Whether this is the first of the fourth time you or someone you love has been charged with driving while intoxicated, impaired, or under the influence, it may be in your best interest to discuss your situation with a drunk driving law firm Washington DC drivers are fortunate to have in their midst.
Any time a person gets pulled over can be scary. It can be horrifying to get pulled over in Washington DC when you know you may have had one too many. The District of Columbia takes a strict and aggressive stance toward all driving under the influence (DUI) or driving while intoxicated (DWI) or operating while impaired (OWI) violations (the aforementioned acronyms are often used interchangeably even though they do in fact have unique definitions) . A DUI is a criminal charge that may result in fines, jail time, license suspension, points on the convicted person’s license, and raised insurance rates, to name a few of the hardships that come with a DUI conviction. A DUI usually stays on a person’s permanent record forever. While many people who are convicted of a DUI or DWI are in fact guilty of this crime, many people who are charged with one of these get charged wrongly or inappropriately.
Fighting a DWI without the help of a lawyer can be tricky. If you think you may need help in upholding your or a loved one’s rights, a member of Cohen & Cohen’s legal team is available to talk to you to give you a free case consultation and free case evaluation. Our law firm has been in the business of successfully fighting for the rights of our clients for over 30 years. Someone is available to take your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. If you think you may need the help of the reputable car accident lawyer DC is fortunate to have available to them, give us a call today.
To be charged with a DWI, a driver must be either operating a vehicle or in physical control of a vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more. This means that a person who is just sitting in a parked car with the ignition on and with a BAC of .08 or higher can be charged with a DWI because they were in “control” of the vehicle even though it was not being driven. In theory, an officer of the law can pull over someone that they suspect is driving while under the influence but the reality of this is that very often, a driver gets pulled over for a minor traffic violation or a fix-it ticket, etc., and it is only after this that the officer suspects the driver of driving drunk. As well, there are situations where police officers do not adhere to the protocols for making drunk driving arrests. An example of this is that DUI checkpoints are supposed to be run according to their rules, including things such as only questioning every third driver (for example). If it turns out that the police questioned someone at random and charged them with a DUI, this charge may be invalid. An experienced lawyer may be knowledgeable about these and many other things that may be helpful in recusing a person of a DUI charge.
Even though Washington D.C. has laws against driving while intoxicated, the unfortunate reality is that many injured people find themselves looking for a top drunk driving accident law firm Washington D.C. community members recommend. The compassionate and knowledgeable lawyers at Cohen & Cohen have helped many victims of drunk driving accidents and their families.
It has been estimated that almost every day, 29 people die in accidents involving a drunk driver. This is equal to almost one person dying in alcohol-impaired vehicle crashes almost every 50 minutes. 10,497 people died in 2016 because of drivers who were driving while under the influence of alcohol. The need for a good drunk driving accident law firm Washington D.C. drunk driving victims have felt fortunate to have on their side, is unfortunately high.
Alcohol reduces the function of the brain. It impairs thinking, reasoning, and muscle coordination. When alcohol levels rise in a person’s system, it negatively impacts their central nervous system. These reasons, plus others not mentioned here, are why we have laws against driving while under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
If you or someone you love was injured in a motor vehicle accident with a driver who was under the influence of alcohol, or if someone close to you was killed because of this, it may help you to understand your rights when you talk to a car accident lawyer DC relies on. Someone from the Cohen & Cohen, team is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to listen to your situation and to give you a free case evaluation.
Determining A Driver’s Impairment
When a person is pulled over because of drunk driving, or if they have gotten into an accident while under the influence of alcohol, the person’s Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) is usually used to determine whether they were over the legal amount of alcohol to be operating a vehicle.
BAC is measured by the weight of alcohol in a certain volume of a person’s blood. A person’s impairment and their risk of an accident greatly increases when their blood alcohol concentration is at .08 grams of alcohol per deciliter (g/dL) of blood. It is illegal in all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to drive with a BAC of .08 or higher but even a small amount of alcohol can have negative impacts on a person’s ability to drive safely.
2,017 people died in 2016, in alcohol-related crashes where drivers had BACs of .01 to .07 g/dL.
If you are in the stressful and oftentimes frightening situation of needing a top-rated drunk driving accident law firm Washington D.C. is proud to call it’s own, contact Cohen & Cohen, today.
A person’s blood alcohol level can be measured with a portable breathalyzer, or through blood or urine samples analyzed in a qualified lab.
If you are wondering if you or your family are entitled to compensation because of an accident involving an intoxicated driver, contact Cohen & Cohen, for an AV-rated drunk driving law firm Washington D.C. community members trust.
For a highly rated drunk driving law firm Washington DC residents can count on, call Cohen & Cohen
