Find a drunk driving accident lawyer in Fort Worth: claims, bars and the DWI case

A drunk driver who hits you in Fort Worth owes you a civil claim separate from the DWI case. You generally have 2 years to sue. A Texas bar can owe money only if it served someone obviously intoxicated who was a clear danger. Tarrant County treats every breath test refusal as grounds for a blood warrant.

Last checked November 9, 2026 · Official sources (36)

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Road map of Fort Worth showing West 7th Street and streets around downtown
Tarrant County filed 4,956 DWI cases in 2024. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How common are drunk driving crashes in Fort Worth?

Common enough to fill a court calendar. Tarrant County prosecutors filed 4,956 DWI cases in 2024. Across the 12-county North Central Texas region, 51.5 percent of alcohol-related crashes in 2024 were reported between 10 p.m. and 3:59 a.m. Fort Worth had 15,680 crashes and 112 traffic deaths in 2025.

Tarrant County is a "No Refusal" county. If a driver is pulled over and refuses a breath test, officers get a search warrant for blood. That helps you, because a blood result is hard to argue with. Ask the officer which agency has the case so you can follow it.

How is my injury claim different from the DWI case in Tarrant County?

DWI criminal caseYour injury claim
Who brings itThe Tarrant County District AttorneyYou, usually with a lawyer
What it can doJail, fines, an order to repay youMoney for bills, wages and pain
Do you need a conviction?It is the point of the caseNo. You can claim even if the charge is dropped.
DeadlineSet by prosecutorsGenerally 2 years

Tell the District Attorney's Victim Services office you were hurt. It is at 401 W. Belknap St., 817-884-2740. If you need help from Fort Worth Police first, the Victim Assistance Section is at 817-392-4390. Do not wait for the criminal case to end before you protect your civil deadline. Criminal cases can take a long time.

Who pays after a drunk driver hits me in Fort Worth?

  1. The driver's auto insurer. Texas requires at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash.
  2. Your uninsured motorist coverage, if the driver has none or too little.
  3. The bar, restaurant or other seller, if the rules below are met.
  4. The state's Crime Victims' Compensation program, which covers DWI and intoxication offenses and pays only as a last option. Applications are due within 3 years unless good cause is shown. It is free and you do not need a lawyer to apply. Call 800-983-9933.
  5. The driver personally. A debt for injuries caused by drunk driving is generally not wiped out in bankruptcy.

Punishment damages may also be possible. They need clear and convincing proof of gross negligence and a unanimous jury, and they have a cap that does not apply to intoxication assault or manslaughter. Texas bars your claim if you are more than 50 percent at fault.

Can I sue a bar in Fort Worth for overserving a drunk driver?

Sometimes, under a narrow rule. It must have been apparent to the seller that the person was obviously intoxicated and a clear danger. For someone 18 or older, this is the only claim allowed against the seller. A place can also point to its employee training to avoid being held responsible for that employee. An adult can be liable for giving alcohol to someone under 18.

Fort Worth's West 7th nightlife area has rideshare zones from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Friday evening to Sunday morning, and the city moved pickups out of the busiest spots for safety. If the driver left a bar there, or anywhere else, do these things fast:

  • Write down what the driver said about where they drank.
  • Ask the officer if the report names a bar.
  • Ask a lawyer to send the bar a letter to save its video, card receipts and staff schedule.
  • Look up the seller on TABC's system. You can research past complaints there.

You can also report the place. TABC takes complaints about licensed places selling to intoxicated people. Anyone can file online with no login.

What should I do first after a DWI crash in Fort Worth?

Call 911 and say you think the other driver is drunk. Do not argue with them. JPS and Texas Health Harris Methodist are Level I trauma centers in Fort Worth. Get the crash report through TxDOT's CRIS site for $6 after up to 14 days. Police Records is at 817-392-4160.

What should I ask a drunk driver accident lawyer in Fort Worth?

  • Will you track the Tarrant County DWI case for me?
  • Is there a bar or host who may share the blame?
  • Do you see a claim for gross negligence?
  • How do we use the blood test in my injury claim?

Questions

Does a DWI conviction help my injury claim?

It can help, but you do not need one to file a claim. Your claim has its own 2-year deadline.

Can a bar be sued for serving a drunk driver in Texas?

Only under a narrow law: the seller had to see the person was obviously intoxicated and a clear danger.

Will the state help with my medical bills?

The Crime Victims' Compensation program covers DWI offenses and can help with costs other sources do not pay.

Who do I call about the DWI case in Tarrant County?

District Attorney's Victim Services at 817-884-2740.

