North Carolina Felony Death by Vehicle

There is little more tragic than a death on the road in North Carolina. No matter how careful you are, though, there’s a chance that you may find yourself in an accident—and subsequently held responsible for someone else’s losses. If you find yourself involved in an accident wherein a passenger or passengers die, you may risk criminal consequences for your alleged roadway negligence.

You can respect another person’s grief while still defending yourself from unfound felony death by vehicle charges. Our felony death by vehicle attorneys in North Carolina can take your case and help protect you from the consequences of a crime you didn’t commit. Contact King Law vehicular manslaughter attorneys at your earliest convenience for help addressing the charges brought against you.

Defining North Carolina’s Felony Death by Vehicle Charges

In North Carolina, the crime that other states refer to as “vehicular manslaughter” is called “death by vehicle.” You can be charged with felony death by vehicle if you’re accused of unintentionally engaging in behavior that results in the death of someone else on the road.

Specifically, North Carolina law enforcement can charge you with felony death by vehicle charge if you were in violation of the state’s DWI laws at the time your accident occurred. This means that law enforcement must prove that you had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08% or above in a private vehicle, or 0.04% in a commercial vehicle.

Note that under North Carolina’s Safe Roads Act of 1983, DWIs, or driving while intoxicated charges, and DUIs, or driving under the influence charges, are considered to be the same thing. You can reference the aforementioned act for more information about the consequences of driving on the road while intoxicated in North Carolina.

You Can Face Misdemeanor Death by Vehicle Charges

There are circumstances in which you can face misdemeanor death by vehicle charges instead of felony charges. If you’re accused of driving recklessly, speeding, or texting at the wheel before an accident resulting in someone’s death, you should not face felony consequences for your alleged behavior.

When collaborating with a North Carolina felony death by vehicle attorney, you can discuss how to reduce felony charges to misdemeanors or even how to have the charges brought against you dropped altogether.

Felony Death by Vehicle Results in Jail Time and Fines

The consequences for felony death by vehicle fall under the umbrella of North Carolina’s Class D felonies. This means that unchallenged accusations can see you face up to 160 months in prison. A judge can then determine what fines you might face based on the damage you allegedly forced onto the injured party.

You may also face accusations of aggravated felony death by vehicle if you’ve previously been convicted of a DWI. In these cases, your possible prison time remains the same. That said, a judge may choose to exacerbate your fines based on the pre-existing convictions on your record.

The Prosecution Must Prove Causation When Accusing You of Felony Death by Vehicle

The party that charges you with felony death by vehicle has a burden of proof to uphold if they want you to face criminal consequences for your alleged actions. This means that the prosecution must present proof of deadly negligence that indicates, beyond a reasonable doubt, that you are responsible for a person’s passing.

As your felony vehicular manslaughter attorneys, it’s our job to question the burden of proof presented by the prosecution and point out inconsistencies in their arguments. Moreover, we can challenge any claim’s adherence to the “beyond a reasonable doubt” requirement, as there may be explanations for a person’s passing that the prosecution fails to address.

You can discuss what arguments you believe best suit your case during a consultation with our team.

The Benefits of Calling on a North Carolina Felony Vehicular Manslaughter Defense Lawyer

Felony vehicular manslaughter defense attorneys serve as your legal guides in the face of criminal accusations. Our team specifically intercedes on your behalf with law enforcement, ensuring that officers don’t take anything you say regarding someone else’s losses out of context. 

Beyond that, our team also defends you against felony charges and makes sure your side of the story comes out in court. We can meet with you shortly after you’ve been charged and discuss the circumstances that led to your case. From there, we can conduct our own investigation of the scene of your accident and account for any oversights in the defense’s story.

We strive to challenge the prosecution’s burden of proof with the facts of your case. In turn, we want you to be able to enjoy a future unimpeded by criminal consequences wrongly foisted onto you. The sooner you talk to us about your felony death by vehicle charges, the sooner we can fight to get your life back to normal.

Get in Touch With a North Carolina Felony Defense Attorney

Accusations of felony death by vehicle deserve the attention of an experienced criminal defense attorney. If you or a loved one are contending with these charges, contact King Law today. You can work with our North Carolina felony death by vehicle attorneys to address the allegations brought against you and reduce or waive the applicable charges.

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to get in contact with our team. You can contact us by calling (888) 748-5464 or (888) 748-KING. You can alternatively use our contact form to schedule a case consultation at your earliest convenience.

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