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What You Can Do to Prepare for Trial

Regardless of whether you are facing a criminal case or a personal injury case, there are certain things you can do to prepare for trial.  Trials can be intimidating to someone who is not accustomed to going to court on a daily basis. While nothing can ease your anxiety entirely, here are some tools that you can utilize to make things a bit easier. Review Your Case When you prepare for trial, it's important that you take a few minutes in the weeks before court to review your case.  If you a[...]

What You Should Do if Stopped for Driving Under the Influence

  • November 17, 2016
  • DUI

If you are stopped for driving under the influence (DUI), or any traffic violation for that matter, knowing your rights and exercising courtesy and good judgment will make a difficult situation less stressful.  Being aware of what to do when you are stopped for a DUI can lessen the chance of a conviction. Initial Reaction if Stopped for Driving Under the Influence If a police officer stops you, sit in your car with your hands visible to the officer.  Do not talk when the officer approaches; ro[...]

Driving Under the Influence Affects Your Commercial License

  • October 14, 2016
  • DUI

In the State of Washington, commercial drivers face high standards and harsh civil and criminal penalties for driving under the influence (DUI).  Not only will you lose your driver’s license, pay a fine, and be imprisoned, but you may also be required to take prevention classes or alcohol abuse classes.  You may also be required to install an ignition interlock device attached to all of your personal vehicles, which prevents you from driving unless you blow into the car breathalyzer and show[...]

Why Medical Evidence is Important in a Personal Injury Claim

The National Center for Health Statistics estimates that more than 31 million people are injured in the United States each year. Those injuries are often caused by someone else. When you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness, it can seem unfair that you must expend the time and effort to recover compensation for losses that the responsible person caused. However, the burden of proof is initially on the injured party. In fact, the injured party must prove a whole ho[...]

Preparing For A Deposition In Washington

Depositions are investigative tools utilized to gather evidence. They are part of the discovery processes and an important aspect of any litigated case. Each party to a case, witnesses and experts may be requested or ordered via notice or subpoena to be deposed by another party to the case. A good deposition can help prove the facts of a case, a theory of the case, and put a party in a better position to litigate or settle a case. For many people, a deposition can be daunting and even intimidati[...]

How Your Comparative Negligence Affects Your Washington Personal Injury Case

People who have suffered a personal injury due to the fault of others may have the basis for a lawsuit against the person or company that harmed them. In Washington, opposing parties may both seek compensation from one another even if they are both at fault for the accident that caused their injuries. Comparative Negligence With an exception for a few special types of cases, Washington is a comparative negligence state pursuant to RWC §4.22.005. In comparative negligence, a percentage of fault [...]

Explanation of Washington’s Roadside Sobriety Tests If You Are Stopped for DUI

When the police make a stop for a suspected DUI, they begin gathering evidence at the roadside. The police officer will likely conduct a series of test to determine if the driver is driving under the influence (DUI).   Three tests are commonly conducted: the horizontal gaze nystagmus test (HGN); the walk and turn test; and, the one leg stand test. Washington State Patrols Forensics Lab provides instructions and scoring guide for the tests. Understand these Washington's Roadside Sobriety Tests [...]

What Compensation Can I Expect For My Personal Injury Case?

If you were injured in an accident then you are entitled to compensation, or damages, from the at-fault party(s). “Damages” is monetary compensation you may recover through someone else’s negligence or unlawful act or omission. Knowledgeable Tacoma personal injury attorneys detail several types of damages. Know your rights and understand what compensation you can expect for your personal injury case. Economic Damages Economic damages, also called compensatory or special damages, attempt t[...]

Texting and Driving: The Law in Washington State

Using a cellphone and text messaging while driving can and does cause both minor and major car accidents according to our Tacoma texting accident lawyer.  In response, the State of Washington has passed laws limiting how drivers can use cellphones or other wireless devices while in their cars.  These laws are intended to reduce the number of distracted drivers on the road. The University of Washington found that in a study of 7,800 drivers, 624 drivers (over 8 percent of participants) were ob[...]

Tacoma DUI Lawyers on the Rising Blood Alcohol Defense

Contrary to common perception, an arrest for DUI need not automatically lead to a guilty plea or conviction. Depending on the facts and circumstances of your case, an experienced DUI attorney Tacoma can explore a number of possible defenses that may create doubt as to the viability of the prosecution’s case. Blood Alcohol Level at Time of Driving vs. at the Time of Testing The law proscribes operating a motor vehicle with a BAC greater than 0.08 percent. One problem in making that determinatio[...]