Drunk drivers cause some of the worst injuries our Houma drunk driving accident lawyers see. Louisiana law gives victims of drunk drivers powerful tools — including potential punitive damages and dram shop claims against bars that overserved the driver. We use every available tool to maximize recovery for clients hit by impaired drivers.
At Kopfler & Hermann, our Houma drunk driving accident lawyers have been representing injured Louisiana clients and their families for over 45 years from our office at 306 Grinage Street in downtown Houma. We know how the trucking companies, insurance carriers, oilfield operators, and chemical plants build their defenses — and we know how to dismantle them.
Call (985) 851-3311 for a free consultation with an experienced Houma drunk driving accident lawyer today, or use our online contact form.
When the at-fault driver was drunk, your case has several advantages over a typical car accident: criminal evidence (BAC results, police reports, criminal conviction), heightened jury sympathy, potential dram shop claims against bars and restaurants, and in some cases punitive damages.
Our Houma drunk driving accident attorneys move fast to preserve all of this evidence — including obtaining the driver’s criminal file, BAC test results, dash cam footage from the responding officer, and the bar receipts that show where the driver was overserved.
Louisiana’s dram shop law (R.S. 9:2800.1) is narrower than many states, but bars and restaurants can be held liable when they serve a visibly intoxicated person who then causes an accident. We investigate every drunk driving case for potential dram shop claims — especially when the driver was leaving a bar, restaurant, or special event when the crash occurred.
We pursue every category of damages: medical bills (past and future), lost wages and lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, mental anguish, disfigurement and scarring, loss of enjoyment of life, and wrongful death damages for surviving families. In appropriate cases, we explore claims that could trigger enhanced damages.
When the drunk driver carried inadequate insurance, we pursue uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage from your own policy and from any commercial policies that may apply.
If you suspect the driver who hit you was impaired:
1) Get medical attention. 2) Tell the responding officer that you smelled alcohol or noticed signs of impairment. 3) Photograph everything at the scene. 4) Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurance. 5) Call a Houma drunk driving accident lawyer before signing anything.
Our Houma drunk driving accident lawyers see the same patterns in case after case:
Our Houma office serves injured clients throughout south Louisiana:
We pursue your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and any commercial policies that may apply. Don’t assume there’s no recovery.
Possibly. Louisiana dram shop law allows claims when a bar served a visibly intoxicated person. We investigate every drunk driving case for dram shop claims.
Louisiana has a one-year statute of limitations on personal injury claims. Wrongful death claims also must be filed within one year.
No. The civil case can proceed in parallel with the criminal prosecution. We coordinate with the District Attorney to preserve evidence and align the cases.
Many drunk driving cases settle once the evidence is fully developed. But we prepare every case as if it will go to trial — that’s what generates fair settlements.
The longer you wait, the more evidence disappears and the harder the insurance carriers fight. Call our Houma office at (985) 851-3311 for a free consultation with an experienced Houma drunk driving accident lawyer, or visit us at 306 Grinage Street in downtown Houma.
