Bars in Texas and other establishments that offer alcohol can face criminal charges and civil lawsuits when they serve intoxicating drinks to individuals who show obvious signs of intoxication and then go on to kill or injure others. This is why the mother of a 19-year-old woman who lost her life in a motor vehicle accident in Lubbock during the early morning hours of January 16 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against both the driver who caused the crash and the bar that supposedly served him alcohol.

Speed, recklessness and intoxication

The accident took place at the intersection of University Avenue and the Marsha Sharp Freeway at approximately 2:15 a.m. According to Police, an SUV driven by a 30-year-old man ran a red light on University Avenue and struck a passenger car. The woman behind the wheel of the car died at the scene. Police say data obtained from the SUV reveals that the man was driving at speeds of up to 70 miles per hour before the collision and did not apply his brakes before crashing.

Manslaughter and aggravated assault

Police arrested the man and charged him with Aggravated Assault and manslaughter. However, they did not file a DUI charge, and media reports make no mention of his blood alcohol content. The man told police that he consumed alcohol at a neighborhood bar before getting behind the wheel, but bar workers deny serving him. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission had launched an investigation.

Manslaughter and aggravated assault

Police reports may provide crucial evidence in wrongful death cases like this one as they usually contain toxicology test results and a detailed timeline of the events in question. Experienced personal injury attorneys could use this information to determine how intoxicated a person was when he or she left a bar. A blood alcohol concentration that would more than likely result in clear signs of intoxication could be enough to establish liability in court.