What can be done about the problem of DWI wrecks around The Woodlands? We're having really bad wrong-way crashes on our roads because drivers get too drunk at local bars to drive, but then they drive anyway. | DENENA | POINTS

DWI crash injury lawyers for The Woodlands respond that a new Montgomery County task force shares your concern, and it’s been investigating local bars for over-serving alcohol to drunk patrons.

 Two recent wrong-way crashes on I-45 within 48 hours in Montgomery County left 5 people dead. Both wrecks are linked to drunken drivers allegedly over-served at local bars. (Source: abc13.com, Erik Barajas, 7/9/2012)

 One driver reportedly received 22 beers within a matter of hours at a bar in The Woodlands area. The other driver received more than 20 drinks at another bar in the same area, including hard liquor shots, within a matter of hours.

 Since the recent formation of the special task force, 65 people have been arrested on DWI charges. And law enforcement officers have been going into local bars and restaurants to educate the owners and employees about over-serving of alcohol and how to avoid it. The alcohol-serving establishments face criminal, civil, and administrative penalties for over-serving, including having liquor licenses revoked. Individual servers face up to a year in jail and fines of $4,000.

 Our DWI crash injury lawyers for The Woodlands caution that holding bars liable for over-service of alcohol is no easy matter. Alcohol-serving establishments enjoy a “safe harbor” if they’ve put rules in place designed to deter over-service of patrons, properly trained their workers, and properly observed the rules against over-service. Disproving an establishment’s assertion of a safe harbor can be complex and difficult, and requires thorough investigations by your injury lawyer as well as carefully conducted depositions.

 If you have a question about injuries resulting from an alcohol-related crash where you think over-service might be involved, contact our DWI crash injury lawyers for a free and confidential legal consultation about your claim. We have the knowledge and experience relating to Texas dram shop laws that could help you successfully hold a bar or other alcohol-serving establishment financially accountable for the harm done to your family by a drunk driver. Contact us today for your free initial consultation.