Drunk driving crashes can happen anywhere in Southlake—along Southlake Boulevard, near Town Square, or on Highway 114. Every year, these reckless acts put innocent lives in danger. Combining alcohol and driving is a deadly decision that continues to cause tragic and entirely preventable accidents across Texas.
Collisions involving intoxicated drivers often occur at high speeds or involve head-on impacts, creating devastating force upon collision. Survivors are frequently left with severe injuries that demand long-term medical care, extensive rehabilitation, and, in many cases, a lifetime of physical or emotional challenges.
According to recent data from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), alcohol-related accidents remain a serious concern throughout the Dallas–Fort Worth area, including Southlake. Each year, dozens of lives are lost and hundreds are injured in crashes caused by drivers who choose to get behind the wheel while impaired. These numbers serve as a stark reminder of how dangerous drunk driving continues to be in our community.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Southlake drunk driving accident—or if you lost a family member in a fatal crash caused by an intoxicated driver—you may be entitled to full compensation for your losses. Never settle with an insurance company before understanding the true value of your case and speaking with a knowledgeable attorney who can protect your rights.
Why Choose Our Southlake Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers
At Francis Injury Law, we understand how devastating it can be when a drunk driver’s reckless decision turns your life upside down. After such a traumatic crash, even daily routines can feel overwhelming. Physical pain, emotional stress, and financial worries often make recovery seem impossible at first.
You don’t have to face this alone. Our Southlake drunk driving accident attorneys are experienced in handling complex DUI-related injury cases throughout Texas. We carefully investigate every detail of your accident, calculate the full extent of your losses, and fight for maximum compensation from every responsible party.
With more than 25 years of experience representing injured victims across Southlake and nearby communities, our legal team has recovered millions of dollars for clients and their families. Beyond financial recovery, we focus on restoring your peace of mind and ensuring that negligent drivers—and anyone who enabled their behavior—are held accountable under Texas law.
How Alcohol Impairs Driving Ability
Every year, alcohol-related crashes take thousands of lives across the United States, and Texas remains one of the hardest-hit states. In the Southlake and greater Dallas–Fort Worth area, drunk driving continues to be a major cause of serious and fatal collisions. These accidents are completely preventable, yet they continue to devastate families and communities.
Alcohol affects the central nervous system, slowing down brain activity and impairing the body’s ability to respond quickly. Once a person is intoxicated, their coordination, vision, judgment, and decision-making abilities become severely compromised. Even a small amount of alcohol can delay reaction times and blur perception—two critical skills needed to drive safely.
Because of these impairments, intoxicated drivers often:
- Fail to notice traffic signals or stop signs
- React too late to slow or stop vehicles
- Drift into other lanes or onto road shoulders
- Brake suddenly without reason
- Drive at erratic speeds—either excessively fast or dangerously slow
- Forget to use headlights or turn indicators
- Enter one-way streets or highways in the wrong direction
When alcohol clouds a driver’s judgment, every other person on the road is put at risk. Victims of these crashes often suffer severe, long-term injuries that can affect their ability to work, move, or live independently.
If you or a loved one has been injured by an intoxicated driver in Southlake, you deserve a legal team that understands what’s at stake. The attorneys at Francis Injury Law are here to stand by you, protect your rights, and fight for the compensation you deserve for your pain, losses, and future recovery.
Personal Injury Claims vs. Criminal DUI Charges
Many victims of drunk driving accidents in Southlake believe that once the intoxicated driver is charged with a crime, their part in seeking justice is complete. However, a criminal DUI case and a personal injury claim are entirely different legal matters.
In a criminal DUI case, the drunk driver faces penalties such as jail time, fines, probation, or suspension of their driver’s license. These proceedings aim to punish the offender, not to compensate the injured victims for their losses.
To recover compensation for your injuries, medical expenses, and emotional suffering, you must file a separate civil claim. This claim may proceed through insurance negotiations or, if necessary, a personal injury lawsuit in civil court.
A criminal conviction can strengthen your civil case because it helps establish the driver’s negligence and violation of Texas law. However, even if the driver is not convicted of DUI in criminal court, you can still pursue a claim and hold them financially responsible for your damages under Texas personal injury law.
At Francis Injury Law, our Southlake drunk driving accident lawyers have extensive experience handling both the legal and practical aspects of DUI-related injury claims. We work to secure fair compensation for victims—whether that means negotiating assertively with insurance companies or representing you confidently in a courtroom.
Who Can You Hold Liable in a Southlake Drunk Driving Accident?
In most drunk driving cases, the intoxicated driver is the primary at-fault party. However, depending on the circumstances, other individuals or entities in Southlake may also share legal responsibility for your injuries. Texas law allows victims to pursue compensation from anyone whose actions contributed to the crash.
Here are some additional parties who may be held accountable:
1. Employer of the Impaired Driver
If the drunk driver was performing work-related duties at the time of the crash, their employer might also be liable. For example, a delivery company or business that allows an employee to drive while under the influence could be held responsible for the resulting damages under Texas negligence laws.
