Victims of drunk driving crashes can typically recover medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. In serious cases, Texas law also allows exemplary (punitive) damages, since driving while intoxicated generally meets the “gross negligence” standard under Chapter 41 of the Civil Practice & Remedies Code.
Punitive damages are intended to punish especially reckless conduct and are awarded on top of, not instead of, compensatory damages. An attorney can help document the full extent of your losses and pursue every category of damages available under Texas law.
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 →