CDL DUI Lawyer Bridgeport, CT
If you have a CDL license and have just been charged with a DUI, you may want to consult a CDL DUI lawyer Bridgeport, CT residents trust from Willinger, Willinger & Bucci, P.C. A DUI is a serious charge and can negatively affect your job. A lawyer can provide you with a proper defense and protect your legal rights.
CDL Holders Face Stricter Penalties for DUI Than Drivers of Passenger Vehicles
CDL holders are held to a higher standard than drivers of passenger vehicles. As such, they receive harsher penalties if they are found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol. For example, non-commercial drivers are charged with a DUI if their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) is 0.08%. Commercial drivers, on the other hand, will be charged with a DUI if their BAC is 0.04%.
CDL holders who have been charged with a DUI may face a loss of license for one year. Those who have been convicted of two or more DUI offenses risk a permanent CDL revocation. They may not be able to continue their job as a commercial driver.
Typically, if it is your first DUI offense in Connecticut, the judge may allow you to apply for the Alcohol Education Program, which could help you get the charge dismissed. Commercial drivers, however, are not eligible for this program.
CDL Drivers May Still Face CDL Revocation if Driving a Personal Vehicle
As a CDL DUI lawyer in Bridgeport, CT can confirm, CDL holders who are driving a personal vehicle have to have a BAC of .08 instead of .04 to get charged with drunk driving. However, they still risk losing their CDL license even if they were stopped while operating a personal vehicle.
How a Lawyer Can Help
The last thing you want is to lose your CDL license. That is why it is so important to have an experienced lawyer on your side. A lawyer can help determine if you were legally pulled over or not, challenge the accuracy of breath or blood results, and review the probable cause of arrest. If you work with a qualified lawyer, you have a better chance of getting a favorable outcome in your case.
Why You Should Hire Our Firm
Our firm has been helping clients for over 30 years with a variety of different types of cases. Whether it be family law, criminal defense, employment and labor issues, bankruptcy cases, estate planning, or CDL DUI our firm has you covered. Reach out to us at Willinger, Willinger, & Bucci P.C. today to speak with a CDL DUI lawyer Bridgeport, CT residents trust. Forming strong relationships with our clients is what we seek to establish to ensure that they understand we are doing the best we can to serve their interests. If you are facing a CDL DUI then you can rest assured that we will do our due diligence to see if the proper procedures were followed at the scene. We will take our time looking over the ticket or other reports that may exist for this accused offense too. Feel free to share your needs with us and we will build a strong strategy for your case. Your fight is our fight and we will do what it takes to be successful.
5 Other Risk Factors For CDL Drivers
CDL drivers are only human and can sometimes make mistakes. Besides drunk driving, we’ll explore five other risk factors that can lead to crashes. Some of these risk factors are within a driver’s control while some might be outside a driver’s control.
Using Other Substances
Besides consuming alcohol, truck drivers might engage in other substances. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for truck drivers to use substances like Adderall, cocaine, or meth. Drugs like these usually aren’t for “fun” but instead are due to the nature of the job. Truck drivers are notoriously known for working long hours with few, if any, breaks in between. Their job may require them to drive upwards to 12 hours or more straight, only stopping to fuel up or to drop off cargo.
Driver Fatigue
Drugs are never a good solution to combat driver fatigue. However, we also can’t ignore that driver fatigue or exhaustion is very common for CDL drivers. All the coffee and energy drinks in the world (which can be their own problem when excessively consumed) can’t always prevent driver fatigue. Suffering from driver fatigue, you’re more likely to fall asleep at the wheel or have slower reaction times to real-world events.
Other Forms of Distracted Driving
Besides being tired or using substances, a CDL driver can engage in many more forms of distracted driving, including:
- Eating while driving
- Texting or talking on the phone
- Listening to loud music
- Other actions, like trying to pick up a piece of paper while driving
Essentially, anything that takes a driver’s attention off the road can be considered distracted driving. When combined with other factors like substance abuse, distracted driving can especially be deadly.
Road Conditions
Not every two roads are alike, and many CDL drivers discover this firsthand. The majority of car crashes happen in populous areas like the city or dense suburbs. However, the most deadly car crashes tend to occur in rural areas. There are many reasons why this may be, but road conditions tend to be one factor. A narrow road filled with plenty of potholes or improperly marked signage can cause issues for a small car during broad daylight. However, for a semi-truck in the middle of the night, these risk factors exponentially increase. While CDL drivers try to avoid these inconvenient routes, they may not always be able to.
