Houston Personal Injury Attorneys – Smith & Hassler

Some of the most heartbreaking cases we handle involve victims of drunk drivers. One person’s decision to drive under the influence can quickly turn into a tragedy that can ripple across many lives. It not only affects the victim who is injured or killed in an accident caused by an impaired driver. The negligent driver’s behavior has a profound impact on the families and friends who lost someone they loved.

In an April 19 story covered by Click2Houston, we read about a man who was charged with intoxicated manslaughter after he allegedly struck a victim who was standing next to a vehicle on the Southwest Freeway in Houston.

According to the news report, police said the victim got out of his car after he struck a disabled vehicle that was stopped in a moving traffic lane.  As the victim was standing next to the driver side door of the disabled vehicle, he was hit by a car driven by a man who police allege was drunk. According to Click2Houston, police said the driver allegedly first struck the victim’s vehicle and then hit the victim who was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

Harris County Drunk Driving Accidents Are Common

Back in 2009, a report in the Houston Chronicle stated that Harris County leads the nation in drunk driving fatalities among the most populous counties.

Since then, law enforcement has stepped up efforts to keep impaired drivers off the road. The district attorney’s office started a no-refusal policy that forced drivers suspected of being drunk to submit to a breathalyzer or blood test.

Unfortunately, tragic accidents involving impaired drivers continue to be a problem in Harris County, as the crash on Southwest Freeway illustrates. While that accident remains under investigation, generally speaking a drunk driving case may lead to serious criminal charges – and, separately, a civil lawsuit if someone is injured or killed. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing clients who need to pursue compensation for their losses in drunk driving cases.  While we applaud the efforts of law enforcement in bringing the drunk driver to justice, we also know that criminal cases alone won’t necessarily pay for all of the related losses.

In many cases, the only recourse a victim has to recover damages for medical bills, lost wages and damage property is to hire a lawyer and file a civil action. In some cases, we have been able to secure compensation for non-economic losses, including pain and suffering. And because the drunk driver’s actions were particularly reckless, we may seek damages to punish that person. These are known as punitive damages.

While negligence in a drunk driving accident might seem clear, securing full compensation from the insurance company can be a difficult process. That’s why it’s critical for victims and families who lost loved ones to consult with experienced attorneys promptly after the accident. Our law firm knows how to gather evidence and conduct thorough investigations that produce the results clients need. Call Smith & Hassler today at (877) 777-1529 for a free consultation.

There was a three vehicle crash in the Montrose area of Houston at 2:30 this morning, and one of the drivers is facing several charges, including a likely DWI charge. The crash was at Montrose and Westheimer. A westbound Infiniti sedan ran a red light where it was struck by a southbound silver-colored Toyota Corolla. The Infiniti then struck an SUV that was stopped at the light. The driver of the Infiniti jumped out and tried to make a run for it but was restrained by bystanders until the police arrived. This will likely prove to be a costly mistake for that driver.

Two vehicles collided head-on at 9:45 p.m. on Sunday March 27th and one of the drivers has been charged with intoxication manslaughter. The allegedly drunk driver was traveling eastbound on W. Mount Houston in a silver-colored pickup truck when he crossed the center line and struck a Chevy Impala sedan traveling westbound. A woman driving the Impala was killed in the collision and her front seat passenger was critically injured. The pickup driver was taken to the hospital, presumably where blood was drawn.

A 31-year old man who has stopped to assist another motorist was struck and killed last night on the Eastex Freeway southbound at Crosstimbers in Houston. The driver of a Pontiac Grand Prix collided with a pickup truck before traveling across five lanes and hitting the good Samaritan by the side of the road. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office has accepted a charge of intoxication manslaughter against the Grand Prix driver.

A driver has been charged with intoxication manslaughter for a fatal crash on FM 1960 near Fritz Oak Place at 2:00 a.m. this morning, and apparently had his unrestrained 4-year old daughter with him in the vehicle at the time.

According to Channel 13 Houston, the alleged drunk driver was heading westbound on FM 1960 when he attempted to make a u-turn. His SUV pulled in front of the victim’s vehicle, and the victim’s vehicle t-boned the drunk driver. The victim died instantly. The alleged drunk driver wasn’t hurt, but his 4-year old daughter was transported to the emergency room.

34-year old Maria Guadalupe Udave is currently in Harris County Jail, charged with intoxication manslaughter after a collision on Laura Koppe Road in Houston late Friday night. KHOU News Houston reports that Udave was driving her Nissan Armada SUV westbound on Laura Koppe while the victim, identified in documents filed with the Harris County District Clerk as Sheila Lovings, was heading eastbound on Laura Koppe. Udave, apparently arguing with a male passenger in her vehicle, swerved into the eastbound lanes crashing head-on into the victim’s Toyota Camry. Udave’s male passenger fled the scene of the accident, and Udave was taken to Memorial Hermann Northwest for medical treatment and a mandatory blood draw.

Two men were seriously injured when a 22-year old suspected drunk driver lost control of his pickup, crashing head-on into another pickup truck on Tidwell Road in Houston. The crash happened around 3:30 a.m. Saturday; Houston Fire Department had to use the jaws of life to free the injured men whose vehicle was hit by the alleged drunk. Both victims were transported to Memorial Hermann Hospital but were expected to survive.

The Smith & Hassler Law Firm headquartered in Houston, Texas was formed in 1989 and has recovered millions of dollars for victims of drunk driving. Smith & Hassler is 100% dedicated to personal injury matters and the majority of the firm’s attorneys are Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

There was a fatal accident this morning and police suspect drunk driving is to blame. A homeless man was taking shelter beneath an overpass on the Gulf Freeway when he was struck by a vehicle around 2:45 a.m.  Apparently the woman driving the Nissan Altima involved in the crash tried to turn left onto Airport Boulevard from the Gulf Freeway feeder road northbound when she lost control. The driver of the Nissan was not injured in the crash but she showed signs of intoxication and failed a field sobriety test. News reports did not identify the homeless man or the alleged drunk driver.

Smith & Hassler – drunk driving accident attorneys

Channel 2 News

KHOU News

ABC Channel 13

Puneet Nehra is missing after he stopped to help a motorist involved in a crash on the Grand Parkway north of the Brazos River.

The crash happened shortly after 9:00 p.m. on Sunday evening. Mr. Nehra, who lives in Sugar Land, was assisting a person involved in a car accident when an alleged drunk driver plowed into the accident scene. Police are concerned Mr. Nehra may have been knocked over the edge of the bridge and into the river. The suspected drunk driver, 30-year old Gregory Kure of Needville, was arrested. Mr. Nehra has a wife and two young children and was on his way home having picked up dinner for his family when the crash happened.

34-year old Blaine T. Boudreaux has been charged with intoxication manslaughter, Channel 2 is reporting, after Boudreaux was involved in a two vehicle accident that claimed the life of a six-year old boy. Boudreaux was reportedly traveling northbound on Lockwood in Houston around 6:10 p.m. Sunday evening when he allegedly ran a red light at the intersection of the East Freeway feeder. Boudreaux’s black-colored Dodge Ram pickup truck hit a black Honda Civic. The 6-year old boy, riding as a passenger in the Honda, was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Online resources indicate Boudreaux is an assistant manager at a Walgreen’s in Katy, Texas.

Channel 11 News report.