers have a drastically reduced ability to see and react to vulnerable road users.
• Single-Vehicle Rollovers and Fixed-Object Crashes: Loss of vehicle control due to impaired coordination leads to collisions with trees, guardrails, and buildings.

The injuries from these high-impact crashes are often severe and life-altering: traumatic brain injury (TBI), spinal cord damage and paralysis, internal organ damage, complex fractures, and disfigurement.

Texas Law: Your Right to Civil Compensation After a DUI Crash

It is critical to understand that the criminal case and your civil injury case are separate. A DUI conviction can help your civil case, but it is not required for you to win. In a civil lawsuit, the standard of proof is lower (“preponderance of the evidence” vs. “beyond a reasonable doubt”). We can succeed in securing compensation for you even if the criminal case is pending, results in a plea bargain, or is unexpectedly dismissed.

Our civil case focuses not on putting the driver in jail, but on making them—and any other liable parties—financially responsible for your damages. This includes compensation for:

• Past and Future Medical Expenses: Emergency care, surgeries, hospital stays, rehabilitation, long-term care, and adaptive equipment.
• Lost Wages & Loss of Future Earning Capacity: Income lost during recovery and compensation for a reduced ability to earn a living due to permanent disability.
• Physical Pain and Suffering: For the intense, and often chronic, physical pain caused by your injuries.
• Mental Anguish & Emotional Distress: For the PTSD, anxiety, depression, and psychological trauma that follows a violent crash.
• Loss of Consortium: Damages for the impact of the injuries on your relationship with your spouse.
• Punitive Damages: In Texas, we can seek punitive damages in drunk driving cases. These are not tied to your economic losses but are intended to punish the defendant for their egregiously reckless conduct and deter others from similar behavior.

Going Beyond the Driver: Texas Dram Shop Law (Chapter 2 of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code)

A critical advantage in drunk driving injury cases is the potential to hold alcohol providers financially liable under Texas’s Dram Shop Law. This statute allows us to pursue a claim against a bar, restaurant, nightclub, store, or even a social host if they:

• Served alcohol to an obviously intoxicated adult who then caused your accident, or
• Sold or provided alcohol to a minor (under 21), who then caused your accident.

This is a powerful legal tool. The drunk driver may have minimal insurance or assets, but the establishment that over-served them often carries substantial commercial liability insurance. Proving a Dram Shop claim requires specific evidence of visible intoxication (slurred speech, stumbling, bloodshot eyes) prior to the last service of alcohol. Our investigators immediately work to secure security footage, receipts, and witness statements from the establishment to build this claim.

What to Do After a Drunk Driving Accident in San Antonio: A Critical Guide

1. Call 911 & Ensure a Police Report is Filed. A DUI investigation at the scene is crucial. The police will document signs of impairment, conduct field sobriety tests, and possibly obtain a blood alcohol content (BAC) test. This police report is foundational evidence for both the criminal and your civil case.
2. Seek Immediate Medical Attention. Do not refuse transport to the hospital. A medical record created hours after the crash directly links your injuries to the accident. Some internal injuries are not immediately apparent.
3. Document the Scene If Possible. If you are able, take photos of vehicle damage, the positions of cars, any visible alcohol containers in the other vehicle, and the other driver’s condition. Note the names of any witnesses.
4. Do NOT Engage with the Drunk Driver or Their Insurance. Anything you say can be used against you. Do not discuss fault or accept any form of apology as an admission. Do not speak to the other insurance company.
5. Preserve Evidence. If you become aware of where the driver was drinking (e.g., a bar receipt in their car, or they mention a specific location), inform your attorney immediately.
6. Contact a San Antonio Drunk Driving Accident Attorney Immediately. Call Barton & Associates. We can immediately begin the civil investigation in parallel with the criminal case, send preservation letters to bars, and secure evidence before it disappears.

How Barton & Associates Builds a Maximum Recovery DUI Accident Case

Our approach is comprehensive and aggressive, designed to maximize compensation from all possible sources:

• Immediate Investigation of the Driver & Provider: We subpoena the driver’s criminal file, BAC results, and booking records. We simultaneously investigate the alcohol provider, sending investigators to the bar or restaurant to interview staff and patrons and secure security footage before it is automatically deleted.
• Collaboration with Experts: We work with toxicologists to interpret BAC levels and accident reconstructionists to demonstrate how impairment caused the crash. We partner with life-care planners and economists to document the full, long-term financial impact of your injuries.
• Identifying All Liable Parties & Insurance Policies: We pursue the drunk driver, their auto insurance, and the alcohol provider’s commercial liability insurance. If the driver was working (e.g., driving a company vehicle or was at a work event), we may also pursue their employer.
• Aggressive Negotiation & Litigation: We use the threat of punitive damages and a compelling Dram Shop case as powerful leverage in settlement negotiations. We are fully prepared to take these emotionally charged cases to a Bexar County jury to secure the justice you deserve.

Why Choosing the Right Attorney Matters in a DUI Accident Case

These cases are emotionally and legally complex. The defendant’s insurance company will fight hard, knowing a jury may sympathize deeply with an innocent victim of drunk driving. You need a firm with:

• Deep Knowledge of Dram Shop Law: This is a specialized area of practice. We know how to prove “obvious intoxication” and navigate the procedural hurdles of these claims.
• Resources for a Dual Investigation: We run simultaneous investigations into the crash and the alcohol service, which requires significant legal and financial resources.
• Trial Experience with High-Stakes Emotional Cases: We are not afraid to present your story powerfully in court. Our track record shows insurance companies we are serious.
• Compassion for Victims: We understand the profound anger and grief that accompanies these crashes. We provide not just legal skill, but genuine support and guidance.

The Barton & Associates Difference

• Contingency Fee Basis: You pay no legal fees unless we recover money for you.
• Direct Access to Your Attorney: You will work directly with the experienced lawyer handling your case.
• A History of Holding Bars & Drivers Accountable: We have successfully pursued Dram Shop claims and secured punitive damages for our clients.

Don’t Let a Drunk Driver’s Recklessness Define Your Future

The criminal case may end, but your life is changed forever. The compensation we fight for is about providing security—for your medical care, your family’s stability, and your future. It is about achieving a measure of justice the criminal system cannot provide.

Contact Our San Antonio Drunk Driving Accident Law Firm Today

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed by a drunk driver in San Antonio or South Texas, time is of the essence. Dram Shop evidence vanishes quickly as security tapes are recorded over and memories fade.

You have the right to hold every responsible party accountable. Let the San Antonio DUI accident attorneys at Barton & Associates fight for you.

Call Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law, now at 210-500-0000 for a free, confidential consultation. We will listen to your story, explain your rights under Texas law, and begin building the powerful case you need to move forward.

Main Category: Personal Injury
Practice Area Category: Motor Vehicle Accidents
Barton & Associates, Attorneys at Law
115 Camaron St, San Antonio, TX 78205
Office: 210-500-0000