New Jersey DWI Lawyer Blog
If you have been arrested for or charged with drugged driving, you need to contact a reputable and diligent New Jersey DWI attorney immediately. Not only do these charges have the potential to ruin your reputation, a conviction could jeopardize your current and future educational, housing and employment opportunities. Understanding how high the stakes are, we will aggressively advocate for you every step of the way.
Unless you or someone close to you has struggled with opioid addiction, it can be easy to overlook the seriousness of the problem. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) revealed that drivers using prescribed opioids are 2.18 times more likely to be in fatal two-vehicle crashes than those who are not using the drugs. The study examined 18,321 driver pairs who lost their lives in two-vehicle crashes between 1993 and 2016. The findings revealed that 54.7 percent of the drivers who died tested positive for prescription opioids and these drivers caused the crash because they veered out of their lane. Sadly, crash initiators with prescription opioids in their system have increased from 2 percent in 1993 to 7.1 percent in 2016. Research shows that opioids can seriously impair a driver’s ability to drive safely causing them to feel woozy, sleepy or even sedated.
Under New Jersey law, a person can be charged with driving under the influence of drugs if the prosecutor can establish that the person was impaired while operating a motor vehicle. This is true even if the drug was an over-the-counter or prescription drug. In other words, you can be charged with a DWI so long as the prosecutor can show that the drug impaired your ability to drive safely.
If you have been arrested and charged with drugged driving, you will face serious penalties under New Jersey DWI laws, just as if you had been arrested for drinking and driving. Not only do you risk losing your license and paying hefty fines, you may even end up going to jail. In short, the consequences of a conviction can seriously interfere with virtually every aspect of your life.
It is important to remember, however, that just because you have been charged does not automatically mean that you will be convicted. We will thoroughly investigate the facts of your case and use any and all defenses that may be available. We will make sure, among other things, that the police were justified to pull you over and that you were properly advised of your constitutional rights when taken into custody.
If you are facing DWI charges for driving under the influence of drugs, we can help. Our experienced and reputable New Jersey drug DWI attorneys will work diligently to have the charges against you reduced or have the case against you dismissed altogether. DWI cases are complicated and having the right lawyer on your side can make all the difference in your case. To arrange a free consultation with a member of our team, please do not delay in calling us at 877-450-8301 or reaching out to us online.