Drivers in Tennessee convicted of a DUI-related offense, including driving with a blood alcohol content level of .08 or higher (.04 if the driver is a commercial driver), can be ordered to use an ignition interlock (IID) device for up to one year. A driver may also request to use an IID in order to obtain a restricted license for an offense that wouldn’t normally require an IID; this allows them to drive without geographic restrictions [...]

If you are caught driving with drugs in your system, the consequences may be extremely serious. You may be charged with driving while under the influence (DUI), which is a serious criminal offense that can change your life and lead to long-term repercussions. However, it is important to remember that an arrest or charge does not necessarily make you guilty, and your attorney will do everything they can to protect your rights and prove your innocence. [...]

When a person is caught driving while drunk or intoxicated, they may be arrested on a driving under the influence (DUI) charge. If convicted of this type of charge, the individual will need to pay large and hefty fines, they may lose their license, and may even spend time in jail. If you are facing a DUI charge, it is crucial that you reach out to a Knoxville DUI defense lawyer who knows how to represent [...]

Drunk driving has continued to be a serious issue in the state of Tennessee. In fact, there were 7,332 alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2020 alone. The Tennessee Highway Patrol also states that crashes involving impaired drivers are 14 times more likely to result in at least one fatality, leaving families shattered and communities reeling from the aftermath. In recent years, the state of Tennessee has been more persistent in its commitment to crack down on this [...]

As you may likely already know, the state of Tennessee has strict laws regarding drunk driving. One of the consequences of a DUI conviction is the required installation of an ignition interlock device, or IID. This is a handheld breathalyzer-type of device installed in a vehicle that prevents it from starting if the driver has been drinking alcohol. Even first-time offenders are required to use an IID, per state law. A variety of manufacturers provide these [...]

The post-holiday period is a chaotic time in its own right. The flurry of taking down decorations, going back to school, getting back in the swing of work, and winding down from holiday parties takes some getting used to. After two years of muted celebrations due to the pandemic, people may have let loose a little more this year. For some, that may have included some misguided drinking and driving. It’s a fact that driving [...]

There are several ways the law considers you to be impaired. You can be drunk, using marijuana, using other controlled substances, etc. Any substance, alcohol or drugs, that impairs your ability to drive can lead to a DWI or DUI charge. Cops are meant to uphold the law, but they can sometimes overstep and make an illegal stop. A result of this unlawful stop is you facing criminal charges that can alter the course of your [...]

No one is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, including teenagers. You can teach them right from wrong all you want, and they might still make the wrong decision when it comes to underage drinking and driving. As dangerous as this is, many teens still decide to drink at parties and then drive home. If your teen is involved in an accident or pulled over by a police officer after drinking, the teen will be arrested on the [...]

Being arrested for DUI in Tennessee comes with strict penalties. Whether this is your first arrest or you’ve been arrested for DUI before, you will face automatic jail time for the crime. There are a host of mitigating factors that go into determining the exact amount of time you must spend in jail, how much you will have to pay in fines, and how long you will lose your license. Those factors include the following: Whether [...]

What are your rights if you're hit by a drunk or drug driver? Well, you have an accident claim just like any other accident claim, but you need to make sure that you have an attorney that knows the particular issues unique to dealing with a drunk driving situation. First off, you may have a claim for what are known as punitive damages, which means you can have a claim for the actual injuries that [...]

If you're stopped for a DUI or the suspicion of a DUI, the first thing that you should do is be cooperative with the officer. That doesn't mean that you respond to everything the officer asks you to do, but that does mean that you don't give the officer a hard time. You want to have a situation in which your case blurs with other cases and there isn't something that distinguishes you from those cases. [...]

There are many myths that surround DUI-related crimes. They’re all over the Internet, and there’s always some friend of a friend who swears he beat the system in some bizarre way. We don’t want you to get busted for DUI because you believed some silly myths. So today, we’re going to break down the five we hear the most often. 1. You can lower your BAC by eating and/or drinking coffee Eating something after the consumption [...]

