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We all know that accidents happen – usually when we least expect them. Some accidents may result in a minor bruise or cut that you can treat at home with little difficulty. On the other hand, some accidents result in serious injuries that require emergency care, and that can disrupt your life for months or even permanently: http://bit.ly/2nqUA73

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DID AN IMPAIRED DRIVER CAUSE YOUR INJURIES?

Everyone should be fully aware of the laws against impaired driving. This includes driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol, unlawful drugs, or other intoxicating substances. Unfortunately, despite potentially harsh penalties and the risk of causing serious injuries, many drivers still attempt to operate their vehicles while they are impaired. 

Impaired driving may also be a slightly bigger problem in states with legalized marijuana. For example, people may visit Washington to purchase legal marijuana and may choose to drive after consumption. However, impaired drivers were on the roads long before legalized marijuana. Many drivers underestimate their intoxication by alcohol or do not realize the effects of their prescription medication. No matter what caused a driver’s impairment, it can still result in devastating accidents and injuries to others.

What to Do if You Suspect a Driver is Impaired

After an accident, you may notice signs of intoxication in the driver who caused the crash. These signs may include:

Slurring of words

Slow responses

Red or watery eyes

Lack of appreciation for what happened

Stumbling or loss of balance

The odor of alcohol or marijuana

In this situation, call 911 immediately (it is a good idea to call 911 after an accident regardless). Do not try to confront the driver or accuse them of being impaired on your own, as this can result in a driver becoming aggressive or even choosing to leave the scene of the accident. Stay in your vehicle if it is safe to do so, and take down their license plate number in case they decide to flee. 

DUI Arrests after a Crash

Once the police arrive at the scene, they should conduct an investigation into the cause of the crash, which includes looking for signs of intoxication on the part of the drivers involved. If an officer believes the other driver is impaired, they can conduct roadside tests or make observations to obtain probable cause of DUI. If officers agree the driver is impaired, they can arrest the driver, who will then likely face criminal charges. 

Many accident victims believe that a criminal DUI case will help them after an injury. However, these cases often do little to cover the losses of DUI crash victims. Instead, you can use a DUI conviction to prove liability for the crash in an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit in civil court. 

Even if a driver is convicted of DUI after your accident, it can still be challenging to obtain the full amount of compensation you deserve for your:

Medical bills

Future medical costs

Lost income

Pain and suffering

It is important to discuss your accident and injuries with an experienced drunk driving accident lawyer as soon as possible. 

Discuss Your Accident with a Spokane Personal Injury Lawyer Right Away

At the law firm of Feltman Ewing, P.S., our Spokane personal injury attorneys seek to hold impaired drivers fully accountable for their dangerous actions. We fight for the rights of our injured clients, so please call (509) 838-6800 or contact us online for your free case evaluation today.

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Reducing Your Child’s Risk Of Injury With Proper Car Seat Safety

Passenger cars and SUVs are manufactured with the safety of full-sized adults in mind. Seat belts, airbags, and other safety features are not designed for small children – and they can actually be highly dangerous for such children in the event of a car accident. To ensure your child is as safe as possible, you should always practice proper car seat safety. Choosing the Right Car SeatWhen you head to a baby store to choose a car seat, it is all too easy to become quickly overwhelmed. There are many different options for many different ages, and new parents – or even experienced parents – may have no idea what they need. Fortunately, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has a guide available onlineto help parents select the right seat for their child and for their vehicle. First, there are four types of car seats: Rear-facing – This type of car seat is used for newborns and infants, and it has a harness that limits the stress to your small child’s spine and neck. Forward-facing – As a child grows, they can switch to a forward-facing seat. This seat should have a tether and harness to prevent forward movements in a crash. Booster seat – Even if a child does not need a full car seat, they should have the right size booster seat, which helps the seat belt fit them safely. Many car seats are convertible or combination seats, which can transition from rear-facing to forward-facing to a booster as a child gets older. You should keep your child in one type of seat as long as possible and only transition when they reach the maximum height and weight for that particular seat. Always check seat ratings for both safety and ease of use, as well as metrics for your particular vehicle. In short, many factors go into this decision, and you should never rush to purchase a car seat without doing thorough research on the NHTSA site. Installing the Car SeatChoosing your child’s car seat is only the first step in practicing safety – then, you have to install it properly. This can be trickier than many parents imagine. You can have the top-of-the-line car seat, but it will not keep your child safe if it is installed incorrectly. NHTSA again provides detailed explanations of vehicle and car seat parts, such as tethers, anchors, and more. The agency also provides videos and step-by-step instructions to install rear-facing seats, forward-facing seats, and boosters. You can then enter your zip code to find the nearest location – such as a fire department – that will inspect your installation to make sure everything is safe for your child. Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Spokane, Washington for Help TodayProper car seat safety can go a long way to prevent injuries to your child in a car accident. However, if you or your child does suffer serious injuries, do not wait to call an experienced car accident attorney at Feltman Ewing, P.S. in Spokane. Call (509) 838-6800 or contact us online for a free case evaluation with a member of our legal team.

