Pasco County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
King Law Group represents people accused of crimes across Pasco County, Pinellas County, Hillsborough County, and the wider Tampa Bay area, and the firm handles criminal defense only. A Pasco County motorcycle accident lawyer is usually thought of as a civil injury advocate, but a serious motorcycle crash on a Pasco road often has a criminal side too. When a rider is hurt or killed, a driver can face a DUI, a vehicular homicide count, or a charge for leaving the scene, and a rider who had a drink or a suspended license can end up being investigated as well.
This is where the two tracks collide. What a driver says at the roadside, what a blood draw shows, and how a plea is structured can all decide the outcome of a later injury claim. A criminal conviction can be used as powerful evidence of fault, and a criminal case that goes badly can leave a person with a prison term and a civil judgment at once. King Law Group focuses on the criminal exposure that follows a motorcycle crash, which is the part that can take away your freedom and your license.
Why Choose King Law Group After a Motorcycle Crash in Pasco County
King Law Group is a criminal defense firm founded by Cameron King, a Tampa Bay native and former Florida state prosecutor. The firm serves clients throughout Pasco County and the surrounding Pinellas and Hillsborough communities, and it takes calls around the clock because crashes and arrests do not keep office hours. Consultations are free, and the firm takes on only criminal defense, so the attorney on your case is not splitting attention across unrelated practice areas.
Cameron King earned his law degree at Florida State University, where he concentrated his studies in criminal law. As a prosecutor he handled cases from murder to DUI. He then spent years as a defense attorney at a prominent litigation firm before building a practice devoted to criminal defense. That history matters after a crash. Crash prosecutions turn on reconstruction, blood evidence, and the charging choices a prosecutor makes in the first days, and he has seen those decisions from the state’s side of the table.
Former clients describe him as honest, straightforward, effective, and a tireless advocate. Several mention that he explains every step and returns calls quickly, which counts for a lot when you are waiting on charging decisions after a serious wreck. The firm negotiates with prosecutors for reduced charges, deferred prosecution, or dismissal where the facts support it, and tries cases when they should be tried.
Criminal Charges That Follow a Pasco County Motorcycle Crash
- DUI With Property Damage or Injury: A DUI that causes or contributes to damage to another person’s property or body is a first-degree misdemeanor under s. 316.193, carrying up to one year in jail. A first DUI conviction with bodily injury also triggers a minimum three-year license revocation under DHSMV rules.
- DUI Manslaughter: Causing a death while committing DUI is a second-degree felony, up to 15 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of 4 years on conviction and permanent license revocation.
- Vehicular Homicide: A death caused by reckless driving, with no alcohol required, can be charged on its own. Under the law that took effect in October 2025, the offense rises from a second-degree to a first-degree felony when the accused already has a prior conviction for DUI manslaughter, vehicular homicide, or the vessel equivalents.
- Leaving the Scene: Drivers who panic and flee after striking a motorcyclist face separate felony exposure when injury or death results, and the flight itself is often treated as evidence of guilt.
- Reckless and Careless Driving: Lane changes, left turns across oncoming traffic, and tailgating on corridors like US-19 and State Road 54 frequently lead to citations that become the starting point for a civil fault argument.
- Driving While License Suspended: A rider or driver whose license was suspended at the time of the crash faces a second-degree misdemeanor on a first knowing offense and a first-degree misdemeanor on repeats. A habitual traffic offender designation makes it a third-degree felony.
- Riders Facing Their Own Charges: Motorcyclists are not immune. A rider with alcohol in their system, a suspended license, or a reckless speed can be charged after a crash that injured someone else.
What to Do in the Hours and Days After a Crash
If you are the driver or rider and police are on scene, say very little. Give your name and documents, and decline to describe what happened until you have spoken with a lawyer. Anything you say can be used against you, and statements made while shaken or injured tend to be incomplete or wrong. You have the right to remain silent and the right to counsel, and you should use both.
Do not agree to a blood draw or search without understanding what is being asked. Officers who suspect impairment after a serious crash may seek a warrant for blood, and the details of how that sample was obtained, handled, and tested are often where a defense begins. Write down what you remember as soon as you can, photograph the scene and vehicles, and keep every record of medical treatment.
If charges are filed in Pasco County, the case will be heard at one of two places. The West Pasco Judicial Center in New Port Richey serves the western half of the county, and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center in Dade City handles circuit and county criminal cases for eastern Pasco. Both fall within the Sixth Judicial Circuit, which also covers Pinellas County. Early on, the focus is usually bond conditions, then evidence review, then negotiation or motions practice.
Mind the civil clock too. A negligence claim from a crash that happened on or after March 24, 2023 generally must be filed within two years, and wrongful death claims also run about two years. A criminal defense lawyer does not file the injury suit, but your criminal strategy must account for it, because testimony and pleas in the criminal case follow you into civil court.
