Hit-and-run accidents are complicated and can stir up a lot of confusion. If you’re accused of a DUI hit-and-run, you may face life-changing legal penalties. Fortunately, an experienced West Covina hit-and-run DUI lawyer can help you navigate the criminal system.
Los Angeles DUI Lawyers wants to put you in touch with a West Covina DUI lawyer who can represent you throughout criminal proceedings. Our professional network can help you challenge wrongful accusations, decrease the severity of your charges, and even have the case brought against you thrown out.
Let’s start working together today.
What Are the Consequences of a DUI Hit-and-Run?
Independently, hit-and-run charges and DUI charges can leave you struggling to pay your bills, legally drive on the road, and avoid jail time. Combining these penalties can even more drastically impact your freedom, not to mention your finances.
If you’re convicted of a DUI hit-and-run, you’re also risking your right to vote, work certain jobs, and pursue certain degrees.
A DUI hit-and-run constitutes a felony in the eyes of California judges. The penalties that come with a conviction may include the following:
- Up to one year in jail, especially in cases involving minor injuries
- Up to four years in prison if an accident causes serious injuries and/or death
- Fines between $1,000 and $10,000, with felony caps set by California Penal Code 672 PC
Notably, California’s criminal courts may reduce the charges brought against you if your alleged accident only impacted someone else’s property. Accidents involving property damage may see you face up to $1,000 in fines and six months in county jail.
DUI Hit-and-Run Consequences Can Compound Over Time
Unfortunately, a DUI hit-and-run conviction can also see you face abrupt revocations of job offers. Some bosses may choose to fire you in the wake of a conviction.
Colleges, including grad schools, may revoke your admittance, while your insurance company may drastically increase your premiums – if you’re allowed back on the road.
It may also get harder for you to secure a loan at a reasonable interest rate or pursue careers in certain fields. Unfortunately, DUI hit-and-run convictions can see certain professionals, including lawyers, doctors, and anyone requiring a specialized license, lose that license and their right to return to work.
The risk a conviction poses to your long-term success and peace is one of many reasons our team recommends that you schedule a criminal defense consultation with an experienced attorney sooner rather than later.
Can a West Covina Hit-and-Run DUI Lawyer Defend You Against Charges?
An experienced West Covina hit-and-run DUI attorney can defend you against the state’s charges by challenging a prosecutor’s attempts to prove that you:
- Were involved and aware of an accident
- Got behind the wheel with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit
- Failed to uphold the duty of care you owed other accident victims by refusing to pull over, exchanging information, and lending support to others injured in an accident
- Refused to cooperate with police officers in the wake of your accident
Notably, if you hit a stationary car without someone in it, you have a legal obligation to leave the driver a note with your name and contact information if you want to uphold the duty of care you owe to that driver. Failure to communicate with a car’s owner can cause you to be accused of deliberately fleeing the scene of an accident.
What Defenses Have a Place in Your Case?
The specific defenses an attorney can use to protect your right to freedom and financial security will depend on the circumstances that led to your collision. For example, your lawyer can argue that:
- You didn’t know that the road you were on was dangerous or that conditions put you and others in harm’s way
- You didn’t leave the scene of an accident intentionally
- You were the only person who suffered injuries as a result of an accident
- A passenger played a role in your retreat from the scene
- It wasn’t safe for you to pull over at the scene of an accident, either due to another driver’s behavior or environmental factors
- You weren’t physically able to offer aid to another party due to serious injuries
How to Help Your West Covina Hit-and-Run DUI Lawyer
There are steps you can take in the wake of a serious accident that can make it easier for your attorney to defend you against DUI hit-and-run charges. For example, remain silent until an attorney arrives on the scene.
It’s usually in your best interest to work with a private legal representative from the get-go instead of switching from a public defender to a private rep.
We also recommend that you keep track of any paperwork relevant to your accident. If you need emergency medical care, ask someone to provide you with the name of the institution that treated you and a record of your injuries. If you have phone data or other forms of electronic data elaborating on your behavior during an accident, submit it to an attorney.
A lawyer can use this data and your cooperation to build a defense uniquely tailored to the circumstances that led to your accident. This kind of prompt legal service can help you decide when to fight a case and whether or not it’s in your best interest to discuss a plea deal.
It’s Time to Schedule a Consultation With a West Covina Hit-and-Run Lawyer
Do you need help defending yourself against accusations of a DUI hit-and-run? Los Angeles DUI Lawyer can connect you with a lawyer who can represent you throughout your coming proceedings. Our professional network wants to make it as easy as possible for you to protect your future.
You don’t have to navigate your defense alone. The sooner our team can put you in touch with an experienced West Covina, CA, hit-and-run lawyer, the sooner you can retake control of your life. Let’s start working together today.
