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Thursday, July 24, 2014

Why Fleeing a Car Accident Scene Isn’t Advisable

After a major car accident, all the individuals involved have the duty to remain at the scene and wait until medical professionals and police authorities arrive. They also have to stay there until they give their testimonies to the police so a report can be duly filed.

Unfortunately, some people, as an initial reaction, choose to flee the scene. In North Carolina, doing so will be subject to a Class 1 misdemeanor charge. They will likely face fines (as much as the court deems appropriate) and ordered to serve up to 120 days in jail. That’s only the beginning, though. While fleeing the accident scene seem like a small-time offense, it could bring terrible consequences later on.

First, people with misdemeanor conviction on their records are likely to find it challenging to land their dream job. This is because it’s more common these days for companies to do criminal background checks on job candidates. Second, a misdemeanor conviction may also affect the process of applying for professional licenses.

For instance, anyone applying for state licensure with the North Carolina Respiratory Care Board is required to submit a notarized form where they have to fill out a personal background questionnaire that contains the question, “Have you in the past ten (10) years been convicted of a misdemeanor?”

For this reason, anyone who fled an accident scene should ensure they have a qualified criminal lawyer to defend them so they can avoid a misdemeanor conviction.

The law firm of Kurtz & Blum vigorously defends their client's rights. To contact a Raleigh criminal lawyer who truly knows the law please call 919-832-7700.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

How to Deal with a Car Accident

Driving in busy expressways like the Interstate 540 can be tricky, especially during the late afternoon rush hour. You may be running late to pick up your kids from their soccer practice or a movie date with your romantic partner and boom! Next thing you know, you’ve rear-ended the vehicle in front of you whose driver, like you, is running late for something.

The first thing to remember when involved in a collision—no matter how minor it may seem—is to seek medical attention for both you and the other people involved in the accident. Thus, as soon as you can, pull over to a safe spot and dial 911 or any medical rescue team you know of assigned to your area. While waiting for medical professionals to arrive, you and the other drivers can exchange insurance and contact information.

At this point, it’s critical to refrain from making apologies or anything similar like, “I should have looked at the road more attentively.” Any statement of such nature can be considered as you admitting fault in the accident, which can be used against you when you seek compensation from the insurance provider. At this stage, it’s best to file for a personal injury claim with the help of a qualified personal injury lawyer.


The law firm of Kurtz & Blum vigorously defends their client's rights. To contact an experienced Raleigh personal injury lawyer please call 919-832-7700.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

HB 812: Where are the Whiskey Plates?

House Bill 812, sponsored by James Boles, Jr. (R-District 52, most of Moore County), has been stuck in limbo for more than a year. Its last known action, according to online bill tracker Open States, was for reference to the Committee on Transportation. Did the House quietly drop the bill on "whiskey plates?"

HB 812 is a proposal for special license plates to be issued to drivers with DWI offenses. As of today, only four states have enacted laws authorizing the use of these whiskey plates, known in popular parlance. If passed (which is highly unlikely due to the lack of updates), the driver will have to carry a whiskey plate for seven years from the day his driving privileges were restored.

The bill was proposed to make identification of drivers with DWI offenses easier for law enforcement and the public. However, according to Raleigh-based DWI lawyer Seth Blum, the proposal harkens back to colonial times where public shaming was a preferred punishment. There's little gain in tagging those with DWI history compared with proven systems like interlock devices.

For Mr. Blum, the current sanctions in place, such as community service and one-year suspension of driving privileges, are sufficient. The bill, he writes, "kicks DWI defendants when they are already down." It's safe to say that, at some point during the bill's journey to becoming a law, it may have attracted serious flak from other lawmakers, if not the public.


Seth Blum is an experienced DWI attorney in Raleigh, NC. To contact him please call 919-832-7700 or visit www.KurtzandBlum.com.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

A Raleigh Criminal Lawyer on the High Price of School Safety

As the Wake County school district places an ever-increasing importance on having school resource officers or SROs (i.e., police officers) in the districts high school and middle schools, advocates are alarmed by what they see in schools where police presence has intensified.

The concern is that criminal charges are being filed against students for minor misconduct that does not require the involvement of the police, the courts or the services of a Raleigh criminal lawyer; matters that previously would have been resolved in the principal’s office.

http://www.kurtzandblum.com/blog/a-raleigh-criminal-lawyer-on-the-high-price-of-school-safety

Friday, July 4, 2014

Raleigh Personal Injury Lawyer: Compensation for a Bicycle Injury

For both Segerstrom and Morrison it would be a day they would both like to forget.  Such a short, unexpected series of events creates a maze of complex issues. First and foremost is the medical treatment and recovery.  There are also health and auto insurance issues that will have to be dealt with and potentially there could even be litigation that could result in compensatory or even punitive damages.

Lynn Prather is a seasoned Raleigh personal injury lawyer with Kurtz & Blum.  She explains the difference be the following types of damages:

http://www.kurtzandblum.com/blog/raleigh-personal-injury-lawyer-compensation-for-a-bicycle-injury

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Raleigh DWI Lawyer Cautions Residents Against Drinking and Boating

To help you become more aware of DWI checkpoints, Seth Blum, a seasoned Raleigh DWI lawyer with Kurtz & Blum explains what you can expect.

Often the authorities that man a DWI checkpoint will include members from a variety of agencies.  For instance, this might include Raleigh Police, Wake County Sherriff's Office and the State Highway Patrol.  Outside the city you might also see other police departments, members from the emergency services, the fire department and even local high school students. Therefore, it's not unusual to see officers wearing different uniforms at one checkpoint.

http://www.kurtzandblum.com/blog/raleigh-dwi-lawyer-cautions-residents-against-drinking-and-boating

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

What If North Carolina Legalized Pot?

North Carolina lawmakers passed a law that allowed the use of cannabidiol (CBD) oil to treat seizures. It's not to be considered as a pro-marijuana stance since the law doesn't change anything regarding illicit drugs or other forms of medicinal marijuana. What if, one day, North Carolina joined the growing number of states that have legalized pot for recreational and medical use?

Of course, there would be changes in the penal code since possession and use of marijuana would no longer be a crime (although intent to distribute, or hoarding, may still be illegal). In addition, as DWI also includes the use of drugs, lawmakers will have to set a BAC equivalent. Raleigh lawyers believe the magic number is at 5 ng (nanograms) of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

This isn't a definite number as of today. Most pot-legal states have no BAC equivalent for THC, simply addressing any sign of impaired driving to provide probable cause. This is a challenge for pot-legal states, especially in defense courts. Blood tests and the like don't constitute logical evidence since, at around two to three hours, drugs level off faster than alcohol.


Between legal pot advocates and the decision to legalize pot, lawmakers are caught in the middle of a hard and even harder place. This is why states are in no rush to join the growing community of legal pot. For now, North Carolina will have to stick with CBD oil for seizures only.