How Fault Rules and a Criminal Case Affect Each Other
Florida changed its fault rules in March 2023. A person found more than 50 percent at fault for their own harm can no longer recover damages in a negligence case, and at 50 percent or less the recovery is reduced by the person’s percentage of fault. Before that change Florida used pure comparative negligence. For a motorcyclist, that threshold is where insurers and defense lawyers aim, often pointing to speed, lane position, or alcohol.
That is why a criminal case matters even if you never expected to be charged. A rider cited for a violation, or a driver convicted of DUI, hands the other side a tool for assigning blame. Resolving a charge carefully, including what facts a plea admits and what it leaves out, can protect both your record and your ability to recover or defend a civil claim.
Penalties on the DUI side are specific. A first conviction carries a fine between $500 and $1,000 and up to six months in jail. If the breath or blood alcohol level was 0.15 or higher, or a minor was in the vehicle, the fine for a first offense rises to between $1,000 and $2,000 with up to nine months of jail. License revocation for a first conviction runs from 180 days to one year, unless injury or death is involved.
Questions About Motorcycle Crashes and Criminal Charges
Do I need a criminal defense lawyer if the police only wrote me a citation after a motorcycle crash?
Often yes. A citation can look minor, but it can establish fault in a later injury claim and may lead to license points or an escalated charge if the other person’s injuries turn out to be serious. A lawyer can contest the citation and help you avoid statements that harm a civil case.
Can I be charged with a crime if the other driver caused the crash?
Yes, in some situations. If you were impaired, driving on a suspended license, or leaving the scene, you can face charges even if the other driver was mostly at fault. Fault in the crash and criminal liability are separate questions.
What happens if I was partly at fault for a motorcycle accident in Florida?
Your share of fault reduces any recovery. If you are found more than 50 percent responsible, you recover nothing. That is why the evidence of how the crash happened, including any criminal findings, carries so much weight.
Will a DUI conviction affect my injury case?
It can, significantly. A conviction or plea involving alcohol gives the opposing side strong material to argue you were at fault. Handling the criminal case with the civil consequences in mind is important.
Should I give a statement to the other driver’s insurance company?
Be cautious. Recorded statements can be used to assign you fault, and if criminal charges are possible they can become evidence. Speak with counsel before giving any statement.
What is the difference between DUI manslaughter and vehicular homicide?
DUI manslaughter requires that the death occurred while the driver was committing DUI, and carries a 4-year mandatory minimum. Vehicular homicide is based on reckless driving that causes a death and does not require alcohol. Both are serious felonies, and the facts determine which one is charged.
Is a first-time DUI after a motorcycle crash treated differently?
The crash changes the picture. A DUI that injures or damages another person’s property is a first-degree misdemeanor, and a first offense with bodily injury carries a minimum three-year revocation under DHSMV guidance, rather than the shorter revocation for a routine first offense.
How long does a criminal case from a serious crash take in Pasco County?
Cases with deaths or serious injuries move more slowly than routine misdemeanors because of crash reconstruction, lab testing, and expert review. The timeline depends on the evidence and how the prosecutor handles the case, so expect months rather than weeks.
Can charges from a motorcycle crash be reduced or dropped?
Sometimes. Challenges to the traffic stop, the blood draw, the lab work, or the reconstruction can weaken the state’s case, and prosecutors may offer a reduction or deferred prosecution. Outcomes depend on the facts and the evidence available.
Can a conviction from a crash be sealed or expunged later?
An adult conviction cannot be sealed or expunged in Florida. Sealing and expungement generally apply when a case did not end in a guilty adjudication, and require a certificate of eligibility from FDLE. Avoiding a conviction in the first place is what protects your record.
Does leaving the scene make my case worse?
Yes. Fleeing after a crash that injured someone can create a separate felony and suggests consciousness of guilt to a jury. If you left the scene, speak with a lawyer before you speak with police.
Serving Motorcycle Crash Defendants Throughout Pasco County and Tampa Bay
King Law Group defends clients across Pasco County, from New Port Richey and Port Richey in the west through Holiday, Hudson, and Land O’ Lakes, to Wesley Chapel, Zephyrhills, Dade City, and San Antonio in the east and north. The firm also represents people charged in Trinity, Odessa, Shady Hills, Spring Hill’s Pasco side, Elfers, and Lutz-area communities near the county line, where busy corridors like US-19, State Road 54, and State Road 52 produce a steady stream of motorcycle crashes.
Beyond Pasco, the firm serves Pinellas County, including Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Largo, and surrounding towns, and Hillsborough County, including Tampa and Plant City. Cases from all three counties are handled with attention to the courts and prosecutors who will actually hear them.
Speak With a Pasco County Motorcycle Accident Attorney About Your Charges
If a motorcycle crash has led to an arrest, an investigation, or a citation, the decisions made right now can shape both your criminal case and any civil claim. A Pasco County motorcycle accident attorney at King Law Group can review what the state has, explain your exposure, and start building a defense before charges harden into convictions.
Call King Law Group any time, day or night, for a free consultation. The firm is ready to talk through your situation and tell you plainly where you stand.
