Client Not Guilty of Causing Death by Dangerous Driving

Case study summary

Our client was a senior designer who faced a lengthy prison sentence if found guilty. Following a hard fought trial the jury returned a Not Guilty by a unanimous verdict of causing death by dangerous driving.

Case study

Our client was involved in a serious accident on a country road in Surrey. Having taken his eyes off the road for a split second he drifted toward the centre line and into the path of an oncoming motorcycle.

The collision was catastrophic and the motorcyclist died at the scene in the arms of our client. He suffered nightmares and was eventually diagnosed with PTSD. The police investigation into the crash lasted three agonising years, for both the client and the family of the deceased.

We were on hand day and night to help him through this dark time in his life knowing that if convicted of causing the death through dangerous driving he faced many years behind bars.

Our specialist solicitors hired an expert to assess the prosecution collision evidence. This evidence was used to show the jury that our driving was not as bad as the prosecution claimed.

We knew that offering a plea to a lesser charge of causing death by careless driving would help the jury and might Keep our client out of prison. We pleaded but remarkably, the prosecution decided to continue with the more serious charge of causing death by dangerous driving under s.1 of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Through thorough preparation, carefully considered expert evidence, and steadfast determination we were able to show the jury that the driving was careless, not dangerous and our client was found Not Guilty.