Drennan Law Firm's Blog

Caught driving drunk? It can have a real impact on your life

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Thursday, February 20, 2020.

It was a tough week at work, and your personal life wasn't as good as you'd hoped it would be. You were in an argument with a girl you just started dating, and you felt like you just needed a break from everything. So, to make things easier on yourself, you hopped on your motorcycle and headed down to your local bar. It's no more than two miles from your home, so the idea that you could be stopped for drunk driving never crossed your mind.

Of course, you didn't plan to be so intoxicated that you couldn't drive home, and you expected that the bartender would say something if you did get too drunk. Unfortunately, the way things worked out was that you ended up on your motorcycle when you drove straight through a red light on the way back home. A cop happened to be out, since it was late at night, and they saw you run it. Not long after that, you found yourself arrested and on the way to the police station for drunk driving.

Failed a field sobriety test? It may not be accurate

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Tuesday, February 4, 2020.

When you were stopped by an officer, he asked you for a breath sample. You took the Breathalyzer test, which came back at .06%. By law, you weren't over the per-se limit, but you did, allegedly, seem impaired.

The officer decided to have you perform field sobriety tests, because he would need to collect more evidence to arrest you. Not surprisingly, he told you that you failed.

Common items can contain alcohol: Be careful and avoid a DUI

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.

A DUI is a serious charge and one that most people want to avoid. What's interesting about them is that some people have faced DUIs when they didn't ever have a physical alcoholic beverage. How? There are plenty of items that contain alcohol that can build up in your system, some of which are quite unexpected.

One of the primary sources of unexpected alcohol is in the food that you eat. If you're not cooking it yourself, you don't always know what goes into a dish. A recipe that calls for a wine reduction, for example, can actually contain a lot of alcohol. The amount of alcohol that is left after making a sauce or baking all depends on when it was added and at what temperature it was cooked, boiled or otherwise heated.

Driving drunk: A danger to yourself and others

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Friday, January 17, 2020.

Drunk driving is a real problem on the roads in America. Whether it's teens who have had too much to drink secretly or a group of college students trying to drive home after having one too many, driving after drinking can lead to serious consequences. Every day, there are dozens of people killed in drunk driving crashes. Approximately one person dies every 50 minutes, resulting in over 10,000 deaths each year.

In 2018, there were 10,511 deaths caused by drunk driving in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Those deaths made up 29% of all deaths from car crashes.

Just using a personal breath test won't save you from a DUI

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.

If you are someone who enjoys alcoholic beverages, whether you enjoy sharing an IPA with your friends after a long day at work or have developed a taste for sipping artisanal whiskeys, you need to make sure you are particularly careful if you get behind the wheel after enjoying one of your favorite drinks.

Knowing when you are safe to drive and when you definitely are not is difficult even in the best circumstances. Our brains have a way of convincing us that the alcohol hasn't affected us as much as it really does. In other words, it's not a very good idea to rely solely on your own analysis of your cognitive state when trying to determine if you are under the influence of alcohol or not.

How alcohol impacts driving at different BAC levels

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Wednesday, December 25, 2019.

From your first drink, alcohol can impact your ability to drive. It gets more pronounced the more you have, which is why there is a legal limit of 0.08%. But it can have an impact below that, and it's also important to understand how your ability changes the farther over the limit you go.

Now, everyone is different. Some people handle their alcohol better than others. Those who drink more often may function at a higher level even with a higher BAC. People also reach those higher BAC numbers after different amounts of drinks. For instance, a 250-pound man would not see the same increase as a 90-pound woman after taking a shot.

The legal limit does not protect you from a DUI

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Monday, December 23, 2019.

People sometimes make the mistake of thinking that the legal limit for a driver's alcohol consumption -- a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.08% for most drivers -- can protect them from getting a DUI. It's important to understand that that is not exactly how the law works, despite this common misconception.

For example, imagine that you looked up how much alcohol you could drink in a set period of time without going over the limit. When hitting the bar with your friends, you stuck to that amount. You then hopped in the car to drive home.

Build a defense to try to reduce the impact of a DUI

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Friday, December 6, 2019.

DUIs are some of the most frustrating charges to face. If you end up with a conviction, they can have lasting consequences for a mistake that you made only a single time.

The consequences of DUIs extend far past fines and possible time in jail or a substance abuse program. They can lead to:

Trouble with your job, and potentially being fired from it
The need for an expensive ignition interlock device
Higher insurance coverage costs
Disagreements in your family
Trouble paying bills
A loss of financial supports at school, like in college

Thanksgiving DUIs can be avoided: Be cautious this year

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Monday, November 25, 2019.

Thanksgiving is an exciting time of year for many people. There is typically a feast, an afternoon of chatting and getting together with friends, and preparation for the exciting Black Friday morning the following day.

This should be an exciting and positive time of year, but it can all go wrong if you decide to drink and drive. Remember, food can contain alcohol, and your drinks can, too. That means that your blood alcohol content might be higher than you expect.

Your DUI could cost you your job: Defend yourself

On behalf of Drennan Law Firm on Friday, November 22, 2019.

When you were pulled over by the police, the first concern you had was the impact a DUI could have on your life. You knew that you had been drinking and that questions would be asked. It was a mistake, but it was too late to go back and change what you did.

It's important to know that a DUI can affect your work, but it doesn't always. Depending on the kind of job you do, the need for a vehicle, your employment contract and other factors, you may or may not lose your job.

Caught driving drunk? It can have a real impact on your life

Failed a field sobriety test? It may not be accurate

Common items can contain alcohol: Be careful and avoid a DUI

Driving drunk: A danger to yourself and others

Just using a personal breath test won't save you from a DUI

How alcohol impacts driving at different BAC levels

The legal limit does not protect you from a DUI

Build a defense to try to reduce the impact of a DUI

Thanksgiving DUIs can be avoided: Be cautious this year

Your DUI could cost you your job: Defend yourself

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