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Will My Own Insurance Company Help Me After an Accident?

When you are involved in an accident, it’s important to know how your insurance company will help. It’s important to establish who was at fault. If you were not at fault, you don’t want to spend more of your own money than necessary to get your vehicle repaired and your health back to normal. Your car insurance coverage will dictate what the insurance company will and will not take care of for you. Basic auto insurance will often be for liability coverage, which means that it will take care of what you did to someone else’s vehicle. However, if you have collision coverage, the insurance company will be able to take care of repairs as long as you pay the deductible. At some point, you need to consider seeking the help of a Spokane personal injury lawyer to ensure that all of the various steps are taken care of. It all starts with what you do at the scene of the accident. It’s important to get a police report written out that goes into detail what happened. If there were witnesses, their information should be obtained, too. Your own insurance company will help you up to a certain point. They will help you to get your vehicle repaired. They may even help you to get the deductible back from the responsible party’s insurance. However, if you were injured, they are not going to focus heavily on any kind of compensation package for you. That will be between you and the insurance company of the person who was responsible for the accident. This is why it can be beneficial to call Feltman Ewing. We can provide you with a Spokane personal injury lawyer who will fight for your rights. You can get all of the help that you need repairing your vehicle and obtaining the medical care that you need. Once you have been released from the doctor, it is also possible to explore a financial compensation package that covers your pain and suffering as well as any lost wages. Rather than accepting the first offer that the insurance company gives you, you can have a lawyer negotiating what you deserve. According to Spokane Cares, there were 31,000 deaths from auto accidents as a result of texting and driving, taking selfies, video chatting, and more. You shouldn’t be financially responsible for an accident due to someone else’s carelessness. Obtain the help from a legal professional to ensure that your case is handled properly from the very beginning. Contact our expert attorneys today. For more information please visit our site.

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What does a business lawyer do?

Running a successful company today requires business owners to navigate legal challenges when they arise. However, effectively dealing with a legal matter can be complicated and time consuming particularly if you are not well-versed in the current state and federal business laws. Rather than allow legal dilemmas to overwhelm you and your company, you could resolve them quickly by hiring a skilled Spokane commercial and business lawyer to represent you. What is a Business Lawyer?A business lawyer is an attorney who specializes in business law. This area of law focuses on legal issues that affect businesses of all sizes today. A Spokane commercial and business lawyer may regularly deal with legal matters like: Taxation of a business Business structuring Commercial transactions Intellectual property IRS audits This type of attorney can represent individual clients or entire corporations. Having a business lawyer on retainer for your business can be vital if you want to readily address any legal challenges that might arise during your company’s operations. When to Hire a Business LawyerIf you do not have one on retainer right now, you might wonder when you need to call a law firm like Feltman Ewing to represent you. You ideally should contact a skilled business lawyer anytime a legal issue presents itself to your company. For example, if you run your company with one or more business partners, you may need to retain a business lawyer if you want to make special allocations of profits and losses in the partnership or LLC operating agreement. Likewise, a business attorney can help you and your business partners contribute appreciated property to the partnership or LLC. Similarly, if you are buying or starting a business and find yourself confronted with environmental challenges like disputes with a landowner or accusations of contamination, you need a business lawyer to advocate for your business in these matters. A business lawyer can also represent you if one of your current or former employees accuses you or someone within your company of sexual harassment. How to Find a Skilled Business Lawyer When you want to protect your business fully, you want to entrust its reputation, structure, and finances to an experienced business law firm like Feltman Ewing. Feltman Ewing has helped many commercial clients achieve desired legal outcomes in their favor. This law firm can likewise help you and your business get the positive outcome you want in your legal case. A skilled business law firm is also one that can handle any legal matter for a company in a prompt, discreet, and professional manner. You may not want your issues made known to the public. Instead, you prefer them to be addressed quickly and with your privacy fully protected. Finally, you may prefer to hire a law firm rather than an individual lawyer because of the availability of resources. A law firm typically has numerous staff members as well as dozens of resources that it can devote to your case. For example, if you were to go through a business lawsuit, the resources that a law firm can bring will come in handy to provide the best outcome to your business. The success of your business may depend on how well it can handle legal challenges. You can address legal issues that arise by hiring an experienced business attorney today. http://bit.ly/2I7zFOe

