Archive for August, 2010

Understand Slip and Fall Accidents

You are entitled to claim compensation for an injury which is caused by negligence on the part of a property owner. Slip and falls can happen anywhere, and at any time – in supermarkets, at work, pathways, and restaurants.

There are laws in place to protect the public and impose charges/fines on the people responsible for maintaining and running public places, to ensure the safety of anyone who uses them. The laws apply to employers as well as privately owned establishments/land, and of course to the local officials who are responsible for maintaining the roads and public pathways/pavement.

Personal Injuries from Slip and Fall Accidents

Slips and falls are incidents which can have long lasting effects, such as time off work and physical impairments. If you slip over a faulty paving slab in a street, you could end up with a broken limb or severe bruising, or even concussion. This could translate to several weeks off work, and if your company does not offer very much in the way of sick pay, you could find yourself in a precarious financial position. Compensation payouts not only award money for the initial pain and suffering caused by the accident, but they can include damages which can cover for loss of earnings and medical expenses.

Making a Slip and Fall Claim

If you have suffered a slip or fall then there are a few steps you should take to help with your claim. Where possible, you should photograph the area where the incident occurred. You should make sure you take down the contact details of any witnesses who either saw your specific accident happen or who have seen the defective area in person. If anyone else has suffered a personal injury from the same source/situation then you should make sure you have their contact details, as they will be able to back up any evidence you provide. Finally, you should make sure that you have reported the accident to the relevant personnel, whether at work to your manager or to the property manager/owner if the injury happened in a public space.

It can be very easy to feel foolish or irresponsible when you have suffered a personal injury, and many incidents go unreported as a result. It is important to be aware that you are entitled to seek compensation, and in fact encouraged to, if only to highlight the problem to the relevant people to make sure no one else suffers the same fate.

Call a Slip and Fall Lawyer

Claiming is a simple process, and with just a small initial amount of effort you can get the ball rolling with your accident claim.  There really is nothing to lose, and everything to gain. If you are unfortunate enough to have suffered a personal injury due to negligence on the part of a private company, public organization or governing body, you should seek advice from an attorney who will help you to recover the compensation you deserve.

Driving Under the Influence in Arizona

Arizona has had an extremely high rate of vehicle crashes and deaths associated with drunk driving. Because of this, Arizona officials have come down hard on drunk drivers. The penalties for DUI in Arizona are extreme, but hopefully this will lead to safer roads for the public at large.

So what is illegal in Arizona?

The State of Arizona law prohibits driving if you have an alcohol level of 0.150 or more in your bloodstream. It is also illegal for someone under the age of 21 to drive with ANY alcohol in their system. That means that if you are underage, you cannot drive at all, even if you have only had one drink. You are also not allowed to drive at all if you have any traces of illegal drugs in your body.

How do you know what your blood alcohol level is?

This is a tough question. Your alcohol blood level is dependent on your weight and body fat percentage, so it differs from person to person. You can find charts on the web that give good guidelines as to how much alcohol is in your blood stream. Most guides agree that 1 alcohol unit is equal to 1 beer or 1 3 ounce glass o wine or 1 ounce (a shot) or hard liquor. As a guide, a person that weighs 200 pounds can have approximately 3 alcoholic units before becoming impaired and 4 units before becoming legally drunk. A person that weighs 120 pounds can only have 1 alcoholic unit before becoming impaired, or 2 before becoming legally drunk. Of course this is a guideline only.

What is the penalty for drunken driving in Arizona?

For your first DUI conviction you will have to pay approximately $1,860 in financial penalties. If you are sentenced to jail you will serve a minimum of 24 hours up to 10 days. Your license may be suspended for 90-360 days and the court may order the installation of an ignition interlock device. This is a device that is connected to your ignition. You will only be able to start your car by breathing into it first. It will only work if you have not consumed any alcohol at all. For second or 3rd DUI Offenses, you will be fined much more, with a minimum prison sentence is of 4 months and the potential of your license being suspended for a minimum of a year. The court will also order you to install the ignition interlock device into all your vehicles before you drive again.

Be safe, not sorry.