How to fight a negligent driving charge

In NSW, there are three different levels of negligent driving that the police could charge you with. The first is negligent driving, the second is negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, and the third is negligent driving causing deaths.

The penalties for these offences can range from fines (on the smaller side of offences) to disqualification of your license, and even imprisonment for serious cases.

When the court assesses the penalty you’ll receive for negligent driving, they’ll take into account the degree of negligence, along with the extent and type of the injuries that anyone else sustained due to this negligence.

For those who are needing help with a negligent driving charge, call Prime Lawyers for negligent driving in NSW, and they’ll be able to analyse your case and give you advice about which penalties you could be facing with a guilty plea, and if you have the chance to defend yourself and potentially either be found “not guilty” or have your charge reduced.

Negligent driving is the least serious offence, and it’s often the case when the police decide that it was the driver’s fault during a collision. You’ll incur demerit points for this offence, meaning some drivers could face the suspension of their license, and it is also possible to defend this charge and therefore be found not guilty and keep your points.

Most of the time, this type of offence is dealt with when the police give you a traffic infringement notice which will mean demerit points and a moderate fine. If, however, your case is heard before a Court and you’re found guilty, the Court may fine you up to $1,100 and potentially disqualify you from driving for a period of time.

You can also choose to have this matter heard before a court to defend yourself or ask for leniency, or the police may choose to ensure you need to go to Court and answer the charge.

For negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, you can expect severe penalties, even if it’s your first time conviction. You could face imprisonment, and your license will be suspended. Some people may argue which injuries are GBH, and if these injuries were caused by negligence, meaning you should speak with a lawyer if you’re charged to see if you could successfully defend the allegation.

For the most serious charge, negligent driving occasioning death, the Court will be considering imprisonment as your penalty. The degree of negligence will be taken into account, and it’s crucial that you have experienced advice and representation if this is your charge.

For those charged with negligent driving, it’s important that you choose lawyers that are experienced with Traffic Law, so you can be sure that you have the best possible representation. While negligence charges are serious and can carry stiff penalties, you’re more likely to be able to be able to defend yourself successfully with a law firm that has an expertise in these type of cases.