A true accident - one that occurred without criminal negligence and without an underlying unlawful act - is not a crime in Rhode Island. Many cases initially charged as involuntary manslaughter or vehicular homicide later collapse because the prosecution cannot meet the high bar of criminal negligence required for a conviction. Civil negligence is not enough. The state must prove that the defendant's conduct was a gross deviation from the standard of care a reasonable person would have exercised. A Rhode Island homicide lawyer defending an accident case typically works with accident reconstructionists, medical examiners, forensic engineers, and toxicologists to show that no reasonable juror could find the defendant criminally negligent. This kind of evidence-driven defense often produces outright dismissals or acquittals.