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Vehicular Homicide Defense Attorney Serving Bartow, Lakeland, and Central Florida
Free Consultation
Lakeland Vehicular Homicide Defense Lawyer
Experienced Homicide Defense attorney providing Vehicular Homicide Criminal Law Legal Services in Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, Polk County, and the greater Central Florida area.
Call 863-354-0508 today to schedule a Free Consultation with Vehicular Homicide defense lawyer, Robert A. Norgard.
n a single fraction of a second, an ordinary drive can transform into a catastrophic, fatal traffic accident. When a motor vehicle collision results in the loss of a human life, law enforcement and state prosecutors face immense pressure to assign criminal blame. If investigators determine that your driving behavior crossed the line from a simple traffic infraction into criminal recklessness, you can be formally charged with vehicular homicide.
An accusation of criminal vehicular homicide is an absolute crisis. Unlike other driving offenses, this is a severe violent crime classification under the Florida Criminal Punishment Code. The State of Florida prosecutes these cases aggressively, backed by specialized traffic homicide reconstruction units and state forensic labs. If you are convicted, you face a mandatory multi-year state prison sentence, a permanent felony record, and the total devastation of your personal and professional life.
When your liberty and future are on the line, you cannot rely on an ordinary traffic ticket attorney or a general practice lawyer. You need an elite defense strategy crafted by a veteran trial lawyer who understands how to challenge complex physical and scientific evidence. The Law Office of Robert A. Norgard provides sophisticated, aggressive criminal defense representation for individuals accused of vehicular homicide across Bartow, Lakeland, Winter Haven, Auburndale, Haines City, and all surrounding areas of Polk County and Central Florida.
Board-Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer
Vehicular homicide defense requires an extraordinary depth of legal knowledge, exceptional trial skills, and a masterful command of technical fields, including digital black box data analysis, speed calculations, and road geometry.
An Elite Level of Legal Defense: Attorney Robert A. Norgard has defended individuals against high-stakes felony allegations in Florida for more than 40 years. He has been Board-Certified in Criminal Trial Law by The Florida Bar since 1995—a prestigious status held by fewer than 1% of all practicing lawyers in the state.
We understand exactly how the state constructs a vehicular case, allowing us to identify flaws in police procedures, challenge state experts, and build a powerful defense from day one.
About Vehicular Homicide Charges
Under Florida Statute § 782.071, vehicular homicide is defined as the killing of a human being, or the killing of an unborn child by any injury to the mother, caused by the operation of a motor vehicle by another in a reckless manner likely to cause the death of, or great bodily harm to, another person.
Importantly, the prosecution does not have to prove that you intended to kill or harm anyone. Instead, they must establish that your driving conduct met the high threshold of legal recklessness. Under Florida law, vehicular homicide manifests in three primary statutory forms:
This is the baseline charge when a fatal accident occurs due to reckless operation. To secure a conviction, the state must prove that your driving demonstrated a willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property. This involves conduct far exceeding ordinary civil carelessness or simple traffic mistakes, such as street racing, driving at wildly excessive speeds through congested areas, or weaving dangerously through traffic.
- Classification: Second-Degree Felony.
Under F.S. § 782.071(1)(b), the charge is drastically elevated if, at the time of the fatal accident, the driver knew or should have known that an accident occurred, yet failed to stop, give their information, and render aid as required by Florida law (§ 316.062). Crucially, the prosecutor does not have to prove that you knew the accident resulted in injury or death—only that you knew a crash happened and fled the scene.
- Classification: First-Degree Felony.
Under Florida's statutory framework (including the strict provisions of Trenton's Law under F.S. § 782.071(1)(c)), the state automatically upgrades a standard vehicular homicide charge if the defendant has a prior conviction for specific, severe driving offenses. If an individual has a past conviction for vehicular homicide, vessel homicide, DUI manslaughter, or BUI manslaughter, any subsequent standard vehicular homicide charge is automatically elevated.
- Classification: First-Degree Felony (Scored as a severe Level 8 offense).
Potential Conviction Penalties
Because vehicular homicide is categorized as a high-level violent felony, the penalties dictated by Florida statutes are exceptionally severe. Even an individual with a completely clean criminal history faces an extreme risk of a mandatory prison term under state scoring guidelines.
- Second-Degree Felony Penalties (Standard Offense): Punishable by up to 15 years in Florida state prison, up to 15 years of probation, and a maximum fine of $10,000.
- First-Degree Felony Penalties (Leaving the Scene or Prior Conviction): Punishable by up to 30 years in Florida state prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.
- Mandatory License Revocation: Upon any conviction for vehicular homicide, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is statutorily required to impose a mandatory minimum 3-year driver's license revocation, which begins after any period of incarceration is served.
- Additional Sanctions: Judges are empowered to order the defendant to complete 120 hours of community service in a trauma center or hospital that regularly treats vehicle accident victims, under the direct supervision of medical professionals. Substantial financial restitution to the victim's family is also routinely ordered.
Experience Matters when Facing Vehicular Homicide Charges
Vehicular homicide cases are highly technical and heavily dependent on forensic physics and engineering data. The state will rely on their own traffic homicide investigators to blame you for the crash. An experienced defense attorney acts as an essential shield, systematically deconstructing the state's narrative.
When the Law Office of Robert A. Norgard manages your defense, we focus on several vital defense methods:
- Challenging "Recklessness" vs. Negligence: Simple negligence—like briefly looking away, failing to yield, or driving slightly over the speed limit—is not enough to sustain a vehicular homicide conviction. We analyze the facts to demonstrate to the court and jury that your actions amounted to an ordinary, tragic accident rather than criminal recklessness, pushing for a dismissal or a reduction to a lesser traffic charge.
- Contesting Causation: The state must prove your reckless driving was the direct, primary cause of the victim's death. We work alongside top-tier independent accident reconstruction experts to examine vehicle damage, skid marks, road conditions, and visibility. If the accident was actually caused by an independent intervening factor—such as the victim's own driving, a mechanical failure, a sudden tire blowout, or a road hazard—the causal chain is broken, and a conviction cannot stand.
- Analyzing Event Data Recorders (Black Boxes): Modern vehicles capture vast amounts of electronic data right before a crash, including exact speed, braking, and steering inputs. We conduct independent downloads and forensic evaluations of this "black box" data to challenge flawed police estimates and protect your version of events.
- Suppressing Unlawfully Obtained Evidence: We meticulously examine the actions of law enforcement at the crash scene and during subsequent interrogations. If officers conducted unconstitutional searches of your vehicle, seized your cell phone data without a valid warrant, or violated your Miranda rights during high-pressure questioning, we will file aggressive motions to suppress that evidence from trial.
A vehicular homicide charge can derail your life completely, but an arrest is not a final conviction. The choices you make immediately following an accident or during an active investigation will heavily dictate the outcome of your case. Do not give statements to insurance adjusters, police investigators, or detectives without an elite trial attorney present to safeguard you.
Contact the Law Office of Robert A. Norgard today to secure a free, entirely confidential legal consultation. Our veteran defense team is prepared to mobilize immediately to protect your rights, whether at our office in Bartow, via phone, or directly at a local detention facility.
Call 863-354-0508 today to schedule your Free Consultation with Lakeland Vehicular Homicide defense attorney, Robert A. Norgard.
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