Austin Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer
Nationally Recognized
and Award Winning Lawyers Since 2014
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with over 900+ Reviews
Over $300M
Won for Clients That Have Become Family
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Date Last Updated: September 28, 2026
A Drunk Driver Changed Your Life in Seconds. We Fight to Get You Every Dollar That Cost You.
We at Shamieh Law represent victims of drunk driving accidents in Austin and across Central Texas.
With over $300 million recovered for injury victims and 40+ years of combined experience, our drunk driving accident attorneys pursue the impaired driver, their insurer, and any alcohol provider that contributed.
Call 512-503-1230 for a free consultation.
You were doing everything right.
Then an intoxicated driver came through a light on Riverside Drive or North Lamar Boulevard, both among the high-injury roadway sections Austin’s Vision Zero program has targeted for safety fixes, or came up behind you on I-35 at a speed no sober person would pick.
Now you might be facing surgeries you never planned for, medical bills arriving faster than you can open them, and a job you can’t do anymore.
A drunk driving crash doesn’t take from you once, it keeps taking, in lost wages, therapy appointments, and a body that no longer works the way it did.
In 2024, Travis County recorded 1,182 DUI-alcohol crashes, and 42 people died in them, according to Texas Department of Transportation crash records.
Every one started with a choice somebody else made.
A DWI arrest doesn’t settle the question of who pays you.
The criminal case punishes the driver, and restitution rarely comes close to covering your medical expenses or replacing your lost income.
That is a separate personal injury claim, and the insurance companies on the other side know most accident victims don’t understand the difference.
Adjusters call while you’re still on pain medication, ask for a recorded statement, and put a low number in front of you before anyone knows what your recovery costs.
Under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, a jury that assigns you more than 50 percent of the fault leaves you with nothing, which is why adjusters work so hard to shift blame.
Evidence disappears fast, too.
Bar receipts and surveillance video get overwritten, vehicles get scrapped, and witnesses who saw the drunk driver stumbling to his car stop answering.
What happens in the first weeks after a drunk driving accident matters as much as anything later.
How Our Austin Drunk Driving Accident Lawyers Can Help You Hold Impaired Drivers and Other Responsible Parties Accountable
Getting fair compensation after a drunk driving accident in Austin takes more than a police report showing a failed breath test.
We at Shamieh Law build the civil case from the ground up and go after every party whose conduct put drunk drivers on the road.
Our Austin pedestrian accident lawyers and Austin motorcycle accident lawyer team also take the crashes where the victim had no metal around them at all.
We Build the Personal Injury Claim Against the Drunk Driver Who Hit You
A personal injury claim against a drunk driver is a separate legal fight from the criminal DWI case, and it is the one built to recover what the crash actually cost you.
We pull the police reports, blood alcohol concentration results, and body camera footage, interview witnesses while their memory of the driver’s condition is sharp, and bring in accident reconstruction specialists when the at fault driver contests it.
We Pursue the Bar or Alcohol Provider Under Texas Dram Shop Law
Texas is one of the states where the bar can be on the hook, not just the reckless driver.
Under the Texas Dram Shop Act, Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 2.02, a provider is liable when it serves someone already obviously intoxicated to the point of presenting a clear danger and that intoxication proximately causes your injuries, and the statute separately reaches adults who knowingly serve a minor under 18.
We subpoena tabs, point-of-sale records, and security footage before that evidence is gone, because an alcohol provider contributed claim can open a commercial policy larger than the driver’s auto coverage.
We Handle Wrongful Death Claims When a Drunk Driving Crash Kills a Family Member
When a drunk driver kills someone, Texas gives the surviving spouse, children, and parents the right to bring a wrongful death lawsuit under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 71.004.
Our Austin wrongful death lawyer team documents lost financial support, funeral costs, and the mental anguish a family carries, files the estate’s survival claim where one is available, and handles the carriers.
We Pursue Punitive Damages for Reckless Behavior Beyond Ordinary Negligence
Drunk drivers don’t cause ordinary car accidents, and Texas courts can award punitive damages on top of what you lost where the evidence shows gross negligence.
We build that record deliberately, documenting prior DWI history, blood alcohol concentration well over the legal limit, fleeing the scene, and any refusal to stop drinking after being cut off.
Where the conduct rises to intoxication assault or intoxication manslaughter, Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 41.008 lifts the usual cap on exemplary damages, and we plead the case to reach that exception.
We Prove the Full Cost of Traumatic Brain Injury and Other Life Altering Injuries
Serious injury from a drunk driving crash rarely stops at the hospital discharge date.