2. Bars, Restaurants, or Liquor Stores
Under the Texas Dram Shop Act, victims can file a claim against any establishment that served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated person or to a minor who later caused a crash. Southlake’s busy nightlife areas and restaurants are required to follow strict alcohol service rules — failure to do so can make them legally accountable for a resulting drunk driving accident.
3. Social Hosts Serving Alcohol to Minors
Adults who provide alcohol to minors at private gatherings or home parties can also face liability if that minor later causes a serious or fatal crash. Texas law allows victims to hold these social hosts responsible for the injuries and losses their negligence caused.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Southlake Drunk Driving Accident?
If you or a loved one were injured in a drunk driving accident in Southlake, you have the right to pursue financial compensation for the losses you’ve suffered. Every crash brings physical, emotional, and financial consequences, and a fair settlement should reflect all of them. Your recovery may include several types of damages depending on the severity of your injuries and how the accident has affected your life.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the direct financial losses caused by the crash. These are measurable costs that can be supported by bills, receipts, or employment records.
Common examples of economic damages include:
- Medical costs: emergency treatment, surgeries, rehabilitation, and prescription medications
- Future healthcare expenses: long-term therapy, in-home care, or medical devices
- Property loss: repair or replacement of your vehicle and damaged belongings
- Lost wages: income missed during recovery and potential loss of future earning ability
- Home or vehicle modifications: adjustments required due to a permanent disability
- Funeral expenses: costs related to burial or memorial services in fatal accident cases
Non-Economic Damages
While financial losses are easier to calculate, not every hardship comes with a receipt. Non-economic damages cover the personal and emotional impact the crash has had on your daily life.
These may include:
- Physical pain and suffering from your injuries or long-term complications
- Emotional distress and anxiety caused by the trauma of the crash
- Scarring or permanent disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life and inability to engage in activities you once loved
- Loss of companionship or support when a family member is severely injured or killed
Each Southlake drunk driving accident case is unique. An experienced Southlake drunk driving accident lawyer can evaluate every aspect of your situation to determine the full value of your claim and fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
What Is My Southlake Drunk hDriving Accident Claim Worth?
Your attorney will review your medical reports, supporting evidence, and employment records to understand how the accident has affected your health and your ability to continue working. They will also speak with you and your family to assess the emotional and lifestyle changes caused by the crash.
They consider both the physical and emotional effects — including how the trauma impacts your relationships and overall quality of life — to determine the true value of your claim.
The amount you may recover depends on several factors, such as:
- The severity of your injuries
- Your level of pain and suffering
- Present and future medical expenses
- Required therapy or rehabilitation
- Whether injuries are permanent or disabling
- Your ability to return to work
- The strength of available evidence and witness testimony
- Whether the at-fault driver was convicted of DUI
- If other parties share liability
How Can a Lawyer Help You With Your Drunk Driving Accident Claim?
When you work with a Southlake drunk driving accident lawyer, the legal process becomes far less stressful. At Francis Injury Law, our goal is to handle every part of your case with precision and care—so you can focus on your health and your family while we fight for your full financial recovery.
Investigating Your Accident
Our team immediately begins gathering critical evidence to support your claim. We obtain police reports, medical documentation, photographs from the accident scene, dash-cam or surveillance footage, and witness statements. Every detail helps us establish how the drunk driver’s negligence caused your injuries.
Determining All Responsible Parties
While the intoxicated driver is clearly at fault, other parties may share responsibility. Our attorneys analyze whether a bar, restaurant, or social host overserved alcohol, or whether the driver was operating a company vehicle during work hours. Identifying every liable party strengthens your case and increases your potential compensation.
Assessing the True Value of Your Claim
Insurance companies often rush to offer low settlements that fail to cover the real impact of your injuries. We carefully evaluate your current and future medical costs, lost income, rehabilitation needs, and emotional suffering to calculate the true worth of your case—and we never settle for less than you deserve.
Negotiating With Insurance Companies
Our firm has years of experience dealing with insurance adjusters who try to minimize payouts. We use strong negotiation tactics backed by solid evidence to demand fair compensation. We don’t let insurers pressure our clients or take advantage of their situation.
Taking Your Case to Court if Needed
If the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer, our skilled trial lawyers are ready to take your case before a judge and jury. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial, ensuring we’re fully equipped to pursue justice in court if necessary. Our Southlake DUI accident attorneys will stand by your side from start to finish, protecting your rights and fighting for the outcome you deserve.
Contact a Southlake Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today
The aftermath of a drunk driving crash can turn your life upside down. Beyond the physical pain and emotional distress, victims and their families often face overwhelming financial and medical challenges. At Francis Injury Law, our Southlake drunk driving accident attorneys understand the devastation these reckless and avoidable accidents cause — and we’re here to help you rebuild.
For over two decades, our legal team has fought for injured victims across Texas, helping them recover the compensation they rightfully deserve. If you or someone you love was hurt in a drunk driving accident in Southlake, don’t face the insurance companies alone. Contact our Drunk Driving Accident lawyers today at (817) 329-9001 or reach out online for a free consultation. We’ll review your case, explain your legal rights, and guide you toward the justice you deserve.
Southlake Office
410 S. Nolen Drive
Suite 140
Southlake, TX 76092
(817) 329-9001
