Helpful Articles
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Talking to Police After a Truck Accident
Just after a crash with a semi-truck accident, it is only understandable to feel shaken up and afraid of what might happen. Pain may set in, you may be notice possible injuries, and you may even feel shock. In the moment, it can be difficult to know what to do. Your first priority should be to call 911 so emergency medical technicians and law enforcement can come to the scene. Call the Police EMTs play an important role after a car accident, as they can identify who needs emergenc... -
Insurance Claims in Indiana
All drivers should know they have to purchase auto insurance under Indiana law. However, when it comes to choosing the right insurance—or making a claim—many people are at a loss for how to proceed. If you are in a crash, you should know that an experienced personal injury attorney is here to help. The Law Office of William W. Hurst not only handles cases in court but also can navigate the often confusing auto insurance claim process on your behalf. Fault-Based Insurance While... -
RECOGNIZING NEGLIGENCE IN A PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT CASE
Walking through a major city is risky and potentially dangerous—every seven minutes a traffic accident injures a pedestrian. Even if you are careful, you could still sustain severe injuries. As a victim of a pedestrian motor vehicle accident, learn your rights and whether your actions could change the amount of monetary damages awarded in your case. NEGLIGENCE: THE DRIVER’S LIABILITY In most automobile accidents, negligence is the legal principle under which you would assert your caus... -
The legacy challenge... Can you pass it?
When you die will your family have an easy time dealing with all of your financial affairs? We understand that talking about your death or even planning for your death is a hard thing to discuss. Below are a few helpful guidelines to remind you what you should review and update in order to help your family deal with your accounts. · Make sure your estate planning documents are up to date. A will, a trust, a power... -
Real Property and “Grandfather Rights” aka Nonconforming Use
We often hear the expression, “grandfather rights,” when someone’s property is not affected by a land use change while nearly everyone else’s is. In legal parlance, land use attorneys know the term is “Nonconforming Use,” defined as a use “existing lawfully before the rezone of the surrounding area and continues or is ‘grandfathered’ after the rezone, provided the use is not thereafter interrupted for longer than a ... -
Deciphering the “Lis Pendens”
Seattle real estate attorneys, real estate brokers, and escrow companies deal with the “lis pendens” from time to time, and many people are not sure what it means. The Latin definition is simply: notice of a pending lawsuit. The Revised Code of Washington defines “lis pendens” as an “instrument having the effect of clouding the title to real property, however, named, including consensual commercial lien, common-law lien, commercial contractual lien, or demand fo... -
Judicial Foreclosure and Nonjudicial Foreclosure: the Differences
Used together, a promissory note and a deed of trust embody the most common type of mortgage. The deed of trust is recorded on the borrower’s title securing the note and prioritizing the loan’s position on title. There are only two ways to foreclose on this mortgage: judicially and nonjudicially. Judicial Foreclosure and Redemption A judicial foreclosure is processed through the courts by filing a complaint for a judgment on the note which accelerates the unpaid balance, and orders the sh... -
Zoning, Nuisance, and Barking Dogs
One barking dog is private nuisance, many is a public one. Under either circumstance, counties and cities have remedies for these problems. Complaints are made to the Code Enforcement of the local government, and to Animal Control. If there are questions on licensing of animals, the auditor of each county may be source to challenge eligibility. Nearly all local governments have Internet forms for lodging formal complaints. The denser the zoning in a locality the less ch... -
Are you responsible for your parents' debt?
A question I often get asked when discussing the consequences of the death of a parent is: Am I responsible for my parents’ debt when they die? The quick answer to that question is…..no. Whether your parents have an estate plan or not, if they die with debt in THEIR names, there is a legal process that should be followed. Firstly, if the parent died with assets that are not in a trust, depending on their assets and the amount, a probate case needs to be opened with the county co... -
How to Fight an Insurance Fraud Charge
Being charged with insurance fraud means that the prosecutor is accusing you of making a fraudulent (false) act to get a certain outcome from an insurance company. Most insurance fraud cases involve car insurance or health insurance, although other types of insurance can be involved. Fighting an insurance fraud charge can be difficult. However, if you hire a Los Angeles insurance fraud attorney with experience fighting insurance fraud cases, you can often achieve a better outcome for y... -
Perinatal Brain Injury: Causation Testimony – Michigan Lawyers Weekly, September 18, 2000, 14 Mich.L.W.1724 (reprinted in other states)
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Are You Charged With Assaulting a Family Member?
