Conroe
Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer Houston

A drunk driver made a decision in a matter of seconds.

You may spend months, or years, living with the consequences.

The pain.

The medical appointments.

The missed work.

The insurance company called before you’ve even had time to understand what happened.

None of that was your choice. You should not have to carry it alone.

At Diamond Injury Law, 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.

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Our Conroe Drunk Driving Accident Victim Services

A drunk driving crash creates two legal cases, and only one of them is about you.

The State of Texas prosecutes the driver, and that case may end in fines, license suspension, or jail time.

It will not pay a single one of your bills.

Your civil claim is separate, it belongs to you, and it does not depend on a conviction. Because a civil claim is proven by a preponderance of the evidence rather than beyond a reasonable doubt, we can win compensation for you even when the criminal case stalls or falls apart.

Here is what that claim can involve and how we build it.

What Your Claim Can Recover

Texas law allows drunk driving victims to pursue every category of loss the crash caused.

Economic damages cover your 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 on the table under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code Chapter 41.

We structure your claim from day one so that it’s full value and not just the most obvious pieces. What we build is documented and defensible.

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: bar tabs, receipts, surveillance footage, and witness accounts disappear quickly.

We move early to preserve that evidence and pursue every source of compensation, because the driver’s minimum-limits policy is rarely enough to cover a serious injury.

What Our Conroe Clients Say

Choosing a lawyer after a serious crash is one of the most important decisions you’ll make.

While every case is different, we believe our clients are in the best position to describe what it’s like to work with our team:

“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.

“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’ll never say it, but he is the smartest man in the room, and the quickest thinker. He was consistently one step ahead of opposing counsel. Came prepared, knew the details and most importantly, explained all the possible outcomes and different moves opposing counsel could make and what it meant for the case. He is a MASTER chess player, and was by my side independent of what craziness the opposing counsel filed. Believe me, he’ll be honest from the start and show you the reality of the situation and walk through each step. He’s a dynamic team player, and incredibly transparent. Don’t delay in hiring him, he is worth his weight in gold. Seriously, stop looking for an attorney, you found him. I’d give him 10 stars if I could!”

– 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 and will definitely use him in the future. Thank you sir for all that you’ve done so far.”

– K. J.

“A great experience overall. I felt I was in good hands along my entire process. I strongly recommend them.”

– M. N.

“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.

When the Driver Cannot Pay

Texas only requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage, and drunk drivers are often underinsured or carry no valid coverage at all.

We also evaluate whether additional insurance coverage or responsible parties exist. Serious injuries often exceed minimum policy limits, making early investigation essential to identifying every available source of recovery.

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 the scene, our hit-and-run accident 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, and we pursue all of them in parallel.

Catastrophic Injuries and Wrongful Death

Drunk driving crashes are violent, and the injuries they cause 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.

And when a crash takes a life, surviving family members may pursue a wrongful death and survivor claim, and we handle those cases with the care and thoroughness they deserve.

A Houston drunk driving accident claim lawyer helps ensure that insurers don’t downplay the seriousness of the crash or treat it like “just another accident.”

Why Montgomery County Drunk Driving 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, search warrant materials, and other documentation that may become valuable in a civil injury claim.

For an injured victim, this matters.

Understanding what evidence may exist, and acting quickly to preserve it, can significantly affect the strength of a case.

Attorney Raphael Ortega brings a unique perspective to these investigations, having previously served as both a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney before representing injured victims. That experience helps our team identify evidence that other firms may overlook and understand how criminal and civil proceedings often intersect after a drunk driving crash.

Our Conroe Drunk Driving Accident Victim Case Process

Every case we handle follows the Diamond Standard, the three-step process that defines how your case is built, managed, and moved forward.

  • Step One: Establish Control. We step in early to take control of the process. That means taking control of communications, preserving critical evidence before it disappears, identifying every potentially responsible party, and building a strategy before insurance companies begin defining the narrative.
  • Step Two: Build with Purpose. Every part of your case is developed with intention. 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 Three: 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 and pursue the best possible outcome.

Serving Conroe and Montgomery County

Attorneys Raphael Ortega and Luis Hess focus exclusively on motor vehicle accident cases, which means we know exactly how insurers handle drunk driving claims and where they try to cut their value.

Our familiarity with Montgomery County goes beyond geography.

We understand how local intoxication-related crashes are investigated, how criminal cases often develop alongside civil claims, and why preserving evidence early can make a significant difference. That local experience allows us to move quickly when time-sensitive evidence needs to be identified and protected.

We are not a Houston firm that treats Conroe as an afterthought.

We know the local landscape these cases move through: the crash corridors along I-45, Highway 105, and Loop 336, the late-night traffic around Lake Conroe, and the Montgomery County courts where a Conroe lawsuit would be filed.

When evidence needs to be preserved or a scene needs to be documented, we are close enough to act fast. Se habla español.

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The Driver Made One Decision. You Don’t Have to Make the Next One Alone.

Get Started on Your Conroe Drunk Driving Accident Victim Case Today

Every day that passes after a drunk driving crash, important evidence becomes harder to preserve.

Insurance companies begin evaluating the claim immediately.

Medical records begin telling your story.

The decisions made during these early days often shape everything that follows.

Let us take that burden off your shoulders. We’ll explain your rights. Protect the evidence. Deal with the insurance companies. And help you move forward with clarity and confidence.

Call (832) 406-4119 or schedule your free 30-minute consultation and take back control of your case.