Law Blog

It sounds like your worst nightmare: you need help right away because you have been in an accident, kidnapped, or suffered a serious injury. Fortunately, you have managed to get to a phone to call 911. You wait patiently assuming that help will be on the way soon. However, the 911 dispatcher isn’t responsive to your questions or doesn’t seem to understand how urgent your situation is. You may have even ended up on hold, awaiting the chance to speak with a 911 dispatcher.

 

It sounds shocking but this is exactly what prompted the city of San Diego to make updates to its 911 system after the death of a Mira Mesa infant in a dog mauling.

 

Infant Death Leads to New Calls for 911 System Improvements

 

On April 21, 2016, a family in Mira Mesa suffered a devastating animal attack which ultimately resulting in the death of their infant child. The parents said that they were in bed watching TV when the mother coughed, startling the family dog causing it to bite their newborn baby. The couple had called 911 twice before driving to the hospital after the family dog attacked their baby. The baby was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to police.

 

Had there been a prompt response to the couple’s 911 call, the outcome might have been different. However, the failure of the San Diego 911 dispatcher system meant that it took the couple longer to get help than if the call would have been answered promptly. In addition, without the aid of the 911 dispatcher, the couple was not instructed on how to deliver urgent medical treatment to their infant child while the child was in transport to the hospital.

 

The 911 system also failed other residents in two home invasion cases in Bankers Hill and La Jolla. The residents both waiting an average of 7 minutes to get hold of 911 dispatchers after intruders were discovered in their homes during the night. In the Bankers Hill case, the intruder escaped. In the La Jolla case, the two suspects were later found hiding under neighbors’ cars and were arrested by the police.

 

Although these two home invasion incidents did not result in any injuries for the victims, the poor response times of San Diego’s emergency dispatch system has left people in life-threatening situations. Long call wait times are a threat to public safety and are not acceptable.

 

Why Did San Diego’s 911 System Fail Its Residents?

 

The city faults the pension crisis and economic recession for the poor service delivered by its 911 system. The San Diego 911 call system experienced a series of budget cuts from 2008 to 2012, resulting in a lag in call pickup times.

 

These budget cuts have resulted in fewer dispatchers being available to answer calls despite the fact that call volumes have increased. While the city has made some recent attempts to fix the situation, by adding 16 emergency and non-emergency lines, these improvements were only able to address the busy signals that some 911 callers experienced. However, the updates did nothing to address the increasing wait times.

 

According to officials, the wait times to speak with a 911 operator in 2015 averaged roughly 13 seconds. San Diego’s 911 system has a goal to answer calls within 10 seconds 90 percent of the time, but only reached 67 percent in April of this year. In 2015, this target was only reached 80.67 percent of the time with a total call volume of 672,834 calls.

 

Upcoming Improvements

 

The city plans to implement more aggressive policies to improve the 911 call system. Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s plan for updating the 911 call system, include:

 

• Additional funding for dispatcher recruitment and retention.
• Analysis and reporting to improve performance and efficiency.
• Modernization of the dispatch system and procedures.
• Monthly public reports regarding the 911 call statistics to be made available to the public.
• A public awareness campaign to notify residents not to hang up because it wastes resources and causes systemic delays. The campaign will also remind residents to avoid using 911 for non-emergency situations.

 

However, the mayor’s plan isn’t expected to be implemented until 2017, which is when the department’s computer-aided dispatch system will also be updated. In the meantime, the mayor has authorized Police Chief Shelley Zimmerman to allow police officers and city staffers to work overtime as 911 dispatchers.

 

While these improvements may help alleviate some of the problems in the interim, the city still has a lot to do in order to pinpoint all of the bottlenecks in its system. With a lack of insight into system failures that are not staff-related, it could be some time until the San Diego 911 system delivers on its promises of shorter call wait times. In the meantime, more than one million San Diego residents are still at risk of experiencing 911 system delays.

 

If believe you or a loved one has been severely harmed due to the failure of your local 911 system, you should speak with a lawyer right away. Send us an email or call Walker Law at (619) 839-9978 to schedule your free consultation.

 

Sources:

 

http://timesofsandiego.com/life/2016/04/25/did-911-fail-san-diego-parents-as-dog-mauled-baby/

http://timesofsandiego.com/crime/2016/04/22/newborn-baby-apparently-killed-by-dog-in-mira-mesa/

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/03/faulconer-911/

http://www.emsworld.com/news/12203706/calif-citys-mayor-vows-improvements-to-9-1-1-response

http://fox5sandiego.com/2016/05/03/mayor-addresses-911-dispatcher-staffing-issues/

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2016/may/03/faulconer-911/

http://www.10news.com/news/city-addressing-911-dispatch-issues-050316

http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/topics/public-safety/two-home-invasions-two-families-who-waited-on-hold-with-911/

 

Are you ready to face another great day? What are you planning to do today? Is it going to be something that you have been planning to do for a long time now such as listening to your favorite music tunes with this classic jag?

