Springfield Reckless Driving Lawyer

Being charged with reckless driving in Virginia can be frustrating and confusing, especially since the offense is broad and almost any driving behavior can be subjectively deemed reckless by the officer who stops a driver. Therefore, If you are facing reckless driving charges, an experienced Springfield, VA reckless driving lawyer can help. Call and schedule a consultation today to discuss your case with a criminal attorney in Springfield.

Reckless Driving Charges in Virginia

Reckless driving charges in Virginia range drastically, from excessive speeding to passing improperly to driving with too many passengers in the vehicle. Certain conduct is clearly defined under the law as reckless, such as speeding over 80 miles per hour, while other driving behavior like going too fast for the road conditions or weather, can be very subjective.

Even the clearly-defined guidelines, such as those that deem speeding more than 20 miles per hour over the speed limit to be reckless can seem unfair under certain circumstances. If you were charged with reckless driving for going 45 in a 25 miles per hour zone, you may feel the charges are wrong.

Reckless driving can include driving in a “dangerous manner” near a church, school, parking area, or business or government property, driving with an obstructed view, racing another vehicle, improperly passing a school bus or not yielding to an emergency vehicle, or driving a vehicle that is in disrepair, has faulty brakes, or is uncontrollable.

Regardless of the reason for your reckless driving charge, our Springfield, VA reckless driving attorneys understand that many people charged with reckless driving were doing the best they could under difficult driving circumstances.

In many cases, situations outside the control of the accused driver, like dangerous actions by other drivers, poor weather or unsafe road conditions placed the accused driver in a tough position. For this reason it is important you establish as strong a defense as possible by contacting a reckless driving lawyer in Virginia as soon as possible.

Penalties for Reckless Driving in Virginia

In general, reckless driving is a class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and $2500 in fines. Certain circumstances carry heightened penalties for reckless driving, though. Driving recklessly while using a handheld device, such as a phone, tablet, mp3 player or GPS unit, carries a mandatory minimum fine of $250.  If a driver lacks a valid license and causes the death of another person in the course of driving recklessly, the offense becomes a Class 6 felony punishable by up to five years in jail.

All drivers convicted of reckless driving also face administrative penalties imposed by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, including six demerit points assessed to the driver’s license, which can remain for 11 years.

Consult a Springfield, VA Reckless Driving Lawyer

There are numerous benefits to hiring an experienced Springfield, VA reckless driving lawyer. Your attorney can investigate the evidence against you and the circumstances surrounding your charges in order to determine whether your rights have been protected throughout the legal process. Your reckless driving lawyer can also examine how the police officer’s subjective perceptions and judgments may have impacted your case, and whether those impressions were reasonable given the facts.

Our firm’s experienced Springfield, VA reckless driving attorneys will fight to have the charges against you reduced or dismissed by negotiating with prosecutors and presenting your side of what happened to the court.