DWI/DUI Blood Tests

 

 

 

 

 

 

While breath tests are most commonly used in DUI-DWI arrests, some states will permit the officer to choose what type of test to use. Some states (South Carolina) require a breath test to be offered if the suspected impaired driver is conscious. If the driver is unconscious, a DUI blood test may still be done. However, in other states (Georgia) the officer is permitted to use the test of his choice or choose to have all tests completed – breath, blood, AND urine.

A DUI blood test can often be seen in cases where the officer suspected drugs could be a factor in a driver’s impairment, either as a single contributing element or in addition to alcohol or other drugs. Both prescription and illegal drugs can lead to impairment and possible conviction. When blood is taken for analysis, the samples are usually sent to a state-administered lab for testing. The samples are commonly processed by gas chromatography (GC), if testing for alcohol, or gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), if also testing for drugs. Gas chromatography is used to separate the blood mixture into individual components so they can be evaluated against a known “standard.” Mass spectroscopy allows for the ability to characterize each component. By using a GC-MS device, labs are able to determine if any alcohol and/or drugs are present and if those drugs are illegal or prescription.

Blood tests can also be done at hospitals. Many hospitals use alternative methods of testing because they are quicker. In emergency situations, hospitals simply do not have the time to set up proper testing facilities for evidence purposes. One of the biggest differences between their methods is only test blood serum instead of a complete blood sample. Many legal challenges could be raised on grounds for lab tests that are potentially less reliable than the state’s methods and lab facilities. An experienced DUI-DWI trial attorney will be well informed about challenges, both scientific and legal if less consistent methods of testing are used.

Blood testing is considered to be more accurate than breath tests. However, labs are operated by people and people make mistakes. Most states have regulations in place stating how these tests should be done with guidelines on how samples are transported, preserved, and processed.

Some states have strict laws on who, how, and where the DUI blood tests are done. Other states, such as Mississippi, have laws that are slightly more vague for the required procedures with blood testing. This can cause difficulty in accumulating legal challenges from the defendant. A few issues that could occur here with blood samples could include poor preservation, machine errors, loss of documentation for a chain of custody of samples, or even simple mix-ups with vials.

Seeking the Advice of an Atlanta DUI Attorney

Only a qualified DUI defense attorney familiar with the proper proceedings of blood test results will be able to properly defend you. If you hire a highly skilled DUI-DWI defense attorney. TeamDUI.com attorneys are available 24 hours a day. Call 1-844-TEAM-DUI (1-844-832-6384) for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Our criminal defense attorney Atlanta partners can answer questions about DUI schools, alcohol and drug screening, and a host of other issues. When calling law firms near me, our 24-hour DUI lawyers can help answer questions.

Our criminal attorneys (Larry Kohn, William C. “Bubba” Head, and Cory Yager) may find that your blood was illegally obtained, or that the search warrant is defective, or that the sample was tainted. In some cases, our criminal law attorneys have discovered that the results were not analyzed correctly, or that the 3-hour rule was not met, whereby the state cannot prove the DUI blood test time limit. This could all be found in benefit of your case if you simply call us and let us know your situation :).