Reckless Driving Lawyer Emporia, VA
Are you looking for a reckless driving lawyer in Emporia, Virginia to help fight a recent ticket? If so, you have come to the right place. Read on to discover how the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt represents individuals charged with reckless driving in seeking to have charges dismissed or reduced.
Have You Been Charged with Reckless Driving in Emporia or the Surrounding Areas?
Reckless driving is a very serious moving vehicle violation. Depending on the law that applies to your ticket, “reckless driving” is typically defined as the driver having complete disregard for the safety of others when behind the wheel. A reckless driving conviction can result in expensive fines, revocation or suspension of your driver’s license, and even jail time. Call Mark T. Hurt, an experience Virginia speeding ticket lawyer, to find out how you can make the best out of your reckless driving charge.
Why Is Reckless Driving Particularly Significant?
In the legal context, the term “reckless” is generally applies behavior that is more dangerous than “negligent” behavior. Harm resulting from reckless behavior does not rise to the level of intentional harm, but it is treated more severely than harm caused as a result of negligence.
What does this mean for you? It means that punishments and stigmas associated with reckless driving are significantly more severe than those associated with negligent driving.
What are the Potential Consequences for Reckless Driving in Virginia?
The potential consequences for reckless driving depend on the specifics of your charge. If no one was hurt as a result of your driving, you will face criminal charges in court that carry hefty fines, a chance of losing your license, and potential jail time.
If, however, someone was injured as a result of your driving, you will likely face these criminal charges in addition a civil lawsuit brought by the injured individual or his or her insurance company. If the person injured is successful in their lawsuit, you may be responsible for paying for both economic damages, such as hospital and car repair bills, and non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. These civil damages are in addition to the sentencing of the criminal court.
Some reckless driving offenses are treated as criminal misdemeanors, while others can rise to felony levels depending on factors involved. As a result, some reckless drivers may be compelled to pay fines, while others are required to perform community service or to remain incarcerated for a specific period.
What Types of Actions are Considered “Reckless Driving” in Virginia?
In Virginia, some actions are automatically considered reckless driving under various state laws, while others may be considered reckless driving at the discretion of an officer. For example, driving 20 miles per hour over the speed limit, or anything over 85 miles per hour, will be ticketed as reckless driving, regardless of whether you were driving erratically, violated any other traffic laws, or caused an accident.
Running a stop sign or traffic light is also generally considered to be reckless behavior. Some states consider texting while driving to be reckless behavior, which may impact both criminal and civil consequences for any harm caused by your “distracted driving.” As a reckless driving lawyer, I can evaluate your situation and determine what type of penalties you may be facing.
If you have been cited for reckless driving, I can help you to determine your next steps. If you call me, I can discuss with you the options available for contesting a reckless driving changes, and explain how I can help in this process.
Protect Your Record
Most people don’t think of reckless driving as a crime, especially if they were ticketed driving at 86 mph. If you’re ticketed solely for speeding, the police officer may not even mention that the ticket is for reckless driving, leaving you to think that the ticket is not all that serious.
While a police officer may not point out how serious it is when they pull you over, one of the first things you will probably notice is that unlike other traffic tickets (which usually can be paid in advance of the court date if a person wishes to plead guilty), there isn’t the option to pay for a reckless driving ticket in advance. As a result of receiving a reckless driving ticket, you are being ordered to appear in court to answer for the reckless driving charge. If you don’t live in Virginia, the prospect of having to return to Virginia can be daunting and expensive, and yet at the same time, because of the criminal consequences, the ticket should not be ignored.
Let Me Help and Appear in Court on Your Behalf
I and my office can help, whether you are a local Emporia resident or if you live out-of-state. In most cases, if I and my firm are retained, I will be able to appear in court on your behalf. You don’t have to fight your ticket alone.
Why should I hire an attorney?
Put simply, the advantages are:
- In most cases, I can appear in court on your behalf to contest your ticket. My appearance can save you both time and money.
- I will work vigorously with the prosecution to see if the charges can be reduced or dismissed. While a successful out cannot be guaranteed, having an experienced speeding and reckless driving lawyer on your side contesting your ticket is a good step in seeking a better outcome than simply pleading guilty.
- An attorney can be very helpful if you have a bad driving record in seeking to avoid both a guilty finding, as well as the more severe consequences that can result from having a prior bad driving record if a conviction occurs.
Get the Reckless Driving Defense You Deserve
It’s a long road from accusation to conviction. There are many angles from which we defend reckless driving charges. Here are a few of the defenses that may be available to you, depending on the facts of your case:
- Inaccurate Radar Guns or Laser Devices
If the police officer measured the speed of your vehicle prior to and leading up to arresting you for reckless driving, the device they used may have been inaccurate. In fact, this is such a common problem that the law might require the officer to provide documentation proving the gun or laser device was recently calibrated. You have the right to examine the calibration report. Additionally, for the device’s reading to be considered valid in court, the report must show the identity of the person who conducted the calibration test and the date that the calibration test was conducted. - Faulty Speedometer
If there is sufficient reason to believe that your vehicle’s speedometer might be malfunctioning, defective, or otherwise faulty, it may be wise to submit the speedometer to a shop for calibration testing. As an experienced speeding and reckless driving lawyer, I can oversee this process. If the law enforcement officer reported you as driving only a few miles faster than what would qualify as a traffic infraction rather than a criminal charge, it may be a good idea to check your speedometer calibration. - Mistaken Identity
Depending on the circumstances of what led up to your arrest for reckless driving, it’s possible that the arresting officer mistook you for someone else. This occurs frequently during chaotic accident scenes. When there are several drivers or injured persons involved and the officer may have been overwhelmed by the circumstances of managing everything until backup arrived.
Remember, a reckless driving charge is very serious and potentially life-changing. It is possible to have your charges reduced or dropped entirely, but you will likely need the help of an experienced and competent Emporia, VA speeding ticket lawyer. Call the Law Offices of Mark T. Hurt today to find out what he can do for you.
We invite you to call our office today for a complimentary case review to learn how we can help.
Let experienced traffic attorney Mark Hurt fight to get your ticket reduced or dismissed. Call 276-623-0808.
Client Review
“Very helpful staff that will walk you through your legal process. My case was dismissed. Very much worth the reasonable cost.”
J.B.
