Facing Enhanced Charges After A DUI Crash? We Defend Complex Accident Cases
DUI With Accident Or Injury Defense Attorney in Yuma, AZ
Facing Enhanced Charges After A DUI Crash? We Defend Complex Accident Cases
A DUI arrest is serious. A DUI arrest involving an accident is far more serious. When a traffic crash occurs during an alleged impaired driving incident, the criminal charges and penalties escalate dramatically. You could be facing aggravated DUI, assault charges, or even vehicular manslaughter charges depending on the severity of injuries or property damage.
Mr. Cordova defends clients throughout Yuma County who are facing DUI charges involving accidents, property damage, injuries or fatalities. As a member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), he brings specialized training and advanced DUI defense strategies to complex accident cases. Your freedom and future are at stake. You need an attorney who understands both the DUI laws and the accident investigation techniques prosecutors will use against you.
Don't face these serious charges alone. The prosecution has experienced attorneys and accident reconstruction experts working to convict you. You need an equally skilled advocate fighting for your rights. Call (928) 783-0112 now for immediate legal help. We're available 24/7 because we understand that DUI arrests happen at all hours, and accident investigations begin immediately. Learn more about Mr. Cordova's credentials and experience.
Time is critical. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget details. Call our emergency line now.
Available 24/7 | NCDD Member | Yuma DUI Accident Defense
When an accident occurs during an alleged DUI incident, the legal consequences change dramatically. What might have been a standard DUI charge becomes something much more serious. The severity of the accident directly impacts the severity of the charges you face.
Even if no one is injured, an accident causing property damage can affect your DUI case. The prosecution may use the accident as evidence of impairment, arguing that the crash itself proves you were too impaired to drive safely. Property damage also creates financial restitution obligations beyond any criminal penalties.
When someone is injured in a DUI accident, the charges escalate immediately. In Arizona, a DUI causing serious physical injury or substantial disfigurement becomes an aggravated DUI, a Class 4 felony with mandatory prison time. You may also face separate aggravated assault charges, which carry additional prison sentences.
A DUI resulting in death is the most serious scenario. You could face vehicular manslaughter charges, negligent homicide or even second-degree murder charges if prosecutors believe you acted with extreme indifference to human life. These charges carry decades in prison if convicted.
DUI accident cases don't just increase the severity of the DUI charge. They often result in multiple separate charges, each carrying its own potential prison sentence. Understanding what you're facing is critical to building an effective defense strategy.
DUI accident cases are complex because the prosecution must prove multiple elements beyond a reasonable doubt. We attack their case on every front, from challenging the DUI evidence to questioning causation and accident reconstruction.
Just because you had a BAC over the legal limit doesn't mean the alcohol caused the accident. The other driver may have run a red light. Road conditions may have been hazardous. Mechanical failure could have occurred. We investigate whether impairment actually caused the crash or whether other factors were responsible.
If we can show that the accident would have happened regardless of your BAC level, we can challenge the enhanced charges and potentially the assault or homicide charges entirely.
Prosecutors use accident reconstruction experts to build their case. We use our own experts to challenge their conclusions. Our experts analyze skid marks, impact points, vehicle damage, road conditions, weather, lighting and other factors to develop an independent analysis of what actually caused the crash.
Often, the prosecution's accident reconstruction contains flaws, assumptions or alternative explanations that we can exploit to create reasonable doubt.
Even in accident cases, the basic DUI defenses still apply. We challenge the legality of the traffic stop, the administration of field sobriety tests and the accuracy of blood or breath test results. If we can suppress the DUI evidence or beat the DUI charge entirely, the enhanced charges collapse.
For more information about standard DUI defenses, see our main DUI defense page.
In some accident scenarios, especially single-vehicle crashes, the question of who was driving becomes critical. If you were found outside the vehicle after the crash, prosecutors must prove you were the driver. Witness statements may be unreliable. Physical evidence may be unclear.
We challenge driving evidence when the facts support it, creating reasonable doubt about whether you were actually operating the vehicle.
DUI accident cases are won or lost based on evidence gathered in the hours and days immediately following the crash. Physical evidence disappears. Witnesses forget details or move away. Accident scene conditions change. That's why it's critical to hire an experienced DUI accident defense attorney immediately after your arrest.
When you hire Cordova Law, we immediately begin our independent investigation:
The prosecution's investigation begins immediately. Yours should too. Every day you wait is a day that critical evidence may be lost forever.
DUI accident cases require specialized knowledge and experience beyond standard DUI defense. Here's what sets Mr. Cordova apart in defending these complex cases:
Mr. Cordova is a member of the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD), a professional organization limited to attorneys who have demonstrated excellence in DUI defense and who stay current on the latest defense techniques, scientific challenges and legal strategies.
We work with leading accident reconstruction experts, toxicology experts and medical experts who can challenge the prosecution's evidence and provide testimony that creates reasonable doubt.
DUI accident cases often go to trial because the stakes are too high to accept an unfavorable plea deal. Mr. Cordova has extensive trial experience and isn't afraid to take your case before a jury when that's the best strategy.
Below are answers to common questions about DUI accident defense in Arizona. For specific advice about your case, call (928) 783-0112 for a confidential consultation.
Don't face aggravated charges, assault allegations or vehicular manslaughter accusations alone. We defend complex DUI accident cases in Yuma County.
Available 24/7 | NCDD Member | Yuma DUI Accident Attorney
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