My day today is going to be superb. My family and I are heading to the forest and park where we are going to relax for many hours and I am definitely going to bring some music with me just to make the atmoshphere better.

If you’ve recently been in an auto accident, you may be wondering if hiring legal representation is the right move. The answer to that is yes. Even if your case never goes to litigation, an experienced Personal Injury Lawyer can help you navigate the claims process. Here’s how.

A personal injury lawyer has experience.

 

There are several areas in which personal injury lawyers have experience including:

 

• Experience assessing claims. A good personal injury lawyer can examine your case and tell you whether or not pursing legal action is worth it, saving you time and money if you are unlikely to win your case.
• Experience with paperwork and red tape. There is a seemingly unending amount of paperwork and legalese that goes along with personal injury claims. Your lawyer can deal with the red tape so you don’t have to.
• Experience dealing with other lawyers. Trying to work with the other party’s lawyer can be intimidating and confusing. Your personal injury lawyer can quickly and effectively deal with the opposing party’s attorney.
• Experience dealing with insurance companies. The opposing party’s insurance team will often try to convince you to settle for the least amount possible. Your personal injury lawyer can ensure you are not taken advantage of.

A personal injury lawyer has a team.

 

Many personal injury lawyers have investigative teams who can thoroughly examine the technical aspects of your case. It’s important to provide this team with complete, pertinent information regarding your accident and injury.

A personal injury lawyer provides options.

 

In many cases, going to court isn’t necessary to resolve a case and receive a settlement. Mediation and arbitration are two alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods sometimes used in personal injury cases. These methods can often save you time, money and emotional distress when compared to going to court.

A personal injury lawyer can get you better results.

 

When it comes to negotiating a settlement, this means you give up your right to sue the opposing party in exchange for monetary compensation. Your lawyer can get you the best settlement possible as quickly as possible. If you do have to go to court, your lawyer can put together the most effective strategy in order to get a jury verdict in your favor and the highest amount of compensation possible.

 

Because most personal injury lawyers will provide a free consultation, you have nothing to lose by speaking with a lawyer about your case.

The dangers of the road are numerous; however one of the leading causes of car accidents in the United States is distracted driving. In these cases, road users do not pay close enough attention to the road, and therefore they put others at risk. Distracted driving can include; texting while driving, talking on a handheld phone, reading emails or websites, eating, putting on make-up, adjusting stereo controls, and using the car’s sat nav controls. Even if you have the facilities to do this in your vehicle, it is still your responsibility to pay attention to your driving. Around 70% of drivers admit that they have talked on their cell phone while driving, with 31 percent of respondents stating that they do so regularly. 42 Percent have read a text or email while behind the wheel. It normally takes about 5 seconds to read a text message, which means that the driver has their eyes off of the road for 5 seconds. If they are travelling at just 55mph at the time, they would be able to travel the length of a football pitch before they started to concentrate on the road again! No matter how small the distraction is, distracted driving is dangerous driving. If an accident occurs because of this distraction, then the driver could be considered to be liable. This means that the driver or their insurance company will need to pay out for any damages or injuries which occurred as a result of that accident. Claims for negligence in distracted driving cases If you or one of your loved ones has been injured because another party was distracted while driving, then you could be able to make a claim for compensation. Time is crucial in these cases, due to the statute of limitations and the ability to collect all of the data that you need, therefore you must act soon. To learn more about your legal rights and responsibilities in a distracted driving claim, you should get in contact with a car accident lawyer.

Small as well as larger companies have many challenges facing them each day such as claiming what is their in terms of money. I am thinking here about all those cases in which companies can gain something from it financially.

It is not that easy to be a small business owner. A person who owns and manages a business is responsible for a wide range of tasks. Sometimes, there might be many of them at the same time. What is more, nobody expects a business owner to know everything there is to know about various legal issues surrounding running a business. If you own and manage company, how can you possibly know everything there is to know about all those intricacies surrounding your business? This is something you should go directly to Stanford Law as they know everything there is to know and they have years of experience behind their belt to prove it.

If you feel that as a business owner you struggle with overcoming your daily challenges, you might want to seek assistance to help you to overcome it. Dealing with constant pressure to do good might be just too much for you, and can cause your company to shut down. Of course, this is something that can be avoided if you take the matter to the right people. Such people will be able to help you with all sorts of issues such as tax issues, audit, acquisitions etc. No case is too big or too small for them as they know exactly what they are doing. They will be able to tell you upfront how much compensation you can claim, and what to do in order to make that happen. Only that way can you be sure that you are getting the best professional care possible, the care that can make the difference between staying in business or being shut down.

