If you are arrested for a DUI that resulted in an accident then you can be charged with a harsher crime resulting in harsher penalties. If you are involved in an accident and then flee the accident without stopping to aid the victims of the crash or wait for law enforcement, then you can be charged with a hit-and-run in addition to a DUI with injury. Frequently, intoxicated drivers will flee the scene of a car accident. This may be because the intoxicated driver does not want to be apprehended by law enforcement because he or she knows that it will result in a DUI charge.

Other times, the driver is just too intoxicated to recognize the severity of the accident or to rationally consider the consequences to leaving the scene of the accident. It is never wisest to flee the scene of the accident. Typically, witnesses will record a driver's license plate, and the police will trace the car to its rightful owner. From there, the police will locate the hit-and-run offender and will then try that individual for his or her crime in the courts. At this point, the police may not be able to prove that the driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident, but they can still issue severe penalties for a hit and run accident.

While penalties vary from state to state, a hit-and-run can often be felony if the accident causes injury, damage to property or death. If the accident doesn't cause any damage at all, then it is considered a misdemeanor. In Texas, if the accident causes serious bodily injury or death, then the hit-and-run is considered a third-degree felony. This means that an individual can be punished in a prison for up to five years for this crime and may have to pay a fine up to $5,000.

Normally, a DUI is considered a misdemeanor as long as it is a first-time offense. If you are caught and charged with a DUI with injury and a hit and run accident, then they will both be charged as separate crimes and you may need to serve time for both offenses. Whenever you are arrested for a DUI accident that is coupled with a hit-and-run, you will want a hardworking and dedicated DUI lawyer on your side to help defend you from your crime. Oftentimes, DUI hit-and-runs can be very serious. If a person died in the accident, then you may even be charged with vehicular manslaughter.

A DUI lawyer can help you to look through your case and do all that is possible to work towards a satisfactory ending to your case. With the right attorney on your side, you may be able to explain your reasoning behind the hit-and-run or at least negotiate for a lesser sentence. If you can prove that you were not in your right mind when you left the scene of the accident, or if you were severely injured as well and do not remember leaving the scene of the accident because of the injury, then you may be able to use this as a legitimate defense.

You will want a hardworking attorney on your side to assist to in your case and try to explain your actions to the best of his or her ability. You can use this directory to locate a DUI lawyer near you that can help you to work through your case in an effective manner. Call the firm today to learn more and get the information that you need!