Can a DUI Blood Test Be Challenged in Bakersfield?

After a DUI arrest involving a blood draw, many drivers assume that the laboratory result determines the outcome of the case.

It does not necessarily do so.

Blood testing is scientific evidence, but the process involves multiple steps between drawing the blood and producing a reported result.

Each step may need to be examined.

How was the blood sample collected?

The collection process can be an important part of reviewing DUI blood evidence.

Questions may include:

• Who performed the blood draw?
• When was the sample collected?
• Was the collection properly documented?
• Were appropriate procedures followed?
• Were the blood vials properly identified?

The circumstances of the individual blood draw matter.

What happened to the sample afterward?

After blood is collected, it must be handled and stored before laboratory testing.

Records may document who possessed the sample and how it moved through the testing process.

An attorney may examine whether there are questions involving:

• Labeling
• Storage
• Transportation
• Documentation
• Handling of the sample

These issues may affect how the blood-test evidence is evaluated.

Laboratory procedures may also matter

A laboratory result is produced through testing equipment and established procedures.

Depending on the case, the defense may examine records concerning the laboratory's testing process and the reliability of the reported result.

A number printed on a laboratory report should be evaluated along with the evidence showing how that number was obtained.

The timing of the blood draw can be important

A blood sample is often collected sometime after the person was actually driving.

That timing may matter.

Alcohol concentration can change as alcohol is absorbed and eliminated by the body. As a result, a later blood result may raise questions about what the driver's blood alcohol concentration was at the relevant time.

The circumstances must be evaluated individually.

Blood tests may detect drugs as well as alcohol

Some DUI investigations involve blood testing for prescription medications, cannabis, or other drugs.

Detecting a substance does not necessarily answer every question about impairment.

The type of substance, concentration, timing, and other evidence may all become relevant when evaluating a drug-related DUI allegation.

What you should do now

If a blood test is being used against you in a Bakersfield DUI case:

1. Keep all paperwork from your arrest and blood draw.
2. Write down when you last drank or took any medication and when the blood was drawn.
3. Preserve any medical or prescription information that may be relevant.
4. Do not assume the laboratory result cannot be questioned.
5. Speak with a DUI lawyer who can review the blood-test evidence and surrounding circumstances.

A reported blood-test result is important evidence, but it should be examined as part of the entire case.

Speak with a Bakersfield DUI lawyer today

If you are facing DUI charges in Bakersfield, Martens Law Firm can review the blood-test evidence, explain your legal options, and help protect your rights.

📞 Call (661) 590-0385 for a free consultation.

Written by Martens Law Firm