Having a trained small business lawyer on your team is essential for any small business that is either starting out or already in business.

No matter the size of your business or how long you’ve been in operation, legal representation through a small business lawyer is a must.  This is especially true if you are a small business that is just starting out.  There are many technical decisions to make and legal work to be handled.  This is not the time to feel your way around and end up making mistakes, as this can be very costly.  Traditionally, hiring a lawyer up front so you have legal assistance right from the beginning is more cost effective than trying to fix mistakes you made later on.  Legal actions that may look straightforward can often be more difficult than they seem.

There are many reasons that your business can benefit from a small business lawyer.

Select A Suitable Business Structure

Before your business is made official, you must put a business structure in place.  You have many options to choose from such as going the route of sole proprietorship, starting a limited or incorporated company or even co-ops.  A small business lawyer will help you understand and choose the correct path forwards.  Your attorney will then also assist you in filling out the legal documents that are required and drawing up any terms that a partnership will be governed by.  This will help stop disputes down the road and keep you on track to success.

Purchasing A Business That Is Already Operating

If you have found a business that you wish to purchase, a business lawyer is a valuable tool to help determine which route to go.  Sometimes you may want to buy only the assets of a business or shares in a corporation.  Any purchase requires a buy-sell agreement that is signed by both parties and puts in writing all obligations and demands and other agreement terms.

Leases

Starting a business usually means leasing office space for your center of operations.  These leases can end up being one of your most costly expenses so choose wisely.  In the future your business may expand or relocate, which means you will want to get out of your lease.  This is where your lawyer can give advice before you sign a lease and help to smooth any transition down the road.

Contracts & Agreements

Drawing up legal contracts is an important part of a small business lawyer’s job.

You will require assistance for:

• Leasing
• Purchasing property
• Mortgages
• Licensing agreements
• Franchise agreements
• Subcontracting
• Employment practices
• Taxation practices
• And more

There may be many other issues that arise where an experienced small business lawyer will be necessary for your business, such as

• Copyright claims
• Damage mitigation
• Business partner concerns
• Environmental issues
• Employee law
• Business closure

These are all very specialized legal processes and are best done by professionals so that no mistakes are made and the process runs smoothly.

Choosing A Small Business Lawyer

The best way to locate a good lawyer for your business is through the referral of someone you trust.  Barring that you can do an online search for a lawyer in your area.  As an example, if you were located in Ottawa, an appropriate search term would be “small business lawyer Ottawa”.  You would then make a list of the results and proceed to have consultations until you find a lawyer that suits your needs.  You can also expand your search to bar associations or law societies in Canada where lawyers are listed and often reviewed by the public and their peers.  Finding the right small business lawyer for your company is not to be taken lightly and is a very important part of going into business.

There are some things in my life that make my existence so much better. One of those things is definitely music, for example in the form of this elektron octatrack. I don’t know what it is about music, but when I hear my favorite beat, everything around me changes suddenly and I have that desire to dance, be happy, and show love to others. This is how music affects my life.

When you look around you, how many happily married couples do you actually see? I am not sure that so many really happy married couples can be found anymore. Many married people I know do not like one another anymore or they are so bored with one another that they want a way out.

It breaks my heart to see so many married couples divorce, but I understand why sometimes nothing can be done about it. Often it might be better for a couple to divorce rather than spend the rest of their lives hating each other while living together.

Only because I am happily married does not mean that everybody else was lucky to find such a wonderful spouse. Marriage requires a lot of commitment and time. Not everybody has what it takes to commit to marriage and be good at it. Also, not everybody is suited for marriage. Some people are simply happier if they remain single for the rest of their lives. The decision is up to them what they are going to do about their lives.

What can be done if your spouse decides to divorce you? Instead of panicking, you should start thinking about hiring a lawyer such as a lawyer from http://josiah-lakegardiner.com/ to help you in court. In my opinion, you should never attempt to try to defend yourself in court alone. There might be many things you might not know about that experienced attorneys specialise in. It would be such a shame to lose a lot of money as a result of a divorce only because you decided not to hire an attorney.

An experienced attorney can be of great help to all those who need to defend themselves in court against their own spouses. The way you defend yourself in court is going to affect the rest of your life. It will also be true especially if you have children.

