Understanding Legal Malpractice

Legal malpractice may not involve physical harm, but it’s still a form of personal injury. You’ve been harmed, often emotional and sometimes financially, as a result of poor advice from a lawyer, whom you expected to help out with your legal issues. Three things can happen here: you lose your money, you lose your case or both.

Your situation with a lawyer that failed you might not be as uncommon as you think. Here are the most common malpractice claims based on data gathered by the American Bar Association.

Are You Entitled to Only One Phone Call in Jail?

In TV shows, you often see people who are arrested being told that they are entitled to one phone call. In real life, the arrested do get one—or more, depending on the place or the circumstances of the arrest.

In fact, you could make as many phone calls as you want, if the arresting officers are convinced these calls are necessary to inform friends, relatives, employers, or others about your situation; and that these calls will not be used to help you conceal evidence. In North Carolina, however, the law doesn’t even explicitly say you have the right to make any phone calls at all. You do, however, have the right to an attorney, and if you need to make a phone call to get one, you may be allowed to do so.

Types of Vehicles Counting under DWI Law

Most DWIs involve the operation of a car, but DWI arrests are not specifically limited to only driving a car.

All over the U.S., courts have sentenced people to jail time, community service, or both for DWIs not involving an automobile. Section 20-138.1 of the North Carolina General Statutes defines "impaired driving" as driving any vehicle upon any vehicular area in the state. Nowhere in this statute explicitly states that it has to be a car.

Raleigh Lawyer Notes Changes to Expunction Laws in North Carolina

"Howard Kurtz, a Raleigh lawyer at Kurtz & Blum, notes that various changes have been made to North Carolina’s expunction laws. Expunction allows an individual to remove (expunge) a criminal charge from his or her state record, thereby removing the fear of a prospective employer taking that charge against the person. The Charlotte Observer details more on expunction in the state: More than 1.5 million of North Carolina’s 9.5 million residents had a criminal record at the end of 2010, according to the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics. North Carolina saw a 30 percent increase in residents with criminal records between 2006 and 2008."

http://www.kurtzandblum.com/blog/raleigh-rawyer-notes-changes-to-expunction-laws-in-north-carolina

Where Does it Hurt: On Personal Injury

Nobody wants to be on the receiving end of deliberate bodily injury. Everybody has the right to be free from harm, yet serious accidents can happen anytime, leaving victims either grievously injured or nearly dead. Yet, all the safety equipment in the world combined can't stop mishaps from sprouting out of the blue.

Victims can't always be saved from harm, but that doesn't mean they're completely helpless after they've been disabled. If they believe that the damages caused to them arose from the negligence of another, then they can file a personal injury claim against the defendants. The goal of a personal injury claim is to let the defendant claim responsibility for the calamity and offer compensation to the victims.

Those looking to file a personal injury lawsuit should know that it's subjected to varying Statutes of Limitations, meaning there's a time limitation in filing for these lawsuits. Each state has it's restrictions, and they're typically between one to two years from the day of the accident. Note that victims of accidents should always prioritize their health before they start pursuing the one who caused their physical pain. Victims, while helpless during the accident, can receive compensation for the trouble they've gone through, and it's through filing a personal injury claim.

Hire a Lawyer from Raleigh, NC for Traffic Tickets

Some people from Raleigh, North Carolina deliberately ignore traffic tickets for minor offenses without understanding the possible consequences. Without even knowing it, you could get arrested for not paying your ticket or for failing to appear in court. Before the problem gets worse, it's advisable to face the problem head on to get the best possible results; you may also want to consider hiring a lawyer.

While getting a lawyer for something seemingly minor as a traffic offense may seem extreme, the fact remains that an attorney will know the best possible strategy for your particular situation. As a result, there is a good chance that your day in traffic court will be more positive and the results will be in your favor. When hiring a lawyer make sure that you get one who is willing to fight on your behalf and not just go for easy solutions like pray for judgment pleas.

A pray for judgment plea is neither an admission of guilt nor innocence; a judge can either accept or dismiss this plea. Once a judge accepts this plea, the accused is dismissed but the judge will impose certain conditions so the violation won't be on your record. This type of plea is usually used as a last resort by reputable Raleigh lawyers since they will usually exhaust all efforts to achieve the most ideal outcome possible.