CONROE · MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TEXAS
Conroe Drunk Driving Accident Victim Lawyers
A drunk driver made a decision in a matter of seconds.
You may spend years living with the consequences.
None of that was your choice.
We represent victims of drunk driving crashes across Conroe and Montgomery County from our office in Shenandoah, minutes down I-45. While the criminal courts deal with the driver, we take control of the side of the case that actually pays your medical bills, replaces your lost income, and accounts for what you have been through.
Tell us what happened
30 minutes with an attorney, not a screener. No obligation, no pressure.
CONFIDENTIAL · NO FEE UNLESS WE RECOVER
OUR CONROE DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENT VICTIM SERVICES
A drunk driving crash creates two cases. Only one of them is about you.
The State of Texas prosecutes the driver. Your civil claim is separate, it belongs to you, and it does not depend on a conviction.
THE CRIMINAL CASE
The State vs. the driver
Prosecuted by Texas. You are a witness to it, not a party in it.
- Proven beyond a reasonable doubt
- May end in fines, license suspension, or jail
- Controlled by prosecutors, not by you
- Will not pay a single one of your bills
Your civil claim
You vs. everyone responsible
Yours to bring, on your timeline, with a lower burden of proof.
- Proven by a preponderance of the evidence
- Can succeed even if the criminal case stalls
- Reaches the bar or restaurant that overserved
- Pays medical care, lost income, and more
HOW WE BUILD THE CLAIM
Every source of recovery, pursued in parallel
RECOVERY
What your claim can recover
Economic damages cover medical care, future treatment, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and property damage. Non-economic damages account for pain and suffering, mental anguish, and physical impairment. And because Texas treats drunk driving as conduct that may rise to gross negligence, exemplary damages designed to punish the driver may also be available under Chapter 41 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. We structure your claim from day one for its full value, documented and defensible.
DRAM SHOP
Holding bars and restaurants accountable
The driver is not always the only responsible party. Under the Texas Dram Shop Act, a bar, restaurant, or liquor store that served an obviously intoxicated customer can face its own liability for the crash that customer caused. Around Lake Conroe and along the I-45 corridor, that question comes up more often than people realize. These cases demand fast investigation, because tabs, receipts, and surveillance footage disappear quickly.
COVERAGE
When the driver cannot pay
Texas only requires minimum liability coverage, and drunk drivers are often underinsured or carry no valid coverage at all. That does not end your case. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may apply, and we handle UM/UIM claims. If the driver fled, our hit-and-run experience comes into play. Between UM/UIM coverage, dram shop liability, and other responsible parties, there is almost always more than one path to recovery.
CATASTROPHIC
Serious injuries and wrongful death
Drunk driving crashes are violent, and the injuries are often life-altering: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, severe internal injuries, and permanent disability requiring long-term care. Claims like these have to account for decades of future needs, not just the bills sitting in front of you today. When a crash takes a life, surviving family may pursue a wrongful death and survivor claim, and we handle those cases with the care they deserve.
WHY THE FIRST DAYS MATTER
The evidence that proves your case starts disappearing immediately
A drunk driving case is won with records that nobody is obligated to keep for you. Some of it is preserved by the criminal investigation. Much of it is not. This is why we move on day one instead of waiting for the criminal case to finish.
Roadway and scene evidence
Shortest window
Bar and restaurant surveillance
Often overwritten on a rolling cycle
Tabs, receipts, and POS records
Routine retention schedules
Vehicle event data
Can be lost when the car is repaired or salvaged
Witness recollection
Degrades steadily, then gets contested
Your deadline to file
Generally two years in Texas
Bars show how long each type of evidence typically remains available, relative to the filing deadline. Actual windows vary. Waiting until the deadline approaches usually means building a case out of what is left.
LOCAL GROUND
Why Montgomery County cases require a different approach
Not every county investigates impaired driving the same way. Montgomery County has earned a reputation for aggressively investigating and prosecuting intoxication-related offenses. Serious crashes often involve coordinated investigations by local law enforcement, prosecutors, crash investigators, and specialized units focused on preserving evidence.
Those investigations frequently generate body camera recordings, toxicology evidence, witness interviews, crash reconstruction, and search warrant materials that may become valuable in a civil injury claim. Understanding what evidence may exist, and acting quickly to preserve it, can significantly affect the strength of a case.
A perspective from both sides of the courtroom
Attorney Raphael Ortega served as both a prosecutor and a criminal defense attorney before representing injured victims. That experience helps our team identify evidence other firms overlook, and understand how criminal and civil proceedings intersect after a drunk driving crash. Attorneys Raphael Ortega and Luis Hess focus exclusively on motor vehicle accident cases, which means we know how insurers handle drunk driving claims and where they try to cut their value.
