A DUI that causes injury to someone else is charged under Vehicle Code 23153, and it's far more serious than a standard DUI. It's a "wobbler," meaning the prosecutor can file it as a misdemeanor or a felony depending on the facts, your record, and how badly the other person was hurt.
As a misdemeanor, the exposure typically includes county jail, fines, DUI school, a license suspension, and probation. As a felony, the stakes climb sharply. A felony conviction can carry state prison time, longer license revocation, a strike under California's Three Strikes Law if the injury was serious enough, and much larger fines. Both versions usually come with restitution, meaning you pay the injured person's medical bills and losses.
Several things push a case toward the felony end: serious or permanent injury, a high BAC, prior DUI convictions, or multiple people hurt. Great bodily injury allegations can add extra time on top of the base sentence.
Because someone was injured, these cases often involve a civil claim as well, separate from the criminal charge. The defense work still starts in the same place: was the stop lawful, was the test reliable, and can causation actually be proven.
Read more on the felony DUI page and the vehicular manslaughter page.
This is general information, not legal advice, and penalties vary with the facts. For a free consultation, call (858) 622-7280 or visit /contact.