Weather Conditions
Many people have the luxury of being able to avoid the roads during a snow or rainstorm. They may simply do their grocery shopping from home, or if they do need to get to work, they might be able to take the bus or subway instead. CDL drivers don’t have this luxury. In fact, during bad weather conditions, we as a society depend upon these drivers the most. However, even the most skilled driver with a hefty truck can have difficulty during a brutal ice storm. As such, semi-trucks turning over or driving off the road happen all too often during bad weather conditions.
A Steady & Guiding Hand
With our experience in helping clients overcome a CDL DUI offense, we believe that we can help you too, and give you a great chance at a positive outcome. We will take the time to listen to the series of events that transpired and also look at all relevant documents to this offense. We will discuss a strategy with you and help you through any pain points that may exist with this case. If any questions come about or things don’t make sense we will be there to help with these matters as well. There are quite a few actions that you can take to fight this offense. We will go over each of these with you during the case and advise on what the greatest chance of a positive outcome will be. Reach out to us today to get help from a Bridgeport CDL DUI lawyer.
Court Representation
If the case ends up in a courtroom before a judge there is no need to panic. With our experience across a wide array of cases across many areas of the law, we know that we are the right firm to help you too. Our experience and knowledge allow us to feel comfortable in a courtroom as a firm and as individual lawyers. We prepare ourselves for the case through our own investigation of the series of events and other factors. We carefully analyze each point and look to see if any procedures were skipped, or overlooked, or if anything was done illegally by the arresting officer(s). We also look at all of the evidence that was gathered or documented and evaluate these items. You are getting a firm that does their due diligence to give their client a high chance of success for their case. Contact us today at Willinger, Willinger, & Bucci P.C. to get professional assistance from a CDL DUI lawyer Bridgeport, CT residents trust and turn to in their time of need.
If you are facing a DUI charge, schedule a consultation with a CDL DUI lawyer in Bridgeport, CT from Willinger, Willinger & Bucci, P.C. today to discuss your case in detail.
What should I do if I’m stopped for DUI?
If you are stopped for DUI, do not panic and make sure to follow the instructions of the police officer who responds to you, as a Bridgeport, CT CDL DUI lawyer can advise you. They will ask you questions so be sure to answer them carefully while keeping your hands on the wheel. Show the officer any items that they request you to present to them, such as your CDL license and employer information. They may ask you to step out of the vehicle and do a field sobriety test that includes a breathalyzer test. Follow their instructions and if the officer asks you if you have been drinking, remember that you have a right to remain silent.
Can I appeal the breathalyzer results?
As an experienced Bridgeport, CT CDL DUI lawyer can tell you, like one from Willinger, Willinger & Bucci, PC can tell you more about, you do have a right to fight breathalyzer test results. Sometimes these results are flawed because of a defective device or because they are interpreted incorrectly by an officer. Other reasons include a medical condition that may result in a false positive. If you believe that your results are wrong, inform a DUI lawyer so that they can advise you further on next steps that you can take. They will explain to you how you can gather evidence and prepare a case.
What if I believe the police officer made a mistake?
If you have been asked to pull over due to suspicion of DUI, but believe that the police officer made a mistake that made you seem guilty, you may be able to challenge their conclusions with the help of a lawyer. Sometimes a police officer lacks the experience to conduct a field sobriety test properly. They may have made crucial mistakes, like mishandling the breathalyzer. It is important that you meet with a lawyer immediately so that they can gather further information and evidence that may support your argument. If you would like to discuss a potential case, contact a qualified DUI lawyer for more information.
What strategies does a DUI lawyer use?
Hiring a DUI lawyer can improve your case outcome because they are well-versed in legal strategies that can be beneficial to your case. There are several legal strategies that a CDL DUI lawyer may use, such as finding weaknesses in your charges or questioning the police officer’s conduct during the DUI stop. A lawyer may find evidence indicating that the officer may have failed to read you your rights or did not follow procedures correctly. These are just some of the ways that a CDL DU lawyer can build your case so that you do not face the worst outcome.
What can I expect if I hire a lawyer?
If you are charged with DUI, do not believe that there is nothing that you can do. There are many things that an experienced DUI lawyer can do for you in order to protect your rights. They will review your case and see if it’s valid. If they determine that they are able to help you, they will collect evidence and information to prepare your case. The case may take several months to resolve. However, there is limited time to act and inquire about your case, so contact a Bridgeport, CT CDL DUI lawyer right away if you want to receive urgent legal help.