SERVING CONROE AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY
We are not a Houston firm that treats Conroe as an afterthought
We know the ground these cases move through, and we are close enough to act fast when a scene needs documenting or evidence needs preserving.
Interstate 45 corridor
CRASH CORRIDOR
Highway 105
CRASH CORRIDOR
Loop 336
CRASH CORRIDOR
Lake Conroe
LATE-NIGHT TRAFFIC
Montgomery County courts
WHERE A CONROE SUIT IS FILED
Office in Shenandoah
MINUTES DOWN I-45
WHAT OUR CONROE CLIENTS SAY
Our clients describe the work better than we can
This is the attorney you want on your side. Don’t hesitate. I don’t do reviews, but this attorney made my entire case a success. He was consistently one step ahead of opposing counsel. Came prepared, knew the details and, most importantly, explained all the possible outcomes and what each one meant for the case. He’ll be honest from the start and show you the reality of the situation. Stop looking for an attorney, you found him.
— C. A.
Mr. Ortega took the time to explain in great detail the pros and cons that I would face if or when I might bring a case against an insurance company. He was very knowledgeable and walked me through all possibilities. I highly recommend him.
— K. J.
Mr. Ortega is extremely helpful and answered all my pending questions. I will not hesitate to reach out again for more clarification. He’s a helper, and it is hard to find those.
— P. M.
I am extremely grateful for the help and guidance provided by Mr. Ortega. While others wanted to charge me $200 for a simple question, Mr. Ortega answered it promptly and effectively. His expertise and generosity are truly commendable.
— J. P.
A great experience overall. I felt I was in good hands along my entire process. I strongly recommend them.
— M. N.
THE DIAMOND STANDARD
How your case gets built, managed, and moved forward
Every case we handle follows the same three steps, in the same order, for the same reason: what happens first determines what is possible later.
STEP 01
Establish control
We step in early to take control of communications, preserve critical evidence before it disappears, identify every potentially responsible party, and build a strategy before insurance companies begin defining the narrative.
STEP 02
Build with purpose
Evidence is preserved, your medical care is aligned with documentation, and your claim is structured to support its full value, including the exemplary damages a drunk driving case may warrant.
STEP 03
Position for resolution
When it is time to move your case forward, it is already prepared. Whether through negotiation or litigation in the Montgomery County courts, your case is positioned to withstand scrutiny.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Drunk driving accident victims in Conroe
Can I sue a drunk driver for my injuries?
Yes. You can bring a civil injury claim against the drunk driver regardless of what happens in the criminal case, and the civil claim uses a lower standard of proof. Your claim can move forward even if the driver is never convicted.
How much does it cost to hire a drunk driving accident lawyer?
Nothing upfront. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not pay us a dime unless we successfully recover compensation for you. Your case starts with a free 30-minute consultation.
How much is a drunk driving accident case worth?
It depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical costs now and in the future, your lost income, the available insurance and dram shop coverage, and how the evidence of intoxication develops. No honest lawyer can promise a number, but a properly built case is positioned to reflect the full impact of what you have experienced.
Does the criminal case have to finish before my injury case starts?
No. In most cases, your civil claim begins long before the criminal prosecution concludes. Insurance investigations, evidence preservation, medical treatment, and negotiations typically move forward while the criminal case remains pending. Waiting for the criminal case to end may actually place important evidence at risk.
What if the drunk driver has no insurance or fled the scene?
You may still recover compensation. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage can apply, a dram shop claim may reach the establishment that overserved the driver, and hit-and-run cases have their own paths to recovery. We investigate every option in parallel.
How long do I have to file a drunk driving accident claim in Texas?
In most cases, Texas allows two years from the date of the crash. Waiting costs more than time, because surveillance footage, receipts, and witness memories fade quickly. The sooner the investigation starts, the stronger the case.
Should I talk to the insurance company before hiring a lawyer?
Be very careful. Adjusters ask for recorded statements and push early settlements because both protect the insurance company, not you. You are not required to give a recorded statement, and any offer should be reviewed by an attorney before you sign anything.
What happens during the free consultation?
You get 30 minutes with an attorney, not a screener. We listen to what happened, give you an honest evaluation of whether you have a case and what it may involve, and explain exactly what happens next. There is no obligation and no pressure.
GET STARTED TODAY
The driver made one decision. You don't have to make the next one alone.
Every day that passes, important evidence becomes harder to preserve. Insurance companies begin evaluating the claim immediately. Medical records begin telling your story. Let us take that burden off your shoulders.
Attorney advertisement. The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Viewing this page, submitting the form, or calling our office does not create an attorney-client relationship, which is formed only by a signed written agreement.
Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is different and results depend on the specific facts and law involved. Testimonials reflect the experience of individual clients and are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction regarding the outcome of your matter.
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