Made the Mistake of Drinking and Driving? Don’t Compound it, Hire an Attorney

As of 2010, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 32,885 people were killed in car crashes. Of those, some 10,200, or roughly 31%, died in drunk driving related accidents. While that number is about a 52% decrease from 1982, when the NHTSA first started keeping statistics, it still represents a large number of people whose deaths could be prevented. In order to get that number even lower, law enforcement agencies are getting more strict and trying to crack down on drunk drivers, even when no accident is involved. Drunk driving is a criminal offense, and if you have been accused of drunk driving, hiring a DUI lawyer is an important step.

Criminal defense lawyers have a couple of main responsibilities when it comes to defending clients who have been accused of a DUI. During a trial, their main goal might be trying to prove reasonable doubt to show that their client is guilty, which can be very difficult when it comes to drunk driving cases. However, perhaps just as important, criminal lawyers also need to make sure that the rights of their client are protected and a tort, which is a civil wrong committed against an individual, does not occur.

There are several different types of attorneys, and criminal or DUI lawyers will have specific skill sets that allow them protect and defend clients from serious legal consequences. While there is not an attorney in the world who can prove that their client is innocent every time, the best will be able to, at the very least, help reduce consequences. That might mean the difference between years in jail and probation, and makes skilled attorneys a necessary resource for anyone accused of a serious crime.

When it comes to selecting a lawyer, you have two main choices, public defenders and private attorneys. While public defenders might be the better option if you do not have a lot of money for legal fees, choosing a private attorney is usually preferred because it allows you to choose who defends you. Every attorney will have a different specialty and varied experience, so you might want a DUI lawyer who has more knowledge than a criminal attorney who specializes in drug crimes. That experience might make the difference between spending time in jail and being able to get back on the road relatively soon. Learn more about this topic here.