Many people across the United States enjoy drinking alcohol for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, some of those people have an error in judgment and think that it is OK to get behind the wheel and drive somewhere afterward. Of course, this often leads to OWI charges, or possibly worse.
Facing OWI charges by themselves is bad, but if you drink and then drive and cause an accident on the road and injure another person, it is a much more serious situation.
This is a way-too-common occurrence.
What if I have driven while intoxicated and injured another person?
Indiana law uses the term “operating a vehicle while intoxicated” (OWI) or (OVWI.) Some states refer to the same offense using different terminology, and many people refer to it as “DUI.”
If you have injured someone else after driving while intoxicated, that will elevate your charges a lot. If you are charged with OWI, it will most likely be charged as a Class C misdemeanor. However, if you have injured another person as a result of the accident, your misdemeanor can be elevated to a felony. This is particularly true f you have prior OWI charges in the past five years, you have a minor in the vehicle with you or you have previous OWI convictions where death or serious injury occurred.
In addition to the felony charge, your license will also be automatically suspended for 90 days. This falls under Indiana implied consent law. The only way that you have a chance of not having your license suspended under those circumstances is if you request an administrative review hearing with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, or BMV.
Getting the legal support that you need
If you have been charged with OWI charges in Indiana, that means that you have faced up to what you did and have held yourself accountable. You have already paid your debt to society although you unfortunately cannot undo what already has occurred. With the right legal support, you can hopefully move on in your life and look forward to a new beginning. You have the right to embrace the opportunities that come along and hopefully, other people will give you a second chance to rebuild the life that you want to have, while protecting your rights at the same time.