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Sources (36)

  1. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  2. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code 2.02, checked 2026-11-09. “it was apparent to the provider that the individual being sold, served, or provided with an alcoholic beverage was obviously intoxicated to the extent that he presented a clear danger to himself and others”
  3. Tarrant County District Attorney, news release, Dec. 30, 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “if a driver is pulled over and refuses a breath test, law enforcement officers will get a search warrant to draw their blood”
  4. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 56B.003, checked 2026-11-09. “Section 49.04 (driving while intoxicated)”
  5. Texas Attorney General, Crime Victims' Compensation Eligibility, checked 2026-11-08. “You're applying within 3 years of the crime (unless good cause can be shown for the delay).”
  6. Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101(b)-(c), checked 2026-11-08. “unless the insurer provides uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in the policy or supplemental to the policy. (c) The coverage required by this subchapter does not apply if any insured named in the insurance policy rejects the coverage in writing.”
  7. Tarrant County District Attorney, news release, Dec. 30, 2025, checked 2026-11-09. “In all of 2024, 4,956 DWI cases were filed in Tarrant County.”
  8. NCTCOG, Regional Crash Fact Sheet, Calendar Year 2024, checked 2026-11-08. “51.5% of alcohol related crashes were reported from between 10:00 PM and 3:59 AM”
  9. TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries Cities and Towns, checked 2026-11-08. “FORT WORTH 109 112 475 562 2,665 3,568 2,296 3,616 9,533 32,368 602 2,351 15,680”
  10. Texas Code of Criminal Procedure 42.037, checked 2026-11-09. “the court that sentences a defendant convicted of an offense may order the defendant to make restitution to any victim of the offense”
  11. Tarrant County District Attorney, Victim Services, checked 2026-11-09. “401 W. Belknap St Fort Worth, Texas 76196 Phone: 817-884-2740”
  12. Fort Worth Police, Victim Assistance, checked 2026-11-09. “505 West Felix St. Fort Worth, TX 76115 817-392-4390”
  13. Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1), checked 2026-11-08. “(1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision; (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily injury to or death of one of the persons; and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.”
  14. Texas Attorney General, checked 2026-11-09. “this program is meant to pay only as a last option”
  15. Texas Attorney General, Crime Victims' Compensation Eligibility, checked 2026-11-08. “The application is free, and you don't need a lawyer.”
  16. Texas Attorney General, Crime Victims' Compensation Eligibility, checked 2026-11-08. “Toll Free: (800) 983-9933”
  17. 11 U.S.C. 523(a)(9), checked 2026-11-09. “for death or personal injury caused by the debtor's operation of a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft if such operation was unlawful because the debtor was intoxicated”
  18. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 41.003, checked 2026-11-09. “exemplary damages may be awarded only if the claimant proves by clear and convincing evidence that the harm with respect to which the claimant seeks recovery of exemplary damages results from”
  19. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 41.003, checked 2026-11-09. “Exemplary damages may be awarded only if the jury was unanimous in regard to finding liability for and the amount of exemplary damages.”
  20. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 41.008, checked 2026-11-09. “any noneconomic damages found by the jury, not to exceed $750,000; or (2) $200,000”
  21. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 41.008, checked 2026-11-09. “if, except for Sections 49.07 and 49.08, the conduct was committed knowingly or intentionally”
  22. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”
  23. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code 2.03, checked 2026-11-09. “This chapter provides the exclusive cause of action for providing an alcoholic beverage to a person 18 years of age or older.”
  24. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code 106.14, checked 2026-11-09. “the actions of an employee shall not be attributable to the employer if”
  25. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code 2.02, checked 2026-11-09. “An adult 21 years of age or older is liable for damages proximately caused by the intoxication of a minor under the age of 18”
  26. City of Fort Worth, West 7th Corridor Rideshare, checked 2026-11-08. “Zones will operate from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. from Friday evening to Sunday morning.”
  27. City of Fort Worth, West 7th Corridor Rideshare, checked 2026-11-08. “pick up areas will be removed from the busiest areas”
  28. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, File a Business Complaint, checked 2026-11-09. “You can also research past complaints against TABC-licensed businesses through our Public Inquiry system”
  29. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, File a Business Complaint, checked 2026-11-09. “Selling alcoholic beverages to minors or intoxicated people.”
  30. Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, File a Business Complaint, checked 2026-11-09. “Anyone can file a complaint through AIMS, no login required.”
  31. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  32. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  33. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Effective December 15, 2024, requestors should use the website below to request an accident report(s)”
  34. Fort Worth Police, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “for $6.00. If your search for a report returns no results, the report has not been approved.”
  35. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “It can take up to 14 days from the date of the crash for your crash to appear in the search results.”
  36. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “please call the Police Records unit at 817-392-4160 for assistance”

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