It’s easy to say that you’re a responsible driver who will never have DUI problems. However, it can happen pretty much to anyone. In most states and Oregon, the legal limit of BAC is .08. But, if your BAC varies between .05 and .08, you could easily get charged for DUI. This amount of alcohol can occur even after one glass of wine. Or surprisingly, your breathalyzer test may show the presence of alcohol in your blood if you follow certain diets such as Keto, or have a medical condition.
DUI charges can affect your life in many ways starting from drivers license suspension, instalment of an ignition lock, high fines, prison time, losing your job, losing custody of children, being unable to get a new job or enrolling in college.
If you’re facing DUI charges or were involved in a DUI accident, make sure to talk to a Portland DUI attorney.
Employment Chances
Although you may wonder how this can happen, DUI charges can seriously affect your career and professional reputation. Many employers will do a background check before hiring you (or on yearly basis). If they see that you have a DUI charge on your record, they may not consider you. The DUI charge may especially affect jobs in schools, hospitals, jobs that require driving and so on.
If you’re already employed, your current employers may consider if they want to keep you in their team. If you drive work, this will definitely be an issue. Doctors, teachers, nurses, pharmacists, but also military people, or people in government positions could easily lose their jobs and licenses.
The fact that most DUI charges will lead to drivers license suspension and ignition locks, will affect your commute. You might not be able to get to work. If you use public transport, this could lead to tardies. On the other hand, if you have appeared in court, or follow a certain program after the DUI charges, you’ll have to miss work. All of this can affect your position.
Civil Lawsuit
In case you injured another person because you were driving under the influence, things may get quite complicated. If the plaintiff files a lawsuit against you, it will lead to criminal charges. This means that you will have you’ll have life-time changing effects. Some people end in jail, others pay high fines and go to jail. Civil lawsuits will remain on your record for good. This could not only affect your chances to get a new job but could also affect you finding a good place to live, buy a new house, enrol in college.
If you’re a parent, you may lose custody of your children.
Car Insurance
This is another way how DUI conviction will affect your life. Your car insurance rates will definitely go up after the DUI conviction. In most cases, the rate will increase by 80% (it may be even higher, depending on your insurance). Your insurance company may even cancel your policy and you will have a very hard time finding a new insurance company that will want to cover you.
Personal Relationships
When it comes to personal relationships, things will get complicated. Your family and significant other will be affected by this. If you go to jail and you’re the one who earns the most for the family, your family will deal with serious money problems.
Also, DUI charges may affect your relationship. If your spouse decides to divorce you, you may lose custody of your children. They will argue that you aren’t responsible and you could drive your children while intoxicated, which is a good argument (and a strong one) for the court to decide that you aren’t trustworthy enough to take care of your kids.
Mental Health
All of this is not easy. Many people who have committed a DUI violation, deal with mental health problems. Anxiety and traumas (especially if they have injured or killed someone in the crash) will linger and will stop you from functioning normally. If you lose your job because of these charges, things may get even worse. Losing a chance to go to college because of your DUI charges can affect your entire future.
Surviving a drunk driving crash can lead to post-traumatic stress disorder as well.
If you’re dealing with DUI charges (no matter how severe the crash was) make sure to seek legal help from a DUI attorney. Trilogy Law Group is here for you; schedule your first free consultation.