We work with treating physicians and life care planners to price out future surgeries, in-home care, and the earnings you will never make, and our Austin brain injury lawyer team knows how to prove a traumatic brain injury that no early CT scan showed.
We Take On the Insurance Companies and Their Adjusters
Insurance companies assign drunk driving accident claims to insurance adjusters whose job is to close your file cheaply.
From the day we take your case, every call and recorded statement request goes through us, we don’t send a demand until your treatment tells us what the claim is worth, and we prepare the file for a Travis County jury.
We Find Coverage When the Drunk Driver Fled or Carried No Insurance
A hit-and-run or an uninsured intoxicated driver doesn’t necessarily end your ability to obtain compensation.
We identify every available policy, including your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, employer liability where the driver was acting in the course and scope of a job, and dram shop liability policies, and when your own insurer refuses to pay we treat that fight exactly like the at fault driver’s carrier.
We Track the Criminal DWI Case and Use It to Strengthen Your Civil Claim
Criminal and civil cases are separate legal matters in Texas, but evidence from the criminal investigation can support your civil claim.
We monitor the prosecution, obtain the criminal file, and time the legal process so a conviction or guilty plea may be admissible against the driver without letting the criminal docket stall you.
How Our Attorneys Who Have Won Over $300 Million for Injury Victims Can Help You With Your Drunk Driving Accident Claim
Choosing among Austin personal injury attorneys comes down to who has delivered results in drunk driving cases.
We recovered $1 million for a client whose broken femur, disc herniations, and traumatic brain injury came from a collision a drunk driver caused.
That case paired orthopedic trauma with a brain injury, and the recovery reflects the medical proof we built for both.
Founder Ramez Shamieh is AV Preeminent Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell and has been selected to Super Lawyers, both recognitions built on peer evaluation rather than advertising.
Your case is handled by an attorney whose record has been vetted by other lawyers.
He belongs to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which admits only attorneys with million-dollar verdicts or settlements, so your claim is run by someone who has taken cases that size to a result.
Our attorneys carry more than 40 years of combined experience and hold a 5.0 Google rating across 400+ five-star reviews, so clients hear where their drunk driving case stands.
We have also trained with adjusters, medical doctors, and life care planners, so we challenge the medical opinions insurers buy rather than accept them.
That is Winning With Awareness, and our Austin car accident lawyer team brings it to drunk driving car accidents and every other motor vehicle case we take.
Plenty of Austin personal injury lawyers will take a drunk driving accident case, hand it to a paralegal, and wait for an offer.
The attorneys who earned these credentials are the ones working your file, and we build every case for trial rather than for the fastest check.
Why Choose Our Austin Personal Injury Lawyers to Represent You
We don’t just handle cases—we champion our clients’ interests and fight for the justice they deserve. When you trust us with your case, you become part of our family, and we take that responsibility seriously. We are here to serve you.
Here’s what sets us apart:
- An Elite Legal Team – We’ve hand-picked top attorneys, paralegals, and case managers, all trained by leading experts in law, insurance, medicine, and safety.
- Proven Results – Our firm has recovered over $300 million for injury victims.
- Recognized Excellence – Our attorneys have earned recognition from Super Lawyers, Texas Lawyer Magazine, D Magazine, and The National Trial Lawyers 40 Under 40.
- Rapid Action on Your Case – We don’t wait to get started. Our team works with urgency, using advanced technology to analyze evidence and get you answers fast.
- A Client-First Approach – We understand the challenges you’re facing, from medical expenses to property damage, and we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
- More Than Just Lawyers – We’re committed to protecting our neighbors and giving back to the communities we serve.
At Shamieh Law, “Winning With Awareness” means we fight aggressively for results while never losing sight of the people we represent. Every case is different, and we take the time to craft a legal strategy that fits your unique situation.
When you need a firm that’s ready to take action, call us today. We’re here to help.
Winning Life-Changing Settlements for Injury Victims
We have recovered millions on behalf of our deserving clients, and now we’re here to do the same for you. Below are just a few examples of the settlements and verdicts our attorneys have achieved:
Our Austin Office
If you can’t make the trip to our offices for your free consultation, our team will travel to you. Our primary goal is your comfort and well-being. We seek to provide the assistance you need during this stressful time, and we understand the importance of helping you focus on recovery.
You Pay Nothing Unless We Win Your Case
At Shamieh Law, we believe the cost of quality representation should not hold you back from pursuing the compensation you need and deserve. We understand you may have lost your main source of income or vehicle after an accident and could also be facing substantial medical bills.
We work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you don’t pay anything unless we win your case. In Austin, contingency fees are common agreements between the lawyer and the client in which the attorney does not collect a fee unless they win or settle the case.
