Yes. Under Texas law, a driver who causes a crash while intoxicated is liable for the injuries and damages the crash causes, and evidence of intoxication — a DWI/DUI conviction, blood alcohol results, or police reports — can support a personal injury claim in civil court, separate from any criminal charges the driver faces.
In addition to suing the driver, injured victims may also have a claim against a bar, restaurant, or business that continued serving a visibly intoxicated patron under the Texas Dram Shop Act (Tex. Alco. Bev. Code Ch. 2). An experienced Houston personal injury attorney can help identify every potentially liable party after a drunk driving crash.
A Houston trial lawyer since 2009 — representing injured people and their families, and defending the accused in DWI and criminal cases. Jay is an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist, a certified practitioner and instructor of Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, a certified Drug Recognition Expert, and trained in forensic chromatography. He is a member of the National College for DUI Defense, a founding member of the DUI Defense Lawyers Association, and an appointee to the Texas Indigent Defense Commission by Gov. Abbott in 2024.
Last reviewed July 2026 · This article is legal information, not legal advice. Read Jay’s full bio →