Don't Deal With a Personal Injury On Your Own

Don't Deal With a Personal Injury On Your Own

Did You Drive Under The Influence? Know The Potential Consequences

by Joan Bradley

If you've been recently arrested for a DUI, you are well aware of the upcoming battle in court that you'll have to go through. DUIs are issued in situations where a driver operates their vehicle while using alcohol or a drug that impacts their ability to drive. Once arrested, you'll have to show up in court to defend yourself, hopefully with a great lawyer that has plenty of experience with DUI charges. It is important to be aware of what can happen as a result of your DUI so that you can be prepared for the consequences.

Criminal Charges

The first thing to be aware of is that a DUI charge isn't the equivalent of a DUI conviction. Charges only mean that you've been arrested and accused of driving under the influence. If you are not found guilty, it will not be a part of your criminal record.

That is why it is always worth fighting a DUI to the best of your ability. If you prevent your charge from turning into a conviction, there will be no record of what happened.

Jail

The biggest consequence of a DUI conviction is potential jail time. It does not matter what state your DUI is in, since jail time will always be possible if convicted. Jail isn't just an unpleasant experience to go through, but it could seriously disrupt your way of living. Chances are that you'll not be able to return to your current job, and your family will be stressed without a second income to help pay for the bills.

A jail sentence length will be different in each state for a DUI conviction, but more DUI convictions typically result in a longer jail sentence.

Fine

It is likely that you'll need to pay some sort of fine related to a DUI conviction, with the fine being higher as your DUI circumstances become more serious. For example, Texas will fine you as much as $2,000 for a first offense, and $4,000 for a second offense. However, driving with a child in the car can result in a fine up to $10,000.

Ignition Interlock

After multiple DUI convictions, you may be required to install an ignition interlock device on your vehicle. This requires you to essentially take a breathalyzer test before you are able to start your car, which will ensure that you have not been drinking before you drive. Of course, these devices only check for alcohol and not for other drugs in your system.

Contact a DUI attorney for more help.


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About Me

Don't Deal With a Personal Injury On Your Own

You walk into your favorite grocery store and right away, you slip and fall only to sprain your ankle. You can't perform your job because it requires standing on your feet all day, which means that you can't make any money to support your family while your ankle heals. There was no warning that the floors were wet after being cleaned in the store – so what do you do? It's probably a good idea to think about filing a personal injury lawsuit. Of course, anyone with experience with a personal injury case will tell you just how important it is to work with an attorney throughout the process. I'd like to share insight I've learned through three personal injury cases that I myself have had to go through in the past. I think the information on this website can help people like you, who need some personal injury guidance.