The holidays are rapidly approaching, and ‘tis the season to be jolly. Unless, of course, the stress that can accompany the holidays leads to a family dispute that ends in an assault charge. Against you. Experts have long maintained that domestic violence can go up during the year-end holiday season due to holiday stress from spending time with relatives you might not normally see—or even get along with. There’s also the expense of seasonal gift giving, and the pressure of ... -
Is DUI in Maryland a Felony or Misdemeanor?
Is DUI in Maryland a felony or misdemeanor? In the State of Maryland, a DUI is a misdemeanor. DUI stands for “driving under the influence of alcohol.” Maryland Transportation Article 27-101 classifies a DUI as a misdemeanor. Maryland Transportation Article 27-101(a), which contains the penalty for DUI, states, “it is a misdemeanor for any person to violate any of the provisions of the Maryland Vehicle Law unless the violation: (1) Is declared to be a felony by the Maryland Vehi... -
First Offense DUI in Maryland
What will happen with a first offense DUI in Maryland? Most first offense DUI charges in Maryland result in a PBJ as the outcome. A PBJ is an acronym for “probation before judgment.” A PBJ is defined in Maryland Criminal Procedure 6-220(b). BENEFITS OF A PBJ IN A DUI CASE A PBJ means that the defendant has not been found guilty. The law states, “a court may stay the entering of judgment, defer further proceedings, and place the defendant on probation subject to reasonable condition... -
How to Find a Baltimore Car Accident Lawyer?
Finding a Baltimore car accident lawyer can be tricky. Yet hiring the best lawyer can mean the difference between a successful outcome and settlement after your accident. A car accident lawyer in Baltimore specializes in representing victims of car accident. You know you need a car accident lawyer if you can answer these two questions as “YES”: I was injured in a car accident; and The accident the fault of someone else. If you answered yes to these two questions, then it is essential t... -
Whiplash Injuries Can Cost You in Many Ways
Whiplash, a common neck injury in automobile accidents, can cost victims, their employers, and the economy at large significant sums of money. A 1999 study found that whiplash injuries in the United States cost more than $8.5 billion each year. That number certainly is greater now. Even with such high costs and common occurrences, however, most people do not understand the injury very well. WHAT IS WHIPLASH? Whiplash is an injury to the neck caused by sudden, rapid back-and-fort... -
SEMI TRUCK MERGING COLLISIONS AND THE DANGERS THEY POSE
Collisions between a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck are often catastrophic. One of the most common semi-truck collisions are merging accidents. Semi-truck merging accidents occur frequently in the Chicago and surrounding areas as many large trucks travel through the area entering and exiting expressways to make their deliveries. A semi-truck merging accident occurs when a vehicle is attempting to merge and does not notice a vehicle in a parallel lane or fails to leave enough r... -
FACTORY WORKERS FACE SERIOUS RISKS OF WORKPLACE ACCIDENTS
It is not uncommon for employees to become injured while on the job. An injury or illness is considered work-related if an event or exposure in the work place caused or contributed to the resulting condition or aggravated a pre-existing condition. Workers in the manufacturing industry, especially factory workers, are more likely than many others to experience a work injury. As of 2015, the State of Illinois had 568,500 manufacturing jobs. Many of these jobs... -
THE PROBLEM OF SELF-PLAGIARISM IN COLLEGE COURSES
All college students should know that plagiarism is unacceptable, unethical, and likely grounds for discipline under their college or university’s code of conduct. But what happens if you plagiarize yourself in a paper? Can you be expelled for self-plagiarism? Believe it or not, the answer is Yes. We’ve represented students who faced serious consequences because they used their own work from one paper in another paper without citing it—sometimes even with a professor’s perm... -
HAZING VIOLATIONS ARE BRINGING STIFFER PENALTIES
Virtually all colleges and universities prohibit hazing, and most states make it a criminal offense. Nonetheless, fraternities, sororities, sports teams, and other student organizations continue to engage in conduct that may fall within the definition of hazing, often resulting in serious criminal penalties to the people involved. In addition, schools can impose serious sanctions against students who engage in hazing, including probation, changes to housing arrangements, loss of financial aid...