If you cause an accident while drinking and driving, the Highland Park prosecutor will likely pursue felony charges against you, especially if the accident led to serious injuries or a fatality. Upon conviction for felony DWI, intoxication assault, or intoxication manslaughter charges, you could spend 10 years or more in prison — potentially even a life sentence if your case involves aggravating circumstances.
A DWI involving an accident, wreck, or injury lawyer in Highland Park can help you fight the charges. Attorney Randall Isenberg, of the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg, has experience as both a state court judge and chief felony prosecutor. This provides him the depth of knowledge and insight necessary to mount a persuasive case for your criminal defense.
To schedule a free consultation, call us at 214-696-9253.
The High Cost of a DWI Accident or Wreck with Injuries
In Highland Park, the prosecutor will likely pursue multiple charges if you cause a wreck while driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol — especially if the accident causes property damage or serious bodily injuries.
You will face DWI charges, the severity of which will depend on the circumstances of your case and whether you have prior drunk driving convictions.
The penalties for basic DWI, with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 or higher (less than 0.15), are as follows:
| First-Offense DWI | Up to 6 months in jail
Up to $2,000 in fines Up to a 1-year license suspension |
| Second-Offense DWI | Up to 1 year in jail
Up to $4,000 in fines Up to a 2-year license suspension |
| Third & Subsequent DWI Offenses | 2 to 10 years in prison
Up to $10,000 in fines 2-year license suspension |
The prosecutor will increase the severity of the charges if any of the following aggravating circumstances apply in your case:
- Minor child (under age 15) in the car
- Open alcohol container in the car
- BAC above 0.15
Now, consider the charges the prosecutor may pursue for the damage or injuries caused by your drunk driving accident.
Property Damage From a Drunk Driving Accident
For a drunk driving accident with property damage, the prosecutor may pursue Class A misdemeanor or felony DWI charges, depending on the nature and extent of the damages that resulted.
For a DWI wreck with extensive damage, the prosecutor could tack on additional charges, such as the following:
- Destruction of property
- Criminal mischief
- Reckless damages
Based on your prior criminal history and the circumstances of your arrest, you could face third-, second-, or first-degree felony charges.
Serious Bodily Injury Resulting from a Drunk Driving Accident
When a Highland Park drunk driving accident leads to serious bodily injury to another person, you can expect to face intoxication assault charges. This offense typically carries third-degree felony charges, punishable as follows:
- 2 to 10 years in prison
- Fines up to $10,000
- 2-year license suspension
If a first responder in the course of performing their duties sustained injuries in a DWI wreck you caused, you will face second-degree felony charges, punishable as follows:
- 2 to 20 years in prison
- Fines up to $10,000
- 2-year license suspension
In addition to these penalties, an intoxication assault conviction will likely earn you community supervision (probation) and any other penalties the court decides to assess, including community service, alcohol treatment, and installing an ignition interlock device on your car.
To reinstate your driver’s license, you must also pay an annual surcharge ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 for three years.
Fatality Resulting from a Drunk Driving Accident
If you drove drunk and caused a fatal crash, the prosecutor will pursue an intoxication manslaughter charge, a second-degree felony in Texas. You will face first-degree felony charges if the victim was a police officer, firefighter, or EMT.
This offense carries penalties that include:
- Up to 20 years in prison (99 years if the victim was a first responder)
- Fines up to $10,000
- 2-year license suspension
Intoxication manslaughter also carries the potential for probation, community service, substance abuse treatment, etc.
How Having a DWI Accident or Injury Lawyer on Your Side Can Help
Serious charges accompany a drunk driving wreck — especially if someone suffered injuries or died. Any decisions you make in the near future can affect your life for years or decades. However, you do not need to make any decisions on your own.
At the Law Offices of Randall B. Isenberg, we understand how frightening and confusing this experience can be, and we are here to help.
As your DWI lawyer, we will:
- Protect your legal rights
- Answer all your questions
- Explain your options
- Represent you in court
- Represent you at the DMV hearing
- Attempt to get your DWI charges reduced or dismissed
When you choose us to represent you, our legal team will go to work, assembling evidence, interviewing witnesses, and uncovering all the information we can about your drunk driving accident.
Our network of resources, including investigators, medical experts, and accident scene reconstruction experts, can help us identify any potential flaws in your case or errors committed by the police. Any such factor can provide the leverage we need to get the prosecutor to reduce or drop the charges.
Potential Legal Defense Strategies for Drunk Driving Injury Accidents
If the prosecutor refuses to negotiate an acceptable reduction or dismissal of your charges — and if it makes sense to take your case to court — we will identify viable legal defense strategies around which to build your criminal defense.
The prosecutor must meet a high burden of proof to get a conviction on these serious charges. Our legal team will work diligently in your defense, to introduce reasonable doubt of your guilt.
Some possible legal defense strategies we may use include the following:
- Challenging the legality or accuracy of chemical BAC test procedures or results
- Challenging your intoxication as the cause of the accident
- Challenging the accident in question as the cause of damage or injury
- Challenging the degree of damages or injury sustained
Whatever strategies we choose for your criminal defense, our legal team will do everything possible to ensure the best possible outcome in your case.
Consult a DWI Accident or Wreck Injury Lawyer in Highland Park at No Cost
Contact the Law Office of Randall B. Isenberg to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation. We can ease your concerns and help you make the best choices for your future.
If the police are holding you in custody, we will gladly come to you. Contact us at 214-696-9253 for help from a DWI lawyer in Highland Park.
