Getting behind the wheel of your car after you've been drinking is a serious mistake to make, but if you're pulled over and arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, it's important to act quickly to hire a lawyer who specializes in DWI cases. The reality with DWI cases is that some people who are arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence can rightfully blame the arrest on other factors – especially if there's no hard evidence, such as a breath test, that indicates the degree of impairment. Here are three such factors to evaluate soon after your arrest so that you can inform your lawyer and have him or her use these issues in your defense.

Road Conditions

In many cases, a police officer will pull over someone he or she suspects of driving under the influence after observing erratic driving. However, there are many possible causes of ill-advised driving that aren't related to alcohol. Carefully think back to the road conditions during the time of your arrest. Did you swerve because of rain or snow? Did you temporarily leave your lane because you were watching street signs for your turnoff? Perhaps you tried to avoid a pothole or an animal dashing across the road. If you're unsure of these factors, it can be beneficial to return to the spot of your arrest – with someone else driving – to see if you can notice anything that you can relay to your lawyer.

Use Of Medication

Consider whether you were using prescription medication at the time you were stopped by the police officer. Depending on the type of medication you were taking, it could have led to symptoms of impairment even if that wasn't the case. For example, you might have subtly slurred some of your words or had a hard time balancing during the field sobriety test due to dizziness. Providing this information to your DWI lawyer can help strengthen your case.

State Of Mind

If you haven't ever had an encounter with a police officer, it's logical to expect that you'd be feeling extremely nervous when pulled over for a suspected DWI. These feelings can even intensify if you're not impaired but the officer believes that you are. For example, if your anxiety causes you to shake, have difficulty articulating your words, or makes you feel unsure on your feet, the officer could mistakenly see these symptoms as indicators of impairment. Try to recall your exact state of mind at the time of your arrest and relay these details to your lawyer, one like David A. Mansfield.