Hello, my name is Benjamin Murdock, and I am currently enrolled to earn a bachelors in Criminal justice. I have recently been reading a lot on personal injury lawyers and found the subject quite intriguing, it is for this purpose I have started this blog. Please read the article, and leave feedback about what youth think. 
Personal Injury Attorney
How MMI Works & Affects Your Personal Injury Case
When you are going after a personal injury case in order to receive financial compensation for medical injuries, it is vitally important that you understand the concept of maximum medical improvements. What Maximum Medical Improvement Means Maximum Medical Improvement is often referred to by lawyers and doctors as MMI. Many people wrongly assume that MMI means that you have reached a point where you no longer are in need of any medical care. However, that is not what it means to reach MMI. MMI is the point at which your doctor thinks you have reached your maximum potential to recover and progress from your injuries; it does not signify the end of your medical care, it just means that your doctor doesn’t think you are going to improve further. For example, imagine that you strained your shoulder and are only able to use it 50%, and through medical treatment, you are able to gain back an additional 25% usage, allowing you to use your shoulder up to 75%. At that point, your doctor may declare 75% usability your MMI because they don’t believe you are going to get to 100% functional use again. That is how MMI works. It is important to note that only a doctor can determine if you have reached MMI by examining your case and medical care; a lawyer or court cannot determine if you have reached MMI. Your doctor will provide you with a written statement that explains your injuries, your recovery process, and how the injuries you have sustained will permanently affect your physical abilities for the rest of your life. How Maximum Medical Improvement Affects Your Personal Injury Case There is a specific amount of time after you have been hurt that you can file a personal injury suit. You need to contact an attorney well before this date so that your attorney can research your case and determine how to move forward with your case. Once you have filed your case, you need to reach MMI before your case can proceed forward . It is okay if it takes you additional time to reach an MMI state according to your doctor; what matters from a legal standpoint is that you have submitted and started your case. Sometimes, you can move forward before MMI is determined; however, in order to get the most accurate settlement, usually both sides want to wait until MMI has been reached. Once MMI has been reached, it is easier for you to determine your medical costs to reach MMI, and it is easier to estimate future medical costs as well to maintain and keep your progress at the same point. Having your MMI from your doctor will help your attorney insure that you get a fair settlement that takes care of your needs now and into the future. For more information, contact a personal injury...
read moreThings to Know If You Believe There Is a Warrant Out for You
If you had recently been in trouble and failed to appear for your court date, there is a good chance the court may have issued a warrant. There are two main types of warrants courts issue, but both types need to be addressed as quickly as possible. Here are several tips to help you know how to handle this. Find Out If There Is a Warrant The first thing you may want to do is spend time researching your case to find out if there is a warrant out for you. If you have already hired a criminal-law attorney, you could call him or her to find this out. Your lawyer would be notified by the court if they had issued a warrant. If you do not currently have a lawyer, you could try to look up your case on your local county website. Many counties in most states have websites that offer this information, and anyone can view the details because the information is a matter of public record. Find Out What Type of Warrant It Is The two main types of warrants are bench warrants and arrest warrants. If you have an arrest warrant and are found by the police, they will take you to jail. If you have a bench warrant, you may also be taken to jail, but this type of warrant is not as severe. In most cases, bench warrants are used simply to bring a person to court; however, you may have to wait in jail until the court has a date for you to appear. Turn Yourself In While you may not want to go to jail, you may have a better chance of getting a reduced punishment if you willingly turn yourself in. Running from the law is not a good idea because eventually you will be found and caught. If you turn yourself in, at least you are showing that you care about the law and your future, and the judge might view this in a more favorable way. You can turn yourself in using one of two methods. You could either go to the sheriff’s office that has the warrant on you or visit a criminal-law attorney’s office. Both options will work, but visiting a lawyer’s office might be better. With this option, you can seek legal advice for your situation while you are still free. If you have any questions about a case you are involved in and would like legal advice, contact a criminal-law attorney, such as one at the Law Office Of Lori Crystal,...
