The fact that about every 55 minutes in the United States a person dies from a drunk driving accident is a very sad statistic. While you may not intend to hurt someone, you definitely can and if you get caught drinking and driving the penalties can be pretty stiff. For your first DUI you could spend thousands of dollars in fees, tickets and other court order items. This is why having a San Francisco DUI attorney on your side could dramatically improve your legal situation.

So why do you need to hire a DUI attorney? Attorneys are great to have on your side for any kind of criminal charge, especially when you aren't accustomed to the criminal justice system and you get a DUI. An experienced San Francisco DUI attorney will basically be able to lessen the sentence you get or the amount of punishment. If you walk into court on a DUI charge, even if it is your first offense, you could end up doing jail time without an attorney. These attorneys have resources in places that a regular population does not, and that is definitely something you want on your side when you are facing legal charges. Plus, without a lawyer you could end up having the DUI on your record forever which could effect your job situation.

On the opposite end, if you or a family member were injured due to a drunk driving accident at the fault of another, an attorney who practices personal injury can get you justice. They will make sure that insurance and the person responsible is liable for whatever damages came your way due to the accident. Without an attorney you may find yourself fighting insurance companies for years on your own, just to end up losing in the end.

One of the best places to find an affordable and local San Francisco DUI attorney is to ask your friends and family members. Referrals are great because they come from real experience and often at a much cheaper price. However, a lot of the time the attorney your friend or family members used does not actively represent clients charged with DUI. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to ask around before you start making calls.

Searching online for your local attorney is also a good idea because you can often find reviews and important information about the attorney before even speaking to them. This also allows you to find out where their office is if the location is important to the matter. Always check with at least two or three different DUI attorneys though just to make sure you are not only getting the best deal, but also the best attorney. Unfortunately, not all attorneys specializing in DUIs are efficient as others so keep your options open until you are confident.

In the end, if you do not have an attorney representing you for your DUI charge, you can almost guarantee yourself that you will be doing some jail time. Drinking and driving is a very serious offense because of all the unnecessary deaths that occur due to it each year. People often make the mistake of not hiring an attorney because it is their first offense and that is a huge mistakes. Even if you have never had a ticket or been in trouble a day in your life a DUI charge can come down hard on the punishment. The judge who ends up overseeing your case will also have a big impact on what gets done and what kind of punishment you receive. It is better to be safe than sorry and a San Francisco DUI attorney is absolutely one way to make sure you are safe in all cases.