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The Spokane Divorce Process

Getting a divorce isn’t a decision you and your spouse should make lightly. It can be a very upsetting, emotional decision for you, your spouse, children, family, and friends. The more you know about the Spokane divorce process, the more you can make well-informed decisions and manage the stress that comes with legally ending your marriage. Are you thinking about filing for divorce? Has your spouse already filed for divorce? During the divorce process, your divorce will fall into one of two categories: uncontested or contested. Contact a Spokane divorce lawyer to understand your rights and filing requirements. The Four Basic Steps for an Uncontested Divorce An uncontested divorce occurs when you and your spouse agree to end your marriage legally. You often agree on marital issues such as spousal support, a division of property and child custody. If this is the category your divorce falls in, then the first step will be to complete divorce forms. According to Washington state law, the divorce process starts at this point. The divorce form is also called a Petition for Divorce. You or your spouse complete this form. This step is complete when the petition is served. So, if you complete the divorce form, this process is completed once your spouse receives the petition. The next step in the divorce process is to file the Petition for Divorce with the Spokane court. The petition must be filed where you live, not where you married your spouse. Before you start this process, make sure you meet the state’s eligibility requirement such as • You or your spouse are legal residents of Washington state • The marriage is irretrievably broken • The 90-day divorce waiting period has passed ��� Your spouse (if you filed the petition) has been served with the divorce summons In a separate step, the other spouse must be served with the filed divorce papers. It is the receiving party’s responsibility to sign the petition to acknowledge that they received the document. This process is called an “Acceptance of Service.” During this time, you and your spouse should be working on resolving issues such as child custody. The last step of an uncontested divorce is to sign the final divorce petition, then file it with the court. The divorce process can take 90 days to complete. However, it can take longer depending on specific circumstances like the number of cases filed before your case. Another factor is if you or your spouse has any objections to the petition. This is known as a contested divorce. A contested divorce may end up going to court. A Spokane divorce lawyer will explain more divorce court in Spokane. Contact Feltman Ewing for Help with Your Divorce Divorce can be a quick process depending on how well you and your spouse work together to resolve issues such as spousal support and division of property. It’s also important to have a lawyer who is experienced and has proven results. Feltman Ewing has helped numerous clients going through a divorce achieve outcomes in their favor. Contact us for help with your divorce case. For more information please visit our site.

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How to Be Prepared for a Business Lawsuit

Business owners are forced to grapple with certain realities. Among those is the idea that lawsuits can happen when you least expect them. Businesses then must prepare for lawsuits just as they would any other contingency. They must have the financial resources or insurance in place to pay either for the pursuit of a plaintiff’s lawsuit or the defense of a claim against them. They must have a plan in place to choose the right lawyer or law firm. They must have a system to preserve and identity critical documents. Doing so can be the difference between success and failure in business. After all, the expensive nature of business lawsuits means they are an existential threat to a company’s livelihood. With this in mind, how should you ensure that you are prepared for a business lawsuit? Keeping a “War Chest” of sorts Smart businesses know that they have to put some money away for contingencies. While a company will not have a family’s emergency fund for the child’s dental work, they may need some money put aside to ensure that they can either pursue or defend a lawsuit. While a good Spokane commercial and business lawyer can be somewhat affordable, lawsuits cost money. It is imperative that you can take the correct action without having to worry about money. When a legal issue arises, your company’s life is on the line. Being prepared financially can allow you to make the right decision based on the merits rather than on financial constraints. Having insurance can help if you do not cash on hand for these events. Have a good law firm in mind before a problem arisesThe lawyers at Feltman Ewing can tell you that it is best to always conduct business in a way that avoids the risk of lawsuits altogether. Litigation can be time consuming and distracting. A skilled Spokane commercial and business lawyer can guide you through a legal minefield, but you would benefit from never stepping foot in that field in the first place. According to some statistics, nearly nine in every 10 American companies juggles multiple lawsuits at one time. While large corporations often cannot avoid this, smaller companies should keep a good lawyer on retainer to figure out how to avoid litigation where possible. Have a system in place to protect documents and evidence When Feltman Ewing handles cases, one of the most important things they can do is help you preserve and acquire the evidence needed to win your case or gain leverage over your opponent. You can help yourself if you can develop a system for keeping and organizing information. Lawsuits are invariably about paper and discovery. Do you have the records you need to show that the other company agreed to send over 100 shipments of some product? The better you can organize your information, the more success you will have. Calling a good lawyer is critical when you find yourself in these situations. Feltman Ewing helps people in the Spokane area who have business disputes or potential business disputes. Calling them can significantly benefit you in your business trials. For more information please visit our site.

