What Happens If a Car Accident is a Part of My Georgia DUI Case?

I've recently written a few blogs on the topic of DUI and vehicular homicide in Georgia. Vehicular homicide is arguably the gravest type of car accident one can be charged with – especially when the death of another human is the result of driving under the influence. However, even minor car accidents are heavily associated with DUI in Georgia.

What happens if you got in a car accident and ended up with a DUI charge?

If you've been charged with a DUI in Georgia and also got into a car accident, this will be used against you in your case.

A car accident supports the possibility that you were driving under the influence. An arrest including a car accident and DUI in Georgia can be a huge indicator of less safe driving, which is one of the elements of DUI Law in Georgia to begin with.

What charges are associated with car accidents?

Car accidents usually lead to additional charges such as:

• Following Too Closely
• Failure to Maintain Lane
• Hit and Run – Leaving the Scene of an Accident
• Serious Injury by Vehicle

Any of the above traffic violations will typically be used against you in your DUI case when the prosecution demonstrates that you were less safe to drive on Georgia roads. Georgia DUI Penalties can be greatly heightened when a car accident is involved in the case, even if no one ends up hurt or no property ends up damaged. It may end up in an even longer license suspension period if you are found guilty and convicted.

If you have been charged with a car accident in your DUI case in Georgia, it is important to hire a Georgia DUI Lawyer who understands just how high the stakes are in a case like this.

Just because you were charged with a DUI in the event of a car accident doesn't mean you're automatically guilty of driving under the influence.

Yes, the State's case is stronger against you, but there are some weak points that a Georgia DUI Attorney can go after.

For example:

A car accident can be very stressful, and the police officer involved will be monitoring your behavior. Your behavior and disposition can actually be mistaken as impairment by drugs or alcohol. It can also negatively affect your ability to perform field sobriety tests, if the officer's investigation into the car accident and your behavior gets that far. It could end up being a strong argument in court in your favor. It could mean that the impact of the accident affected you so much that the observations made by the officer do not support the arrest decision.

If you or a loved one has been charged with a DUI in Georgia, contact us today.