Contact Us Today If You Know Someone Who Died in a Car Accident, Let Us Evaluate Their Case
Driving is a serious responsibility. Every driver’s worst nightmare is getting into a car accident and being responsible for someone’s death. If you are in this position, call Grey Law as your attorney for DUI car wrecks in Los Angeles.
Each state has its own laws regarding vehicular manslaughters. If you live in the Los Angeles area, you are subject to California’s laws. But there are some laws at the federal level that apply to everyone in the United States. If you have any questions regarding this information, or if you need a car accident lawyer, David Grey is here to help you.
Vehicular Manslaughter
As a driver, you are guilty of vehicular manslaughter (or homicide) if your actions behind the wheel cause the death of another person. The risk of an accident this severe is higher when the driver is drunk, distracted, or sleepy.
Negligence Behind the Wheel
Examples of negligence might include:
- Running a red light
- Merging lanes without a proper blind spot check
- Spacing out
- Not wearing glasses or contacts
- Responding to a text message
In short, any type of careless action that causes another person’s death can constitute negligent driving. If you’ve driven negligently and have caused another person’s death, you might be guilty of vehicular manslaughter. David Grey is here to help as your Los Angeles personal injury attorney.
Gross Negligence
Gross negligence takes negligence to a higher level. Generally, a driver is convicted of gross negligence if the lack of care while driving is shocking or disturbing. An example would be sending multiple text messages while merging lanes on the highway. Common sense dictates that sending a text can wait until you aren’t looking in multiple directions to safely navigate traffic. Causing another person’s death this way is unacceptable. This is just one example of many. If you might be guilty of gross negligence, David Grey is your car crash injury attorney.
Reckless Driving
Reckless driving takes place when you are very aware of how dangerous certain activity can be, but you drive anyway. You have no care or regard for other drivers on the road. If you think you were driving recklessly and need an attorney, David Grey is your auto accident attorney in Los Angeles.
Driving While Drunk or on Drugs
Both alcohol and illegal substances severely impair your ability to drive. They affect all of your senses and drastically increase the risk of killing someone.
DUI charges are more severe than basic traffic violations. Without a strong lawyer at your side, your charges can be raised from civil to criminal, and you could end up serving jail time.
Breaking Traffic Laws
Red lights and stop signs are important traffic laws that regulate the flow of traffic to prevent accidents. If there were no traffic laws, everyone would want to drive at the same time, and fatalities would dramatically increase.
Construction zones are also important to heed. Highway or street workers who are repairing roads have a very important job: keeping drivers everywhere safe. It’s important to return the favor and drive the lower speed limit while passing through a construction zone to keep the workers safe. This is so important that traffic violations often double in construction zones.
You are guilty of a hit-and-run if you hit another vehicle but don’t stop to exchange insurance information. And if you don’t stop when you see flashing lights in your rearview mirror, you are guilty of eluding the police.
If you are guilty of any of these traffic law violations and another driver is dead because of it, David Grey is your auto accident lawyer in LA.
Negligent Homicide, Involuntary Manslaughter, and Second-Degree Murder
California follows vehicular manslaughter laws, but for states who don’t, these crimes fall under more general categories.
Negligent Homicide
Negligent homicide is bad, but there are worse crimes. Remember that this type of negligence involves not seeing a risk that you should have seen. If you think you might be guilty of negligent homicide, you need a defense attorney in Los Angeles.
Involuntary Manslaughter
Involuntary manslaughter means you accidentally killed someone while you were recklessly or negligently driving. In other words, it was an accident. But accident or not, someone is still dead, making this is a serious crime. David Grey is your defense attorney if you have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Second-Degree Murder
A second-degree murder charge comes when involuntary manslaughter is due to gross negligence. When you knowingly, carelessly drive recklessly and kill someone as a result, you could be charged with second-degree murder.
Punishments, Penalties… Prison?
Most crimes are categorized as a misdemeanor or a felony. It all depends on the jurisdiction. Every state has different sentences for the same types of crimes. If the crime does not result in death, it might be classified as a misdemeanor, while crimes resulting in death are more commonly felonies. However, there are exceptions to this. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer.
If you’re convicted of a misdemeanor, you’ll spend some time in jail, but not as much time as you will for a felony. You probably won’t spend more than a year in jail. But felonies carry far more weight. A prison sentence lasts for at least a year. And once you get out of prison, you’ll probably be faced with parole or probation and community service. Chances are, your license will be suspended or taken away from you during this time period until you prove that you are responsible enough to drive again.
If you’ve been in a serious car wreck, contact David Grey today. Being in a car accident can be scary, but not knowing what will happen to you can be even worse. No matter what type of accident you’ve been in, David Grey is here to help as your auto accident defense attorney in Los Angeles.
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