As a Fort Worth car crash injury lawyer, Attorney Goyen has represented thousands of clients and obtained millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts since 1997. Our office takes pride in striving for the best possible outcome. For our clients, the Law Office of Doug Goyen provides experienced, aggressive, and powerful representation. Each client is communicated with directly by our lawyer. We will protect each and every one of our client’s rights and obtain the necessary results for their cases.
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The Law Office of Doug Goyen has the credentials you need to ensure that your case is handled by one of the best injury lawyers in Texas. Attorney Doug Goyen has been licensed to practice law in the state of Texas since 1997. From 1994 to 1997, Goyen attended Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law. In 1997, Goyen passed the Texas Bar Exam. From 1989 to 1997, Goyen worked in GEICO’s bodily injury claims department before and during law school.
Drunk Drivers Causing Accidents – Fort Worth DWI Accident LawyerCall For A Free Case Review (972) 599 4100
What Can You Recover After a Car Accident Caused by a Drunk DriverThere are three areas that must be covered in order to collect a settlement in a personal injury case against a drunk driver: 1) establishing liability; 2) establishing the extent of your damages; 3) The ability to collect from those who are responsible.
Establishing Liability Against a Drunk Driver
We will obtain the following evidence to prove that the drunk driver is to blame. This evidence will also help to strengthen your case. We get your account of what happened in the car accident. We collect any witness statements about what they saw in relation to the collision. We collect any video recordings that may exist, such as police dash-cam or body-cam videos. We receive the photographs as well as any audio recordings, such as 911 calls. We gather information from police reports and officer notes about the accident and the other driver’s intoxication. Each case is unique, so as the facts emerge, we gather the evidence required as the facts lead the way.
Demonstrating Your Damages as a Result of the Drunk Driver
We will obtain the medical documentation required to prove the type of injury you have and the amount of bills you have in order to prove how much your damages are. Property damage, such as damage to your vehicle, is common; we obtain repair estimates and final billing records for that information, as well as any rental car, towing, or storage bills for your damaged vehicle. If you are unable to work as a result of a car accident injury, we will gather the records required to prove your lost earnings. We will go over the case with you several times to ensure that we fully understand how your injury affected your life – the pain and suffering, mental anguish, any impairment, any disfigurement, any loss of consortium, any loss of a body part, or any other type of injury you may have suffered. We go over all of the information we’ve gathered with our client and see if there’s anything else that needs to be added.
The ability to collect from those responsible for the car accident.
When a drunk driver causes an auto accident that injures someone, there are several potential avenues for recovery. In a Texas Dram Shop Act case, you can collect against the drunk driver for their negligence; b) you can collect against anyone who negligently entrusted their vehicle to the drunk driver, and c) you can possibly collect against those who provided the alcohol to the drunk driver.
Collecting against the drunk driver: This is the simplest line of attack. Under their auto liability coverage, the drunk driver’s insurance company should pay for the damage they caused. If the drunk driver was driving someone else’s vehicle when they caused the car accident, the claim may be covered by two auto liability insurance policies.
Collecting for Negligent Entrustment: If the drunk driver was driving someone else’s vehicle in the auto accident, the owner of the vehicle may have a claim for negligent entrustment for allowing someone drunk to drive their vehicle.
Collecting for a Dram Shop Act case: In some auto accident injury cases involving a drunk driver, you may have a Texas Dram Shop Act case against the restaurant or bar that served the drunk driver the alcohol. According to the Texas Dram Shop Act, an establishment that serves alcohol to an obviously intoxicated person is liable for the injury caused by the intoxicated person.
The law’s purpose is to discourage establishments that serve alcohol from serving obviously intoxicated people when that intoxication can lead to car accidents resulting in serious injuries or death. See our page on Fort Worth Dram Shop Act cases for more information.
Attorney Goyen has over 23 years of experience as a Fort Worth DWI accident lawyer and personal injury attorney. We deal with the insurance company in addition to conducting a thorough investigation into your car accident injury and the drunk driver who caused the collision. We gather the evidence required to prove your claim and maximize its value. We negotiate with any claims representatives about your injury and stay in touch with them. Some cases, for one reason or another, cannot be resolved. If litigation is required, we will file a lawsuit on your behalf and take your case to trial.
FREE CASE REVIEWS
Call (972) 599 4100 if you need a Fort Worth car accident lawyer. We provide free phone consultations with a personal injury attorney. We also offer a complimentary strategy session. The strategy session includes a summary of your case, legal issues involved, and legal issues we identify as critical to maximizing the amount of compensation owed.
THERE IS NO FEE IF WE DO NOT WIN
If we are unable to recover, you owe us nothing. We charge a contingency fee based on a percentage of the amount recovered. Because this is a performance-based contract, the better we perform for you, the better we perform for ourselves. This aligns our Fort Worth personal injury lawyer's interests in the case with those of our client.
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