Drunk driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do. Traffic fatalities decreased sharply in the 1980s, when laws against drunk driving became more widespread and more consistently enforced, and they have never returned to their 1970s level. Even now, alcohol is a factor in about a third of the collisions in which at least one person dies; in many such accidents, the drunk driver is not the only victim. One might argue that Louisiana, with its famously relaxed laws about drinking, does not do enough to prevent drunk driving.
Nowhere else in the United States can you buy frozen daiquiris to go; we have all seen the daiquiri shops with rows of blenders churning the boozy slush, each one a different flavor and color; you might say that it looks like the world’s most intoxicating laundromat, but Louisiana has plenty of washaterias that serve alcoholic beverages, so perhaps it has some competition. It is difficult to tell whether the person who buys a daiquiri to go is going to drink it during a leisurely stroll or walk a short distance to their car and then drink it during a leisurely drive.
A bill that has just advanced through Louisiana’s House of Representatives would impose tougher penalties on people with multiple DWI convictions. If you got injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver, contact a Houma car accident lawyer.
New Law Would Carry a Sentence of 12 Years Without Parole for Four-Time Offenders, Even if They Do Not Cause an Accident
In April 2026, HB 82 advanced through the House of Representatives. There are still a few more steps before it officially becomes law. If the law passes, it will increase the penalties for third offense and fourth offense for driving while intoxicated (DWI), defined as operating a motor vehicle while the driver’s blood alcohol content (BAC) is at least 0.08 percent. HB 82 would impose a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in state prison for a third offense DWI. A fourth offense would carry a sentence of 12 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
Under the new law, the penalties would apply to repeat DWI convictions regardless of whether the third or fourth DWI, or any of the driver’s previous DWIs, involved an accident. Even under the current laws, the penalties are more severe for drunk drivers who cause accidents that result in bodily injury or death.
People who get injured in drunk driving accidents have the right to file personal injury lawsuits against the drunk driver, even if the drunk driver does not get convicted in criminal court. The standard of evidence to secure a criminal conviction is very high, and irregularities such as doubts about the reliability of the breathalyzer or the credibility of the arresting officer can jeopardize the case.
Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey About Personal Injury Cases
A personal injury lawyer can help you if you were injured in a preventable accident where the at-fault driver was drunk. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana, to set up a consultation about your case.
(985) 853 0904
