You Can Stay at Home, But…

Not all DUI convictions end up in the slammer. You can keep your driving privileges but with restrictions like an ignition interlock device in your car or court-mandated daily driving plan. However, not all people are familiar with house arrests. As the term implies, the person can continue to stay at his residence and resume normal life.

Of course, the law won’t leave it just like that. In exchange for this low-level sentence, the person must follow any court-mandated lifestyles like curfews and travel restrictions. Possibly the most notable feature of a house arrest is an electronic monitoring anklet or bracelet called the Secure Continuous Remote Alcohol Monitoring (SCRAM) system.

Produced by Alcohol Monitoring Systems based in Littleton, CO, the SCRAM system works by detecting alcohol via the person’s perspiration. The device is highly sensitive; just a small sip of beer can alert authorities to the wearer’s residence. The California Penal Code permits house arrests via this method under Section 1203.016.

More importantly, house arrest costs will be shouldered by the person, including the SCRAM system. Those without the ability to pay for house arrest aren’t necessarily excluded from the program. Given the pros and cons of house arrest, it’s prudent that you consult a defense lawyer before entering a plea bargain that involves this form of incarceration.

Call a Lawyer for Construction Accident Cases

Construction work can result in accidents that restrict your earning potential. Unfortunately, construction accidents account for a large number of workers’ injury and fatality in the country. Here are the top causes of construction accidents:

Accidental Falls

Falling is the most frequent cause, usually due to equipment or wires lying around, dusty or slippery floors, and holes that weren’t properly covered or marked. Work safety personnel or maintenance crew are the people in charge of keeping construction sites clear of safety hazards.

Scaffolding Accidents

A good number of construction workers spend much time in structures located hundreds of meters aboveground, and are all prone to falling risks. Weak or damaged scaffolding is a recipe for danger. Scaffolding needs to be regularly checked and maintained, and every worker needs to have safety gear to protect them in case they fall.

Machinery Accidents

Construction sites naturally have heavy equipment and machinery like cranes and motorized machines, which are operated daily. Workers must have adequate training to handle these machines and should be taught proper safety precautions.

Electrocution

Unfortunately, this is an accident that happens often although it can be easily prevented. Ideally, electric wiring should be kept out of high-traffic and open areas, properly labeled and insulated, and workers should be made aware of their location.

Get duly compensated for these accidents by calling a lawyer ASAP.

Proving Trauma

Personal injury isn’t only limited to physical harm. The graver but more difficult to prove injuries are usually emotional. A serious car accident can change a person’s life the next moment—and being unable to drive due to debilitating injuries is just the beginning. If the evidence of your injuries points to trauma, the payout can be pretty big.

Proving emotional damage requires more scrutiny into these claims, namely by a specialist or an expert witness. Judge and jury are expected to stay as objective as possible to ensure a fair trial, even if the judge feels sympathy for the victim. An expert witness’s unbiased report on the victim’s mental health will provide the pieces to solve this puzzle.

A personal injury attorney is usually the primary avenue to an expert witness, so you need only to cooperate with your attorney when he grills you about the incident.  The attorneys will contact expert witnesses to take a look at their client. Unfortunately, the client might not participate in dialogues between the expert witness and attorney under the attorney-work product doctrine.

However, the attorney can disclose information to both parties regarding the dialogue, namely the credibility of the expert and his or her unbiased opinion. This is especially the case if your attorney plans to use the information in court.