In California, a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) will stay on your driving record for 10 years after your arrest. It cannot be removed from your driving record during this time. The DMV, law enforcement, and car insurance companies will see it. However, the blemish on your driving record will not show up …
To find out if someone has auto insurance, you can ask them. Drivers are legally obligated to provide this information after a car accident. If they refuse or they flee the scene of the crash, you will often need their license plate number to find out if they are insured. You can also just let …
You may convince the prosecutor to drop the criminal charges against you by: presenting exculpatory evidence, presenting evidence that supports a strong affirmative defense, completing a pretrial diversion program, testifying against another defendant, and/or pleading guilty to a lesser offense. 1. Exculpatory evidence One way to convince a prosecutor to drop the criminal charges against …
In California, the criminal statute of limitations for the crime of hit and run depends on whether there was a serious injury. If there was a serious injury, the statute of limitations is 6 years. If there were no injuries, it is 1 year. If the injury was not serious, it is 3 years. This …
In criminal law, the discovery process is when the parties gather and share evidence about the case. It lasts from the time that law enforcement starts their investigation until just before trial. As the prosecutor and your defense attorney uncover evidence, they may have to disclose some of it to the other side. This prevents surprises …
Less than 1 in 20 slip and fall cases go to trial. Most end in an out-of-court settlement. Cases that go to trial often involve parties that were unwilling to settle. Your case may go to trial if you were seriously hurt and the insurer does not want to pay a high amount, or if …
A common formula for estimating how much compensation you deserve after a car accident is to: add your economic damages, choose a multiplier between 1 and 5, based on how much the accident affected your life, multiply your economic damages by this number to estimate your noneconomic damages, and add your economic and noneconomic damages …
A medical lien is a way to pay for healthcare from your personal injury settlement or verdict, rather than paying for it up front. Some healthcare providers agree to get paid in a lien for their services, while others may not. If you pay for medical services on a lien, complications can arise later on …
In the state of California, there are no special rules for pit bulls. City and county governments, however, can impose restrictions on pit bull ownership. Those restrictions are generally spay and neuter requirements. Other breed-specific regulations are prohibited. California’s dog bite statute is breed-neutral and does not make special rules for pit bulls. State law …
Dog bite victim? 7 things you can sue forWatch this video on YouTube In a dog bite lawsuit, you can sue for the amount that compensates you for your losses. This includes your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering. On average, this is around $50,000 for dog bites. If your injuries were extensive, …
Generally, if minors lie about their age online and then you engage in a sexual act with them, you can still be liable for a sex crime. In most states, not knowing that your partner is under the age of consent is not a legal defense. The minor will typically not face any repercussions for …
Truck accident settlements can happen at any time, from days after the accident to moments before a jury verdict. The settlement amount can range from only a few thousand dollars to well over a million. Numerous factors impact the settlement. But the severity of your injuries, your share of fault for the crash, and available …
Ladder accidents are surprisingly common, with many of them happening on the job. They can also be severe. Over 100 people die from ladder accidents every year. Many more are hurt. If you were not responsible for the accident, you can recover compensation. You may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if it happened on the job. …
A typical settlement amount for a concussion caused by a car accident is around $20,000. This amount seems low because most concussions are relatively minor, only requiring a few weeks for a full recovery. If you have ongoing symptoms or post-concussion syndrome, your recovery can be multiple times higher than this amount. Factors in a …
It is not illegal merely to possess counterfeit money. Possessing counterfeit money becomes illegal if you know that it is counterfeit and intend to use it to defraud someone. Counterfeiting is a federal crime, and using counterfeit money is often a state one. A conviction for counterfeiting can carry up to 20 years in federal …
The Ambien defense is a legal defense strategy to a criminal charge of driving under the influence of drugs (DUID). It argues that you cannot be held criminally liable because your driving was not a voluntary act. However, it is often a weak defense strategy because you knowingly took sleeping pills and the warning label …
After a car accident, you may find yourself interacting with an adjuster from your insurance company. Eight things NOT to say to an insurance adjuster are: admitting fault, anything about your injuries, anything on the record, speculating about the crash, that you do not have a lawyer, providing unnecessary information, accepting a settlement, and sharing …
In California, auto insurance companies will sometimes report accidents to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). However, it is the driver who has the legal obligation to notify the DMV after a reportable collision, not the insurer. Your insurance agent may do this on your behalf and satisfy your obligation, particularly if you were …
The DUI arraignment is the court hearing where you learn which crimes you are being accused of committing. It is also where you make your initial plea. The judge will decide whether to release you before trial or set bail. If you skip your arraignment, a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest. Stage …
How many drinks will put you over the legal limit depends on several factors. Generally, though, many people will be over the legal limit after 4 or 5 drinks. Factors that can change this include: your gender, your weight, how quickly you drank, what the drinks were, whether you recently consumed food, and your metabolism. …
In California, the statute of limitations for lawsuits based on negligence is usually two (2) years. There are some exceptions to this, such as for medical malpractice. Some factors can toll (or delay) the statute of limitations, such as when you could not reasonably have discovered your injuries. Suing after the time has expired will get …
In California, certain military veterans are eligible for a pretrial diversion program if they have been arrested for a misdemeanor offense of driving under the influence (DUI). If eligible, the criminal elements of your DUI case would pause while you complete the program. If you complete it, the court may dismiss the charges and seal …
In California, a conviction for DUI manslaughter carries up to 10 years in prison. A big factor in your case will be whether you are charged with gross vehicular manslaughter, which carries 4 to 10 years in prison, or vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, which carries up to 4 years. An “average” sentence is difficult to …
How Long Does a Wrongful Death Lawsuit Take to Settle?Watch this video on YouTube Wrongful death settlements reimburse you for damages (monetary losses) stemming from your family member dying in an accident. The process of pursuing a wrongful death settlement in California is largely the same as bringing a personal injury claim, with some exceptions. …
How Long Will My Car Accident Lawsuit Take to Settle in California?Watch this video on YouTube Auto accidents generally take anywhere from 6 months to 3 years to settle in California. Car accidents generally settle faster than other kinds of personal injury claims. This is because car accidents tend to cause less severe injuries than certain …