read morePlanning On Becoming A Lawyer? 3 Steps You Should Take While You’re Working On Your Undergrad
Now that you’ve graduated high school, it’s time to head off to college. Time to set off on a new adventure and meet new people. It’s also time for you to plan for your future. If law school is in your future, the first couple of years of college are going to be crucial. This is where you’re going to build the foundation for your chosen career. To get you started on your quest, here are three steps you should take while you’re working on your undergrad. Get to Know Your Professors You’re probably wondering why this is listed first. Simply put, you’re going to need recommendations from professors when it comes time to apply for law school. If you’re just a name on the roster, your professors are going to have a hard time giving you a glowing recommendation. However, if you’ve taken the time to schedule appointments during office hours, or you’ve stayed after class to visit with your professors, they’re going to remember you, and they’ll have a much easier time going beyond the basic information when it comes time to write a recommendation for you. Become an Active Participant When you apply to law schools, they’re going to want to see more than just your GPA. They’ll have hundreds of students with good GPAs. You want your application to stand above all the rest. That’s where your extracurricular activities come in to play. Get involved in activities that will allow you to practice your leadership skills, such as ASB, or campus political clubs. Not only will these activities look good on your applications, they’ll also give you the opportunity to hone your skills as a leader. Choose Your Courses Wisely You might think that choosing classes that will guarantee you an easy A are the best way to improve your chances of getting into law school. Unfortunately, that’s not necessarily true. Instead of choosing classes that will give you that automatic A, choose classes that will make you think. It’s those critical thinking skills that you gain from challenging yourself that will get you noticed when it comes time to apply for law school. It’s your first year of college. If you’re planning on law school, now’s the time to start preparing. Use the tips provided here to get you started on your path to law school. For more information, check out a site like...
read more3 Things You Need To Know About Working With A Tax Accountant
Having a tax accountant file your taxes for you is a great way to protect yourself and save money on your taxes. Even though you will have to pay the accountant a fee to do it, the amount of money that they can save you and the peace of mind in knowing they were done correctly far outweigh the fee you will pay. However, if you choose to hire a tax accountant there are a couple things you should do to ensure the best outcome possible. Here are some tips. 1. Stick With The Same Accountant And Consult Them Often One of the best ways to make sure that you are getting the best outcome is to stay with the same accountant. If you have a different accountant file your taxes each year, they won’t always understand what the last accountant did and it could take more time to figure it out. For instance, you might have rolled over deductions, calculated deprecation on your home office, and a myriad of others things. By using the same accountant each year you can make it easier to file your taxes and ensure that you are being consistent each year. In addition, you should be talking to your accountant often. Don’t assume anything, instead you should ask the accountant before you make any big financial decisions, such as selling your house, gifting money to family and so forth. 2. Keep Track Of All Of Your Deductions The accountant will help you to claim the deductions, but they will generally go on your word or the proof that you can provide. It is not up to them to be in charge of keeping up with your receipts or having proof of every deduction taken. If you do get audited you will need to provide all of the proof, which is why it is best to take all of this documentation to the accountant when you file your taxes so that they know what deductions you can prove. 3. Don’t Lie To Your Accountant Lastly, don’t falsify any material with your accountant. It only hurts you in the long run. The accountant won’t be the one off the hook if you get in trouble for falsifying information on your taxes. That is why it is best to give them the truth and let them work with it to figure out how to best help you. By following these tips you can be confidant that you getting the best outcome possible. To learn more, contact a tax preparation for business company. ...
read moreAnswers To Common Questions From Those Facing Criminal Charges
There are few experiences in life that can be more stressful or frightening than being formally charged with a crime. Sadly, there are many people that are unsure of what they should expect from the criminal justice system. To help you be better prepared for the legal aspects of this situation, you might need to have a few questions answered. What If The Bail Is Set Too High? In order to allow individuals to help formulate their defense and to minimize disruptions to the lives of defendants, the court system allows individuals to post bail so that they will be able to leave jail until their trial date. Unfortunately, the courts can set bail that is too high for low-income defendants to pay. When this is the case, it is often possible to have your attorney petition to have the bail reduced. For this type of petition to be successful, the attorney will need to show that you are not a flight risk and that it is impossible for you to make the bail payment given your financial circumstances. When Will You Be Offered A Plea Bargain? It is common for prosecutors to offer defendants plea bargains as a way to minimize court costs. However, while it is common for these deals to be offered, you should be aware that the prosecutor is under no obligation to offer a plea bargain to every defendant. Rather, the offering of a plea deal will largely depend on the strength of the evidence against the defendant. Additionally, you should never blindly accept a plea bargain without first having it reviewed by an experienced criminal defense attorney. These professionals will be able to ensure that you fully understand the terms of your plea bargain, and they can also let you know whether accepting the bargain would be wise given your particular case. How Do Criminal Attorneys Charge Clients For Their Services? When it goes to paying a criminal defense attorney, it is important to understand that attorneys can charge their clients in a couple of different ways. One of the more common is for the defendant to pay an hourly rate for the services of the attorney. On a regular basis, the attorney will provide the defendant with an invoice for their billable hours, and they will cease working on the case until this invoice is paid. For simple cases or clients that may have difficulty paying an hourly rate, there are many attorneys that work on a flat fee basis. By paying their flat fee, you will be able to retain their services through most of your proceedings. These professionals may require an additional fee for appeals due to the additional work that is involved with preparing the appellate briefs for these cases. For more information, contact a criminal law attorney, like one from Begley Carlin & Mandio...
read moreWhen Do You Need A Lawyer For Your Workplace Injury?
