DUI with Property Damage Attorney in Tampa Florida

If you have been arrested for DUI with Property Damage in Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, certain enhanced penalties apply if you are convicted of the criminal offense. Contact a Tampa DUI Attorney at the Sammis Law Firm to discuss fighting this very serious criminal charge.

DUI cases involving property damage are prosecuted aggressively in Tampa. Statistics on DUI& with property damage published by government agencies show that DUI accidents comprise nearly forty percent (40%) of all vehicle crashes involving a fatality. Of those vehicle crashes that result in personal injury each year in the United States, nearly 10% involve alcohol. In 2002 alone, DUI accidents killed more than 17,000 people. Organizations such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) allege that DUI accidents are the most serious threats to public safety on the roadway.

Under Florida law, the criminal charge of DUI that causes damage to another person or property is a first degree misdemeanor punishable by up to (12) twelve months in jail and a $1,000 fine (instead of six months in jail for afirst DUI without property damage or nine months in jail for asecond DUI without property damage).

Despite the seriousness of the accusation, in DUI cases with Property Damage, certain defense are more likely to be available, including:

• Accident Report Privilege -Privilege provided by Florida Statute to information provided during the course of an accident or crash investigation often leads to statements made after the accident being excluded at trial;
• Field Sobriety Exercises - When a driver is asked to perform field sobriety exercises after a car accident, the results are not accurate to the extend they are impacted by the driver being "shook up" or injured from the accident;
• Breath Test- if the air bags in the driver's vehicle were deployed during the accident many experts believe that this fact alone can cause the breath test machine to record a higher and inaccurate reading; and
• Wheel Witness - If you exited the vehicle after the accident before the police arrived on the scene, then they will have a more difficult time proving that you were the driver, particularly if you did not make any admissions that you were driving or if those admissions are thrown out under the accident report privilege.

If you have been arrested in Tampa or Hillsborough County, FL, for DUI, contact an experienced attorney to discuss ways to fight this serious charge. Call 813-250-0500 to discuss the circumstances of your DUI case in Tampa today.