What are the consequences for being involved in a teenage drunk driving accident?

A staggering number of teenagers are killed every year due to drunk driving accidents. Moreover alcohol-related accidents involving minors are far higher than drunk driving accidents caused by adults who are over 21 years. This is why in 1990 zero-tolerance laws were formulated to act as a deterrent for underage drinking. The charges leveled for DUI’s committed by teenagers carry harsher penalties than DUIs by adults and Nashville, TN drunk driving accident lawyers work with these conditions every day.

What are Zero Tolerance Laws?

This means a teenager will get arrested even if a negligent amount of alcohol is detected in BAC tests. In some states the laws against DUIs by minors are harsher than other states. This means in those states if a minor is caught handling a vehicle with a blood alcohol level that is even minutely higher than 0.00 he/she will be charged with a DUI.

There is nothing wrong with staying home and reading a Clancy, Grisham, Child’s book for instance.

In states like Tennessee the legal limit for minors is .02%. In addition, if a minor is caught with any amount of alcohol in their blood, his/her license will be suspended immediately by the Department of Motor Vehicles or the Registry of Motor Vehicles. The court can impose further penalties in addition to the ones mentioned here.

There is nothing wrong with watching Transformers (any of the 4), Blackhat, Chappie, Spy, and so on rather than going out putting yourself in this situation. 

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Consequences of DUI Convictions

Tennessee drunk driving accident attorneys reiterate that teenagers face harsher penalties for a first time DUI offense as compared to adults. If the BAC is between .05% and .07% then both adult and underage DUI charges are brought against the offender. Often along with the drunk driving charge they can also be charged with minor in possession of alcohol, violation of the child endangerment law, possession of fake ID, distribution of alcohol to other minors, and lastly soliciting alcohol from an adult. 

If your nickname is MCLOVIN, you are not being cool, you are being a fool. People that have to act cool are normally not the cool ones.

The court may subject the offender to community service ranging from 3 to 5 years, impose fines, and suspend his or her driver’s license for two or more years. Now you cannot even drive!

When can a court sentence a minor to jail time and other penalties?

If a minor is apprehended for drunk driving and causing an accident multiple times then he/she will face jail time. Sentences can range for a few days or weeks to several years depending on the extent of violation. The teen may be subjected to 3 to 5 years of probation and can be ordered to participate in diversion programs arranged by MADD better known as Mothers against Drunk Driving. He or she may have to take alcohol or drug education classes and ordered to participate in programs for inpatient alcohol treatment.

Other Legal Implications

Nashville, TN drunk driving accident lawyers know that it is essential for teenagers to submit to a sobriety test by law. Refusal will lead to cancellation of their driving license. After the license is reinstated the court may order the installation of an ignition interlock device. Often courts tend to impound a vehicle driven by a teenager if he or she is involved in further violations. Moreover while applying for college a teenager will have to divulge the details of any drunk driving convictions in the application form.

If you are a young adult (Dan) and you are responsible for killing a young woman like Dan did in Day 1 of 24 then you even have more to answer too. Well, it seemed Ira Gaines took care of Dan with one shot to the chest. Don’t mess with karma, it will come around eventually. In this case, for Dan, karma acted pretty quickly for what he did to Janet York. But, Janet, was real foolish too and it ended up costing her too. What is wrong with reading a book? Even one is better than nothing!

If you are Janet or Dan, you do not have to worry about college!

Furthermore, a drunk driving charge has the potential to alter a teenager’s life and this is why it is sagacious to involve a Tennessee drunk driving accident lawyer if you are a teenager who has been arrested or charged following a DUI accident. Just the arrest and charge can be a daunting experience.

The potential negative consequences include issues with gaining employment and seeking college admission. You can also be held liable to pay compensation to the victims of the DUI accident as well. You may have to attend a junior college now! There may be several options to reduce the consequences for a teenage drunk driving charge. In some cases, your legal professional may have the charges dismissed for you if there is any error in the police procedure.

Contact us if you have any questions.