Vehicular Homicide Attorneys
The tragic consequences of impaired driving sometimes involve accidents with serious injuries or worse, death. Vehicular Homicide in Washington is a Class A Felony, punishable by up to 25 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Furthermore, Vehicular Homicide is classified as a Level XI offense which means that a person with zero criminal history faces over six years in prison if convicted of Vehicular Homicide.
If an individual, while driving under the influence causes an accident, and the accident is the proximate cause of a person's death, the State may charge that driver with Vehicular Homicide. Vehicular Homicide can also be committed if a driver is: (1) driving a car in a reckless manner, or (2) a person drives their car with a disregard for the safety of others. Those driving in violation of the hands-free law could be charged under the latter prong.
All Vehicular Homicide charges, regardless of the driving involved, are serious violent felonies which require expert representation. The attorneys at Cowan Kirk have handled dozens of cases of this nature. These cases are filed in Superior Court and proceed along a much different path than your typical DUI case. The discovery in these cases are usually immense and the use of expert witnesses is often times necessary. Our attorneys have the knowledge and resources that leave no stone un-turned in these very difficult cases.
Often times, Vehicular Homicide cases will garner significant media attention. Cowan Kirk has handled a large majority of the high-profile driving cases in Seattle for decades now. Their familiarity with the media and how to handle these matters can be critical to your success on a Vehicular Homicide case. There is no DUI firm that has handled matters of public significance than CKK.
Most, if not all, felony DUI matters involve blood testing instead of breath testing. This is a complicated area where the law intersects with medicine and science. Very few attorneys possess the skill necessary to properly defend blood cases. Recent case law has also complicated the search warrant process. Valid search warrants are required before a driver can be compelled to submit to a blood test. Careful attention will be paid to the entire warrant process to ensure that it comports with constitutional standards. Moreover, independent analysis of all data related to a blood test can be obtained if necessary.
In some instances, the need for an accident reconstructionist is necessary to properly defend these cases. The attorneys at CKK have worked with several highly qualified and well-known crash investigators.
Hire the Experienced Vehicular Assault Defense Attorneys
The only way to avoid a DUI is to not drink and drive. But we understand that bad things can happen to good people. And we also know that sometimes these mistakes lead to serious consequences and sometimes tragic results. If facing a Vehicular Homicide charge, you need experienced, compassionate and zealous representation. The attorneys at Cowan Kirk have the requisite knowledge and skill to handle these cases.