It can be extremely frightening to find yourself in a DUI situation. Aside from resulting in severe injury or death, DUI hit and run incidents can also leave victims in a financial disorder. No one expects or anticipates all of the consequences that accompany DUI hit and run accidents. Thus, you might feel lost after this traumatic accident.
Just like other legal dealings, time is crucial. Aside from hiring a DUI attorney, here are a couple of other things to do if you’ve been recently involved in a DUI hit and run.
Punishments for DUI Hit and Run Cases
The punishments for DUI hit and run rely on whether a driver is found guilty or not, if the DUI is categorized as a felony or misdemeanor, if they’ve had prior DUI charges, and much more.
If the driver is convicted of DUI, there are a couple of mandatory minimum punishments that a judge will place on the driver.
A couple of common mandatory minimum punishments include:
- Between 2-3 offenses within the span of 7 years
3 months of electronic home monitoring and 3 months in jail. The person will also be fined around $2,000 or more.
- One driving offense within the span of 7 years
2 months of electronic home monitoring and 1 month pf jail time. The person will also be fined around $1,000 or more.
- First driving offense within a span of 7 years
1-day jail time. However, the person can also choose a 15-day mandatory electronic home monitoring instead and a fine of less than $1,000.
Aside from these penalties, drivers convicted of DUI charges face suspension of their license for up to 3 years. They’ll also have to install an ignition interlock device on their car and undergo substance counseling.
However, you should keep in mind that if you are involved in a DUI hit–and-run, you’ll face more severe penalties. Since the law that surrounds DUI and hit and run cases are extremely severe, it is crucial to work with a DUI hit and run lawyer during the legal process.
What Should You Do if You’re Involved in a DUI Hit and Run?
There are a couple of things you need to do right away if you’ve been involved in a DUI hit and run. This includes:
- Contacting the local authorities
- Stay calm and stay at the scene of the accident
- Take pictures of the damage to cars and the surrounding accident location
- Write down the license plates of cars involved if you’ve got time. If they initially stop, involved parties might attempt to flee. Because of this, it’s extremely crucial to get the car number down on paper as soon as possible.
- Make an appointment to see a medical professional after the police report. This will help you know if you’ve got whiplash or other injuries.
- Hire a professional DUI hit and run lawyer. It does not matter what side of the DUI you’re on, it is crucial to work with a DUI lawyer to get through the legal process of hit and run accidents.
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