Whether you go out for a night on the town with friends or you have a dinner function to attend, situations involving alcohol consumption are often a part of life. You’re not mentally calculating your blood alcohol content (BAC) with each sip thinking that your drive home could end in disaster. You may not even realize that your faculties are compromised before getting behind the wheel. Then you hit someone. Or perhaps you were never behind [...]

Traditionally, law enforcement officials were the only individuals who had access to breathalyzer devices that are supposed to measure a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC). However, these devices are now available to anyone. Although some degree of accuracy may be achieved with these DIY breathalyzers, there also serious questions as to the reliability of the readings they can produce. In addition, there are other potential negative consequences of relying on these devices to keep you out [...]

Having been charged with a DUI, you've obviously found yourself in an unfortunate situation. That situation can go one of two ways. It can go really bad for you, or it can improve through the use of a skilled advocate. I want to be that advocate. In particular, all of the information needs to be gathered. The reports from the officers, the video, the audio; anything that comes to bear on your case. The particularities [...]

Tennessee laws are strict when it comes to punishing drunk drivers. Sentencing for DUIs in the state can include months or years in jail, hefty fines, court costs, and restrictions or complete loss of driving privileges. An additional and recent addition to these penalties is the requirement for the one convicted of DUI to install an ignition interlock device (IID) on his or her vehicle in order to be given a restricted driver’s license. Operation of [...]

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) almost 30 people in the U.S. are killed in drunk driving crashes each day. The state of Tennessee takes the threat imposed by drunk driving very seriously. If you are pulled over on the suspicion of driving under the influence, the attending police officer may ask you to step out of your vehicle and comply with a series of field sobriety tests (FSTs). These tests are standardized [...]

If you drive while you are drunk and/or high on illegal and/or prescription drugs, you face a wide variety of consequences. This wide variety of consequences includes field sobriety tests. Field sobriety tests (FSTs) usually consist of three specific tests (though there are others that are less commonly used): the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus (HGN) test, the Walk and Turn (WAT) test, and the One Leg Stand (OLS) test. Police officers administer these tests at traffic stops [...]

If you're convicted, how does the court decide what your sentence is? There are a lot of factors that come into play, but basically, felonies are graded on a letter system: A being the most serious, E being the least serious. Misdemeanors, likewise, from A being the most serious, to C being the least serious. The court will normally request a pre-sentence report – that is unless the charge requires a mandatory prison term, or [...]

That would depend on the situation, and that is when it's very important for you to go ahead and immediately hire an attorney, because that attorney can investigate where that person got intoxicated, and things such as if that person was over-served and if that business has some liability for over-serving that person. That's why it's very important that you immediately contact an attorney who has knowledge about these types of cases. We at Banks [...]

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been watching the case about DUI testing fees move through the courts. In late August of this year, the Tennessee Supreme Court has issued its final ruling, and it appears these $250 testing fees are here to stay for people convicted of drunk driving. Why was the TBI charging and collecting fees for DUI testing? Back in 2008, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) was facing major budget cuts and [...]

If you are charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you need legal help – fast. Tennessee drivers should consult with an experienced DUI lawyer as soon as possible. There are often defenses. Many times, a fair plea agreement can be negotiated. A conviction for just one offense includes many direct costs and numerous hidden costs. The costs for subsequent convictions can be staggering. According to BACtrack.com, a DUI website, the high cost [...]

An arrest for DUI in Knoxville can be frightening for many reasons. You may have had a drink or two and felt you were okay to drive. You may have had an accident or were pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence. No matter what the circumstance, it happened. Likely you submitted to breath or blood testing to determine your blood alcohol content (BAC). What you may not be aware of is that there [...]

St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 2018, is a day for celebration for Irish communities throughout the world including Knoxville, Tennessee. Even the non-Irish celebrate by wearing green and eating corned-beef and cabbage. For many, it’s also a day of parades and drinking. As with all drinking, there’s no problem if you don’t get behind the wheel. Drivers who do drive after consuming a few beers, an apple martini, Green Guinness, some whiskey, or other intoxicating liquors [...]