When we have clients that come to us with a personal injury case, one of the first things they want to know is, who is going to pay for their pain and suffering? I always tell those clients that is one of the main factors that we consider when we are negotiating their case with an insurance company. It is a hard thing to put a dollar figure on someone's pain and suffering. And there's [...]
If you are hurt in a car crash, seeing a doctor is one of the first things you should do. However, you might not know which doctors you should visit when you have sustained certain injuries. There are several doctors that may be worth visiting, but it all depends on the specific injuries you have sustained. Primary care physician Before seeing anyone else, consider visiting with your primary care physician. During your visit with the physician, [...]
Where should you get medical care after you've been involved in an accident? Obviously, it's important to get medical care to treat your injuries following an accident, but a common question we receive is, how do you go about doing that or deciding where to go treat? I want you to remember two things when looking into somebody to treat with following an accident. First, your treatment has to make sense. So, you can't treat [...]
Consent is necessary before engaging in any sexual activity, but what happens when both people are too drunk to legally consent to anything that is going on? Can you be charged with sexual assault if you were both drunk at the time? Yes, you can. Engaging in sexual acts while intoxicated could potentially lead to accusations of sexual assault from the other person who might have been just as intoxicated as you were. While it is [...]
Clients have questions about mediation, and the process and what happens. But one thing that you really need to know is what happens if you sign a mediated agreement. I always tell my clients once you reach and sign a mediated agreement, it is binding just as if it were a court order. It is very hard to undo a mediated agreement. There may be limited circumstances where you can do that, or something may [...]
When a person is involved in an accident that leaves with them serious, extensive burn injuries, that person will often suffer from long-term effects that are associated with burn injuries. These effects can drastically alter the person’s way of life, making it nearly impossible for them to do things and participate in activities that were once a part of their daily routine. Skin grafts Skin grafting procedures are regularly performed on patients with burn injuries. During [...]
Having been charged with a DUI, you've obviously found yourself in an unfortunate situation. That situation can go one of two ways. It can go really bad for you, or it can improve through the use of a skilled advocate. I want to be that advocate. In particular, all of the information needs to be gathered. The reports from the officers, the video, the audio; anything that comes to bear on your case. The particularities [...]
When a person is acquitted of a crime, the “double jeopardy” rule prevents that person from being recharged with that same crime at a later time, even if new evidence is found. Double jeopardy, however, only applies to one specific jurisdiction. Even if a person is acquitted of a federal crime, they might still be charged with that same crime on the state level. Understanding the double jeopardy rule While the double jeopardy rule protects defendants [...]
How long does court last? Well, that's an open ended question because sometimes the court date is open ended. It normally starts at 9:00 AM, and sometimes you're done by noon; sometimes you may be required to be there all day. Usually there are a lot of cases on the docket and the courts attended to them in the manner that is most expedient. Your attorney should keep you apprised of it. We do our [...]
Another recent development in Tennessee law deals with the application of school zones to drug-related felonies. In these particular situations, the legislature has determined that when there is drug activity of a resale type variety – could be delivery, could be possession – within 1,000 feet of a school that it constitutes a drug free school zone violation. That means that the actual felony – let's say it's a schedule 2 cocaine case – is [...]