The fee is typically calculated as a percentage of the compensation awarded. This arrangement allows clients with limited financial resources to access legal representation without paying out-of-pocket fees. So, you owe us nothing unless we win.
Talk to an Austin Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today and Start Getting Your Money Back
Someone else’s decision to drive intoxicated is costing you your health, your income, and your family’s stability.
Every week that passes, evidence degrades and witnesses forget what they saw.
Texas gives you two years from the date of the crash to file, and a case built in the first month is stronger than one built in the twenty-third.
We offer a free, no obligation consultation on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we win or settle your case.
Call 512-503-1230 now to speak with our team, or fill out the contact form on this page and we will reach out to you.
Let Shamieh Law carry the legal fight so you can put your attention where it belongs, on getting better.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Drunk Driving Accident Claims in Austin
How much does a drunk driving accident lawyer in Austin cost?
Our drunk driving accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing upfront and we only get paid if we win or settle your case. The fee is a percentage of the recovery, agreed in writing before we begin, and the free consultation costs nothing whether or not you hire us.
How long do I have to file a drunk driving accident claim in Texas?
Texas law gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003. Wrongful death claims carry the same two-year deadline, measured from the date of death. Miss it and the court will almost always dismiss your case, no matter how clearly the drunk driver caused it.
What should I do right after a drunk driving accident in Austin?
Call 911 so officers document the driver’s intoxication and create the police report your claim will rely on, then get examined by a doctor even if you feel fine. Photograph the scene and your injuries, and write down the names of anyone who saw the driver before or after the car wreck. Avoid giving a recorded statement to the other insurer, and be careful about the questions insurance companies ask after a car accident, because those answers get used to reduce what you are paid.
Can I sue the bar that served the drunk driver who hit me?
Yes, Texas dram shop liability lets accident victims sue a bar, restaurant, or other alcohol provider that served a patron who was already obviously intoxicated to the point of being a clear danger. Tex. Alco. Bev. Code § 2.02 also applies when an establishment serves alcohol to a minor who then causes a driving accident. These drunk driving accident claims often reach a commercial policy much larger than the driver’s auto insurance.
Does insurance cover damages from a drunk driving accident in Texas?
Standard auto liability insurance still applies when the driver was intoxicated, and insurance covers damages from drunk driving accidents in Texas much as it covers other auto accidents, subject to the policy limits. Those limits can fall far short of what a serious injury costs, which is when uninsured motorist coverage and dram shop claims matter.
What if the drunk driver was never convicted?
You can still seek compensation, because a civil claim uses a much lower standard of proof. Prosecutors must prove intoxication beyond a reasonable doubt, while your personal injury case only requires showing it is more likely than not that the driver’s intoxication caused your injuries. Tex. Penal Code § 49.01 defines intoxicated as not having the normal use of mental or physical faculties or an alcohol concentration of 0.08 or more, and we can prove either without a conviction.
What compensation can I recover after a drunk driving crash in Austin?
You can pursue financial compensation for medical bills, future medical expenses, lost wages, and lost earning capacity, and recover compensation for pain and suffering, disfigurement, and mental anguish. In a drunk driving accident case, exemplary damages may also be available where the evidence clears the gross negligence bar. What it is worth depends on the injury and the coverage.
Are punitive damages available against drunk drivers in Texas?
Yes, Texas courts can award punitive damages, also called exemplary damages, when a claimant proves malice or gross negligence by clear and convincing evidence, and the facts of a drunk driving crash can meet that bar. They punish drivers whose conduct clears it, deter the same conduct in others, and come on top of your compensatory damages. Where the driver committed intoxication assault or intoxication manslaughter, the usual statutory cap does not apply.
Who pays my medical bills while my drunk driving accident case is pending?
The at fault driver’s insurer does not pay as you go, so who pays for medical bills after a car accident in Texas usually comes down to your health insurance, your own medical payments coverage, or a letter of protection that lets a provider treat you and get paid from the settlement. Many accident victims wrongly assume they must pay out of pocket and delay care, so we help arrange treatment and keep a gap out of your records.
Should I accept the insurance company's first offer after a drunk driving accident?
Early offers arrive before anyone knows the full cost of your injuries, which is why you should never take the first settlement offer from insurance without having it reviewed. Once you sign a release, you usually can’t go back if you need another surgery.
How do I choose the right drunk driving accident attorney in Austin?
Look for verifiable case results in drunk driving and catastrophic injuries, real trial experience rather than a settlement-only practice, and the resources to hire reconstruction and medical experts. Ask who will handle your file day to day, and favor a firm that appears regularly in Travis County courts.