If you are injured at work, you should get treatment, receive workers’ compensation benefits, and resume work once you are healed. That is the ideal process, and some people actually benefit from it without the need of a lawyer. However, you need a lawyer for your work-related-injury issues if: You Have Serious Injuries If your injury keeps you from work for a few weeks and doesn’t leave you with any permanent disability, then you may be able to handle it without a lawyer’s input provided there are no other complications. However, if you have a serious injury that may keep you out of work for months, you are better off letting an attorney handle it. The same is true if your injuries lead to a disability. This is because a small error can lead to a huge loss of benefits for serious injuries. For minor injuries, the difference (in terms of the benefits) between having a lawyer and processing the claim on your own may not be significant. Your Employer Wants You To Return To Work Before You Are Ready Ideally, you should return to work when you have reached your point of maximum medical improvement (MMI). You can then resume your pre-injury workload or start with lighter duties as you reintegrate into the workplace. The weekly benefits usually stop once you start receiving wages that are equal or greater than your pre-injury wages. Once in a while, however, an employer asks an injured employee to return to work before the employee is fully recovered. This can intensify the injuries, undo the work already done by the treating physician, and lead to decreased productivity. If that ever happens to you, you need a lawyer who understands what the law says about returning to work after an injury. That way you will be in a better position to safeguard your interests. You Believe A Position Has Been Create For You At Work You also need a lawyer if a new position has been created for you at work. This is dangerous because you will be out of work if the position becomes irrelevant, which can happen anytime. If the position did not exist before you were injured, how can you tell that it is integral to your employer’s needs? Some employers do this if they don’t want to fire you because it would create legal problems for them, but don’t want to retain you either due to your injuries. In short, analyze the circumstances of your injuries and decide whether you need an attorney. You probably don’t need a lawyer for a minor injury if your employer is cooperating and you are getting the benefits you deserve. However, consult a lawyer any time you foresee a difficulty with your case. If you’re interested, click the following link for more about this topic....
read moreDivorce Paperwork Necessary In California
If you have been thinking about starting a divorce or legal separation, the paperwork may seem daunting. In California, there is a specific set of paperwork you must file in order to initiate the process. Understanding the required information ahead of time will help you make smart decisions about the upcoming proceedings. Petition – Marriage/Domestic Partnership (FL-100) This petition is the first you will submit when you are looking to start a divorce or legal separation. This form will ask you to list the dates, property you own together, debts you owe, and children you have. Summons (FL-110) This is the document required to send to your partner or spouse notifying them that a court case has been initiated. The summons will also notify your partner or spouse of the events that will occur in the event that he or she does not respond to the summons within 30 days. Proof of Service of Summons (FL-115) This document is used to inform the court that you have served papers to your spouse or domestic partner. Generally, you are not allowed to serve the papers yourself. You may need to rely on a process service to complete this step. Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction & Enforcement Act (FL-105/GC-120) This divorce paperwork is only necessary if you have minor children, those under the age of 18. You must fill out the form and file it along with your petition. This document is used to inform the court of the child’s residence. This document will also include information about other custody orders involving you, your partner, and the child(ren) in question. Child Custody and Visitation Application Attachment (FL-311) This form is optional and only necessary if you have minor children. You would need to fill out this form if you want to ensure that you provide an adequate overview of your current custody arrangement. Property Declaration (Family Law) Form (FL-160) This form is necessary for those who require more than the allotted amount of space to list any property you own and debts you may owe. The form allows you to list each item individually, as well as each owed debt. You also need to specify whether each item is community, meaning it belongs to both of you, or separate, meaning that it is solely yours or your partner’s. No matter what kind of divorce you are going through, these documents may be required in California to ensure that you do not miss any steps along the...
read moreThe Many Types Of Intellectual Property?