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The difference between a contested and uncontested divorce

Are you considering filing for divorce? If so, you are not alone. Studies show that nearly 40 percent of all marriages end in divorce. No matter what state you live in, your divorce will be classified as either a contested or uncontested divorce. It’s important to understand the difference between these two types before filing. Uncontested Divorce An uncontested divorce is one in which both parties agree to the divorce. In this type of divorce, both parties reach an agreement as to the terms of the divorce, which includes allocating debt, division of assets, child custody, child support, and alimony. In general, uncontested divorces are faster, less expensive, and less stressful than contested ones. Contested Divorce A contested divorce, on the other hand, is one in which both parties cannot come to a mutual agreement. In some cases, the two parties cannot even agree to the divorce in the first place. With all fifty states now having a no-fault divorce option, one party may be able to delay the divorce, but this will not stop it from being finalized. Most of the time, however, both parties disagree on portions of the divorce, such as child custody, division of property, and alimony. Final Settlement With an uncontested divorce, a final agreement is made rather quickly. It then proceeds to the court for approval without either party even stepping foot in the courtroom. The process for a contested divorce is much slower and drawn out. Typically, the first step is for both parties to go through a mediation process to try to work out a mutual agreement. If this process doesn’t work, the final divorce agreement will be worked out in the court. A judge will review your case and make the final judgment for everything from the division of property to child custody to alimony. Both parties will be required to provide the court with various documents and financial records. When to Seek Legal Help The last thing you want to do is to head into divorce court without a Spokane divorce lawyer by your side. If you are facing a contested divorce, it is crucial that you seek out legal representation as soon as possible. Your divorce attorney can walk you through the process, comply with the court’s discovery orders, and ensure you seek a settlement that is in your best interests. What many people don’t realize is the need to seek out legal representation even when going through an uncontested divorce. Even when both parties agree on the primary conditions of the divorce, it’s vital that the final settlement includes all the necessary details. Just one small error or omission could affect you and your family for years to come. It’s essential to have a divorce attorney review your final agreement before processing it. If you’re contemplating divorce, your first step should be to contact an experienced Spokane divorce lawyer at the law office of Feltman Ewing. For more than 60 years, the Feltman Ewing law office has been helping residents of Spokane navigate through the divorce process, and they are ready to help you. Whether facing a contested or uncontested divorce, a divorce attorney at Feltman Ewing can walk you through the process, provided expert legal advice, and work towards helping you get a final settlement that is in your best interest. Contact the law office of Feltman Ewing to schedule your initial consultation today. For more information please visit our site.

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What constitutes a Spokane personal injury

Millions of people suffer injuries from accidents each year. In fact, statistics show that in 2015 more than two million people were hospitalized due to personal injuries. More than 27 million also had to visit the emergency room after being injured in an accident. Personal injury accidents can take a devastating toll on your family, finances, and ability to return to work. You may recover compensation that you are legally entitled to by retaining a Spokane personal injury lawyer to represent you. Types of Personal Injury Accidents A wide array of circumstances qualify as personal injury accidents. Some of the most common examples include: Car accidents Slip and fall accidents Medical malpractice Animal bites Assault and battery These accidents can lead to extensive injuries that may limit your physical movements, rob you of your ability to earn a living, and result in thousands of dollars in medical bills. The Toll of Personal Injury Accidents After you have been hurt in a personal injury accident, you may experience significant changes to your everyday life. Simple tasks like taking a shower or getting dressed may become more difficult. You also may suffer from emotional or mental trauma like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, all of which can make leaving your home and resuming your normal routine extremely difficult. Additionally, the damages you suffer in a personal injury accident may leave you unable to work or earn an income for you and your household. Your family may fall behind on bills or not have enough money with which to buy groceries. You may even face circumstances like foreclosure or eviction from your home. In extreme cases, you may face the risk of being homeless because of the injuries you suffered in an accident. Legal Recourse for Accident Victims You do not have to face these circumstances just because you suffered an injury in an accident that you did not cause. The person or party responsible for the accident may owe you compensation for your injuries, emotional distress, and expenses like medical bills and lost income. When you hire a skilled Spokane personal injury lawyer like our attorneys at Feltman Ewing, you can take the necessary steps to pursue justice and compensation to which you are legally entitled. Feltman Ewing has helped many accident victims with outcomes in their favor after they suffered damages in personal injury accidents. You can start your case today by calling Feltman Ewing for professional legal representation. With an experienced personal injury attorney representing you, they help build a case to prove who is at fault and accountable for damages. Often, the person or party you file suit against may agree to settle the matter instead of taking it to trial. A personal injury can rob you of your livelihood and peace of mind. You can protect your future and pursue compensation and justice in court. Find out more about your personal injury accident options by calling the law firm of Feltman Ewing today. For more information please visit our site. http://bit.ly/2NYIRp8