DWI Accidents in Texas
First DWI offense in Texas: If proven guilty for the first time for drunk driving in Texas, the offender is liable to face mandatory jail sentence of at least 72 hours and a maximum of 180 days. Besides this, the offender can face up to $2000 in fines and a suspended license up to 12 months. The driver might also have to provide an annual fee of $2000 every year for 3 years to keep the license.
Second DWI conviction in Texas: If the offender is caught for the second time, causing the same offense he or she can face severe penalties such as 30 days to 1-year jail term and other penalties. The penalties include up to $4000 in fines, a suspended license for 180 days to 2 years and coughing up an annual fee of $2000 every year to keep the license. Apart from these, the convict has to install an ignition interlock device at his own expense if caught for 2 or more DWI offense within 5 years.
Third DWI conviction in Texas: If the offender is booked for the third time for drunk driving then he or she is liable to serve a prison sentence of 2-10 years and up to 2 years of suspended license. Besides, the penalty amount can rise up to $10,000 and the driver will be required to pay up to $2000 for 3 years to keep his or her driving license.
Refusing to take a breath analyzer test will not help as that can be used against the driver in a court of law as an evidence of drunk driving. If you have been the victim of drunk driving, you should immediately contact a drunk driving injury lawyer in Dallas to gather your claims.