Intellectual property is a pretty important legal field that has an impact on many aspects of your life. If you have any intention of owning your own brand, creating your own products, inventing anything, or even if you are just a normal consumer of products, then learning about the different forms of intellectual property can be quite helpful. To help you get started, here are the three main types of intellectual property: What material does a copyright cover? Copyrights are probably the type of intellectual property that you have heard the most about, since copyright protection is a rather popular topic nowadays. The basic idea is that a copyright allows you to protect a creative work from being reproduced or sold. Having a copyright allows you to control who can and cannot copy and sell your work, which allows you to have some degree of control over how much money you make from your product. Many different materials are covered, including movies, books, plays, video games, songs, and television shows. However, it’s important to note that another work needs to have copied your copyrighted work if you want to take it to court. If there are just some similarities (such as two movies that have very similar characters and stories), then your lawsuit might not be very successful. What material does a patent cover? While a copyright covers creative materials, a patent protects the more technological and industrial side of things. If you design some revolutionary new process or creation, then a patent can help you secure exclusive rights to that invention. This can allow you to sell your invention or use it for your own benefit until the patent runs out. Patents are also one of the hardest types of intellectual property to acquire because your invention will need to satisfy a long list of requirements in order to qualify for patent acquisition. What material does a trademark cover? Finally, trademarks cover specific concepts that relate to branding and identification of companies. Words, logos, shapes, and images can be trademarks, which makes the field pretty difficult to pin down. This is made even murkier by the fact that you don’t really need to apply for a trademark in some cases. Instead, simply using your logo for a long period of time will allow you to have some claim to that logo as a trademark by default. If another company then infringes on your trademark, you will have the ability to take them to court, even though you never officially purchased the rights to your...
read moreLegal Advantages Of Being The First To File For Divorce
When a married couple divorces, the one who initiates the divorce proceedings has several advantages over their partner. The advantages may be psychological, financial, or even legal. Here are three legal advantages you may enjoy by being the first to file for divorce: Choice of Jurisdiction If you live in different states, then you can both file for divorce in your respective states. You just need to satisfy your state’s residency requirements. The divorce proceedings will continue in the jurisdiction of the spouse who files first. The location of your divorce has a great impact on divorce process or outcome since states have different divorce rules. For example, a few states recognize fault divorces, which may benefit “innocent” spouses. You may, for example, apply for a fault divorce and (if you can prove the fault) walk away with a larger portion of your marital property. Chance to Withdraw the Petition It is easier for the spouse who filed for divorce to stop the process than it is for their spouse. If you initiated the proceedings and changed your mind shortly afterward, you can go to court and withdraw the petition. Each state has its own set of procedures to follow, but it usually involves completing and filing a document at the court where you submitted your petition. However, you have no such luck if you did not initiate the divorce proceedings. In that case, all you can do is to contest the elements in your partner’s petition, such as property and debt settlement. Chance to Control the Timing Finally, deciding to act, rather than waiting for your spouse to do it, may allow you to time your divorce to your benefit. Timing has a great effect on different aspects of divorce. For example, in most states, the assets you acquire after filing for divorce are your separate property, not marital property, which means you get to keep them during asset division. However, even if you decided a long time ago to divorce your spouse, but you haven’t submitted the relevant petition, anything you earn will be divided between you since it is considered marital property. Therefore, taking the initiative may help you time your divorce to help you protect your assets. Therefore, if you have made up your mind to divorce your partner, it’s best to consult an attorney and be the first to file the divorce petition. However, you aren’t doomed if your spouse beats you to the punch. Just react fast by consulting a lawyer to help you reply to the divorce petition. For more information, contact a local firm like McKone &...
read morePotential Complications That May Make An Annulment Unappealing
Getting an annulment is an effective way of treating your previous marriage as if it never existed. However, an annulment isn’t for everybody because it is fraught with some complications. Here are three examples of such complications: You Might Not Get Spousal Support An annulment can destabilize you financially because your spouse isn’t legally obligated to support you after the marriage has been voided. This is unlike a divorce where you are entitled to financial support not only during the divorce process but also after the divorce is finalized. Consider an example where you quit your job to take care of your family after getting married. If your marriage is annulled a few months later, you may be left jobless and without spousal support. Only in a few states will you be awarded spousal support if your marriage is annulled after many years. Property Division Might Not Take Place In most states, if your marriage is annulled, each of you returns to their previous state before marriage. This means the property isn’t divided; rather, each of you retains the properties in their names. Therefore, if the house is in your spouse’s name, then they get to keep it. So you can be living in the same house today and tomorrow you have to move out because your spouse has a new roommate and you no longer live with them. Even if they decide to sell the house, they don’t have to seek your permission because the house isn’t your marital property. Proving the Annulment Ground May Be Difficult Each state has specific grounds for which a marriage can be annulled. The common ones include bigamy, incest, fraud, duress, and mental incompetence, among others. Also, the ground on which you are basing your application must have existed before your union. As is the usual case with legal requirements, you have to prove your ground. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. For example, proving that your partner was mentally incompetent or impotent before your union isn’t easy; you may require expensive expert testimony. In fact, if your state allows it, it might be easier to get a no-fault divorce than an annulment. Therefore, if you wish to declare your marriage void, do your research and understand the potential obstacles. Consult a family lawyer to help you understand how the legal ramifications apply to your unique situation before making a decision. In some cases, you may be better off with a divorce. To learn more, contact a family lawyer like Watson Law...
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