Operating Work Vehicle While Intoxicated

Anytime someone is arrested on a drunk driving charge, it can be a tremendous shock to your system. But if you are a commercial driver and you are caught driving a work vehicle or operating work-related equipment while intoxicated, you can be in for even worse consequences.

First, you can probably kiss that job goodbye.

You’ll need to hire a highly qualified criminal defense attorney such as Michael Anzalone to help you out of this bind. At The Anzalone Law Firm in Nashua, New Hampshire, our goal is to make your case a top priority. We want to help you get out of a legal mess and back on your feet as quickly and painlessly as possible.

So, what happens if you are arrested on charges of operating a work vehicle while impaired on alcohol or drugs?

If you are a commercial driver, the legal limit to drive in New Hampshire is .04 percent. That’s much lower than the .08 percent legal limit for anyone else who is over the age of 21. Why? Because the state sets you aside in a separate category if you are a commercial driver. For example, you are being put in charge of equipment for your employer, or if you are a bus driver or have another job in which you drive people around, you could be putting their lives, as well as your own life, in danger.

So, you will definitely need to have a criminal defense lawyer who is experienced in working with DUI or DWI cases involving drivers who are operating work vehicles.

Michael Anzalone is your guy. He has represented many cases in which this has been an issue.

If you are accused of driving while impaired in a work vehicle, you could face a one-year suspension of your commercial driver’s license. You need to understand that under state law, you don’t even have to be convicted on these charges to lose your commercial license for something like, for example, refusal to submit to a blood alcohol test.

And, it gets even worse for commercial drivers. They can face a lifetime suspension of a driver’s license if they are involved in a DWI or DUI case if they already have a previous offense.

There are many rules and regulations in New Hampshire for commercial vehicle drivers. For example, if you are involved in two serious traffic violations in a three year period, you could get a 60-day suspension of your driver’s license. If there are three such offenses in a 3-year period, you could get a 120 day suspension of your commercial driver’s license.

So, it’s not a secret that the state holds these commercial drivers to a high standard.

The best thing to do is to never drink or take any kind of drugs while operating a commercial vehicle. But if you do, and you get caught, you should immediately contact The Anzalone Law Firm for assistance.

Call us today at 603.548.3797 to schedule a free consultation with Michael Anzalone.