If a drunk driver hit you in Houston, you shouldn’t be the one paying for their bad choice. Right now you’re probably staring down hospital bills, a wrecked car, missed work, and a phone that won’t stop ringing with insurance adjusters. Take a breath. That part’s our job now, not yours.
At Blass Law, we’ve recovered millions for injured Texans, and we know how to go straight at the driver who did this to you. Founding attorney Jay Blass Cohen is trained in the same intoxication science the State uses to prove a DWI, which most injury firms can’t say. So when we tell the insurer the other driver was drunk, we can back it up with the science. Call (713) 664-4000 for a free, confidential case review. No cost, no BS.
Why a Forensic Lawyer-Scientist Gives Your Claim an Edge
Most injury lawyers have to hire an outside expert to explain a blood test or pick apart a field sobriety test. Jay does that work himself. He’s a certified ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist. He’s also a certified instructor in Standardized Field Sobriety Testing and a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) trained in the forensic chromatography labs use to test for alcohol and drugs.
For years he used that training to take the State’s evidence apart on the defense side. Now he uses it for you. He goes through the breath results, the blood results, the DWI report and the officer’s sobriety findings, and he uses them to nail down that the other driver was impaired and on the hook for your injuries. And Jay has been on your side since day one of his career. He was never a prosecutor. Not once.
You Pay Us Nothing Up Front
You don’t pay us a dime out of pocket. We work on contingency, so our fee comes out of the money we win for you. If we don’t recover anything, you don’t owe us a fee or case expenses. Once you hire us, we get to work:
- Filing your claim before the deadline runs out
- Gathering the evidence that proves your injuries and losses
- Dealing with the other party’s insurance company so you don’t have to
- Figuring out what your case is really worth
- Shutting down lowball offers and bad-faith tactics
- Taking it to court if that’s what it takes
How We Prove the Drunk Driver Is Responsible
The State can prosecute the driver for DWI, but a criminal charge doesn’t put a cent in your pocket. To get you paid, we build a civil case that shows the other driver caused your crash. Because driving drunk breaks the law, it can count as negligence per se, a shortcut that helps us pin down fault. To back that up, we move fast to lock down:
- The other driver’s breath or blood results and DWI arrest records
- Police reports and any body-cam or dash-cam footage
- Field sobriety and Drug Recognition Expert evaluations
- Traffic and surveillance video
- Crash reconstruction analysis
- Witness accounts
- Your medical records
And you don’t need the other driver to be convicted to win. Civil and criminal cases are separate. Even if the DWI charge gets dropped, we can still fight for every dollar you’re owed.
We Go After Every Dollar You’re Owed
A drunk driving crash hits you in ways that go way past the repair bill. We add it all up and fight for the full amount, including:
- Emergency, current, and future medical care
- Lost wages and lost earning ability
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional trauma
- Disfigurement and lasting impairment
What your case is worth depends on your injuries and how they affect your life and work. It also depends on how much insurance is on the table. We’ll tell you early what we think it’s worth, so you’re not blindsided when it’s time to talk numbers.
Drunk Drivers Can Owe Punitive Damages, Sometimes With No Cap
When someone gets behind the wheel drunk and hurts you, Texas lets you ask for punitive (exemplary) damages on top of your regular compensation. They’re meant to punish reckless choices, and drunk driving is exactly the kind of conduct that can qualify.
Texas usually caps punitive damages (Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 41.008). But the cap comes off when the driver’s conduct rises to intoxication assault (Penal Code § 49.07) or intoxication manslaughter (Penal Code § 49.08), meaning a drunk driver seriously injured or killed someone. In those cases there’s no cap, and we push for everything the law allows.
You Have Two Years. Don’t Sit On It.
In Texas, you generally get two years from the date of the crash to file, under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003. That sounds like plenty until you see how much goes into building a solid case. Miss the deadline and the court can throw your claim out. The insurance company knows that, and they’re happy to run out the clock. The sooner we start, the more evidence we can protect. Don’t wait on this one.
What to Do After a Drunk Driver Hits You in Houston
Your health comes first. Get to a hospital or see your doctor, even if you feel “fine.” After that, a few things can make a real difference for your case:
- Call the police. Dial 911 and tell them you think a drunk driver caused the crash.
- Check on the others involved if you can, but don’t get into it with the at-fault driver.
- Document everything. Take photos from every angle and write down what happened while it’s fresh. Get contact info for any witnesses.
- Follow your treatment plan so your recovery (and your case) stays on track.
- Keep a file of police reports, medical bills, pay stubs, and out-of-pocket costs.
- Don’t take the first offer. If an insurer calls with a check, talk to us before you sign anything.
The Injuries We Fight For
Since we opened our doors, we’ve recovered compensation for people hurt in every kind of drunk driving crash, including those dealing with:
- Neck injuries like whiplash
- Broken bones
- Lacerations and scarring
- Herniated or slipped discs
- Soft-tissue damage
- Partial or total disability
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries and organ damage
- Loss of a limb
Lost Someone You Love? We’re Here
If a drunk driver took someone from your family, we’re sorry. Nothing we do will bring them back. But we can carry the legal fight so you can grieve, and we can hold the driver accountable. Texas gives your family two ways to do that. A wrongful death claim is for the surviving spouse, children, and parents, and it covers your own losses, from the financial support and companionship you’ve lost to the anguish of losing them. A survival claim belongs to your loved one’s estate and covers what they went through before they passed, including their pain and medical bills. Funeral costs come in there too. We handle both claims, and we’ll carry the legal work so your family doesn’t have to.
Talk to a Houston Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Today
You didn’t ask for any of this, and you don’t have to handle it by yourself. Jay knows the science of intoxication inside and out, and he’ll go to bat for you and your family. Call Blass Law at (713) 664-4000 or reach out through our contact page for a free, confidential case review. The other party’s insurance company already has lawyers working against you. You should have one working for you. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Real Results for Our Clients
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. See all case results →
Related Personal Injury Practice Areas
- Houston Personal Injury Lawyer (Overview)
- Car Accident Lawyer
- Truck Accident Lawyer
- Rideshare, Lyft & Uber Accident Lawyer
- Maritime & Admiralty Accident Lawyer
- Premises Liability Lawyer
- Wrongful Death Lawyer
- Medical Malpractice Lawyer
- Product Liability Lawyer
- Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Catastrophic Injury Lawyer
- Burn Injury Lawyer
- Construction and Workplace Injury Lawyer
- Settlements & Verdicts
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I Sue a Drunk Driver Who Hit Me in Texas?
- What Compensation Can I Recover After a Drunk Driving Accident in Texas?
- What Does Intoxicated Mean in Texas?
Reviewed by Jay Blass Cohen, founder of Blass Law PLLC, ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist, certified Drug Recognition Expert, and SFST instructor, serving Houston since 2009. This article is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Want to see the scope of the problem in Houston? We analyzed five years of Texas crash data (nearly 20,000 Harris County drunk-driving crashes and 998 deaths) in our Houston drunk-driving crash report, showing the deadliest roads and times of day.