Archives for November 2016

Personal Injury Attorney – Find the Best One to Suit Your Needs

Have you suffered a personal injury? Whether that injury occurred as a result of a vehicle accident, or whether it occurred as a result of someone else’s negligence, you may be eligible to receive compensation. Receiving compensation, however, isn’t as easy as simply filing a claim. You need to compile evidence and documentation, and you may have to sit through a lengthy court procedure.

Just because you are the victim in a situation doesn’t necessarily mean that the perpetrator will be honest and accept accountability for the incident. That means you need to defend yourself and your injury. And it won’t just be against the perpetrator either. You may also need to protect yourself and your injury against the unwillingness of insurance agencies to pay the compensation amount that is due.

When you or a loved one has suffered a personal injury, the last thing that should be on your mind is navigating the complexities of the legal world in order to sure that your rights are protected. You need to focus on healing and spending time with your family and loved ones instead. If you reside in Los Angeles, then you can let Los Angeles injury attorneys handle all of the legal complexities for you—but you need to make sure you find the right one.

How do you know you’ve found the right personal injury attorney?

Finding a personal injury attorney doesn’t have to be complicated, but you do need to be selective in order to ensure you are getting the right protection for your personal case. There are basic things you can do to ensure the personal injury attorney you consult is qualified to handle your claim.

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1. Ensure they are certified

Don’t be afraid to ask to see certification when you walk into a personal injury attorney’s office. They should be able to show you up front their certification along with their specific qualifications. You can also do some research on them before you get to the office and after you leave as well. If they’ve handled a lot of personal injury cases, you’ll be able to find records, and you may even be able to ask around and hear first-hand from other personal injury victims what their experience with your potential personal injury attorney was like.

2. Meet with more than one attorney

Make sure you meet with more than one personal injury attorney. This can be within the same firm or through a variety of firms. And don’t be afraid to ask questions when you meet with a potential personal injury attorney. You want to make sure you feel comfortable with your personal injury attorney, and you want to make sure you feel confident that they are on your side. But that isn’t all. You also want to feel confident that they feel you have a strong case, and that they can acquire the evidence and documentation necessary to defend it well. Different personal injury attorneys will have different ranges of experience, and some may see a strong case where others do not. You want to go with the attorney who feels strongest that you have a case.

3. Ask questions

You don’t just want to know that your personal injury attorney is qualified to handle your case; you also want to know that he or she has experience with cases like it. There are a lot of different types of personal injuries, and those personal injuries will have different effects on different people. Someone who works behind a desk in an office or from home won’t have the same work impairments as a mechanic when it comes to a leg or spinal cord injury, for instance. You want to ensure that the personal injury attorney you consult knows all the consequences of the specific injury you are dealing with.

Is it a traumatic brain injury? A spinal cord injury? Were you involved in a truck accident? A motorcycle accident? Did the injury take place while you were on the job or as a result of someone else’s on-the-job negligence? All of the different details of your injury are going to manifest different results at the end of your claim, and you want a personal injury attorney (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_injury_lawyer) who can understand the differences, no matter how minute they may seem on paper, and push for compensation that will actually provide you with the relief you need as you adjust to and recover from your injury.

Reduce Your Charges with Criminal Lawyers

Laws vary from state to state making it important for individuals to be aware of them and the repercussions of breaking them. Should an individual find themselves facing charges for an offense, having access to criminal lawyers is necessary. Not only will a criminal lawyer be able to provide counsel to the charged individual, sometimes free of charge, a lawyer will also be able to defend the individual in various ways depending on the case such as: a violent offense, a sex offense, a DUI offense, and a theft or larceny offense.

Charges of Domestic and Sex Offences

Criminal_lawyers_150720140217When facing violence charges, the charged individual needs to seek out counsel and defense. Since violent offenses typically carry hefty fines and prison time, the charged individual requires a good lawyer to defend them in court. This type of offense can result in up to 12 months prison time and a $2500 fine should the violence be domestic. Otherwise, depending on the severity of the charge, the charged individual may face up to 40 years in prison. Having good criminal lawyers defending the charged individual can be helpful in preventing a maximum sentence from being given.

When a sex charge has been made against an individual, the sentence can be lengthy. The charged individual is looking at a possible five years to life maximum prison sentence if convicted; additionally, the charged individual will be added to the Sex Offender Registry upon conviction. The registry ensures that the convicted sex offender will be forever known to the public no matter where the convicted sex offender resides in the United States. Having criminal lawyers can aid the individual in preventing this from happening as well as reducing or lessening a charge.

From Drunk Driving to Reckless Driving

Being charged with an offense, such as a DUI, can result in a tricky situation. Since there are many variables to take into consideration when dealing with a DUI, it makes sentencing more difficult and the case more intricate. Depending on the number of times the individual has been convicted of a DUI offense and who was in the vehicle at the time, criminal lawyers may argue that the DUI offense is actually a wet reckless. This would reduce the charge to a less severe one as it would become a case of reckless driving rather than drunk driving.

Reducing Charges of Possession and Larceny

Another charge that can range in severity for an individual would be the charge of distribution or possession with the intention of distributing controlled substances. Again, this is a slightly more complicated charge as the sentencing is dependent on the amount of and type of drug being trafficked or intended for trafficking. The fines for trafficking can range from several hundred to nearly a million dollars due to the varying drugs and dangers they pose making it necessary for an individual charged with distribution or possession with the intention of distributing to have access to criminal lawyers. By having access, the charged individual will be made aware of their rights and possible outcomes of the charges laid against them including fines and prison time. Theft or larceny also has varying punishments and outcomes for charged individuals.

An individual charged with theft or larceny can face up to $2500 in fines as well as a prison sentence of up to 20 years should the larceny include items with an overall value exceeding $200. A charged individual that seeks the counsel and defense of criminal lawyers are less likely to serve the maximum sentence or pay the maximum fine. This is due to the lawyer’s expertise and knowledge on how to best defend the charged individual to either reduce the fine amount and prison sentences or to successfully free the charged individual of the conviction completely. This is somewhat dependent upon the charged individual’s criminal history as it is more difficult to defend an already convicted criminal.

However, through the professionalism and knowledge that the criminal lawyers have obtained through their various experiences and a thorough education, they are capable of handling a wide range of cases. Should an individual be charged with offenses ranging from theft, through to a Driving Under the influence (DUI) charge – or even a violent offense – criminal lawyers will be able to assist and inform their client of possible outcomes, defenses and options. Their experience and knowledge make them invaluable, no matter what criminal charges have been laid.