In the event you have been arrested for a driving under the influence in an accident that caused another person to be injured, you could be facing a "DUI with Injury" charge. Defined, a DUI with injury means that a driver got behind the wheel with their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level being higher than that of the legal state limit. This can vary depending which state you are in, your age, and what type of motor vehicle you were driving. For example, in some states minors have a zero tolerance policy, and if they are arrested having just had a small beer, they could still dace a DUI offense. In most states commercial truck drivers are held to a tighter BAC standard of only .04% whereas the majority of motorists are held to .08%. You're driving can be impaired by both drugs and alcohol, both are just as dangerous as they can slow your reaction time, increase the likelihood of making irrational decisions and essentially increase the chance of getting in an accident.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) there are 30 people who die in DUI accidents in the United States, meaning that every 48 minutes a person has been killed as a result of a drunk driver. Statistics also show that every year there are at least 700,000 injuries of victims in drunk driving accidents, and more than 70,000 of which result in severe and life-threatening injuries. This means that on a daily basis, 2,000 people incur injuries caused by a DUI accident. Understanding the extent of DUI accidents that result in injury is important, and depending on the severity of the injury of the person involved in the accident can determine the severity of the consequences a person will be charged with for causing the accident. Between minor injuries to life-threatening injuries can make the charges go from a misdemeanor to becoming a felony act.

It is for this very reason that having an experienced DUI defense attorney on your side is so crucial. Lacing the life of another person at risk is a very serious offense, something that law enforcement and prosecutors will do anything they can to make you pay for your actions to the fullest extent of the law. When dealing with a DUI charge with injury, it is fortunate that there were no deaths that occurred as a result, because if this were the case the charges against you would be much more severe. However, with an injury (though this varies by state) you may receive up to three years in prison for a DUI with injury conviction and if there was more than one person injured in the accident you may get an additional year per person. If these victims were severely injured, the court may decide that you will receive an additional three years on your sentencing because of the severity of their harm. In many cases a DUI accident with an injury will result in your facing a felony charges, whereas a general DUI conviction will likely be a misdemeanor offense if others weren't involved.

Challenging your DUI charge is absolutely essential if you hope to protect your rights as an individual and a driver in your state. By finding a DUI defense attorney in your area, they will do the necessary research and preparation for your case in order to prepare a strong defense on your behalf. Their aim will be to prove your innocence in the matter or receive a lower sentencing than what you were originally facing. While no outcome can be guaranteed, with the help of an aggressive and knowledgeable attorney the chances of fighting your charges greatly increase.