DUI with serious bodily injury applies when the victim survives but suffers substantial harm (substantial risk of death, permanent disfigurement, protracted loss of function). DUI manslaughter applies when the victim dies as a result of the impaired driving. The penalties differ significantly: DUI with serious bodily injury carries up to 10 years prison; DUI manslaughter carries up to 15 years with a 5-year mandatory minimum. Both are felonies tried in Rhode Island Superior Court. Both require the prosecution to prove the DUI element plus a causal connection between impaired driving and the harm caused.