If you’re planning to get married soon, you probably want your wedding to be a smashing success. The key to success in this venture is accessing and implementing strategies that will help optimize your marriage ceremony. Here are four strategies that can help you realize this goal:

1. Work Out.

It’s safe to say that most people want to look incredible on their wedding day. As such, it’s important for you to start implementing beauty strategies now. One of the best beauty tips on the block is working out. Exercising regularly promotes clearer skin, a firmer physique, and better posture. Working out can also relieve a lot of the stress and anxiety that develops throughout the wedding preparation process.

2. Hire The Right Photographer.

Photographers help make your wedding day memorable by providing you and your partner with high quality photos. To ensure that you attain professional services from the best photography company on the block, there are several things you should look for in the company. Some of them include good online reviews, extensive industry experience, a good Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, and reasonable rates.

3. Have Your Make-Up Professionally Done.

Unless you are a cosmetics expert, it’s a good idea to have your make-up professionally done for your wedding day. Doing so will help ensure that you look absolutely amazing. The Internet makes it easy for you to find a top notch make-up artist by doing a keyword search. If you live in Atlanta, a good search phrase to use would be “Find Wedding Make-Up Artist In Atlanta, Georgia.”

4. Consider A Civil Marriage.

One final strategy you may want to use to make your wedding successful is having a civil marriage. In some cases, the stress and worry associated with the ceremony preparation process is just too much. To avoid the anxiety, you may want to enact your marriage without a formal ceremony. Companies like Me Mona Salehi Study provide clients with mariages civils Montreal residents can complete quickly and correctly.

Don’t Delay: Prepare For Success Today!

If you want your marriage ceremony to be as exceptional as possible, don’t procrastinate. Instead, start implementing wedding optimization strategies right now. Doing so will ensure that your special day is memorable and successful.

Some of you might be wondering what the difference between a lawyer and a paralegal is. In a nutshell, a paralegal is somebody who is not fully qualified to be a lawyer, but whose knowledge is satisfactory to perform certain duties in a law firm. In other words this means that paralegals don’t have to study as hard as lawyers but can still reap the benefits of working for various law firms. You might want to think of paralegals as assistants who help lawyers as well as justices with their research, paperwork as well as all related stuff. As you can see, their role is crucial to every practice as they ensure that everything runs smoothly and that everything happens on time.

If my post already convinced you to become a paralegal, you might be interested in visiting this website: certifiedparalegals.org. This place will tell you everything you want and need to know to ensure that you become a paralegal one day. As long as you have an interest in all of the important aspects of the law, you shouldn’t find it that difficult to take all the necessary steps that will allow you to become a paralegal one day. The right type of discipline is also mandatory to become a paralegal.

When you want to apply for a position of a paralegal, you will usually be asked about your education. This is the first thing you will want to consider when trying to become one. A potential paralegal is somebody with the right education. You might want to find a school that is close to you and one that will allow you to obtain the qualifications that are honored in your area.

The next thing on the agenda is the right experience. If you are inexperienced as a paralegal, you might want to consider working for free at least for a few months. After this time, you should be ready to apply for the job.

Problems sometimes occur in the workplace beyond anyone’s control. Always follow the right course of action that will protect the employer. Workplace issues are quite common. Sometimes managers have to deal with sexual harassment and other behavioral problems. Additionally, management should always be objective and seek the advice of a Human Resource representative. Also, managers should protect themselves at all cost.

Sexual Harassment

All employers should make it their responsibility to investigate claims of sexual harassment in the workplace. It gets mandated by federal law. If employers do not investigate claims, they could be subjected to lawsuits from the claimant and from the person who gets accused.

There are a few things that employers can do to protect themselves. They can establish written policies and procedures regarding harassment. This should be a part of the employee manual.

Additionally, employers should investigate within 24 to 48 hours after learning of the problem. The investigation could get done by the Human Resource Department, or by an outside party, for example, Tully Rinckey PLLC.

Moreover, the employer should check to see if there is any truth to the harassment claim. After investigating, and if there is any truth to the claims, then take disciplinary actions. The guidelines outlined in the written policy should get administered.

Furthermore, everything should get documented and separated from all personnel records. Managers and employers could also visit a Facebook page that has complete details on how to handle such workplace issues. This is just a precautionary measure to make sure that all angles get covered.

Do Not Turn Problems into a Personal Matter

If an employee has behavioral problems, a manager or supervisor should be objective when dealing with such matters. Communicate with the employee what behavior is acceptable and what is unacceptable. There is no need to get angry and scold the employee about your disappointment in him or her. If necessary, give the employee guidance.

Always give the employee a chance to show that he or she is capable of behaving professionally. Let the employee decides whether he or she wants to adhere to company policy. If the employee is not complying, the supervisor or manager has the right to take proper actions.

Do not put off Seeking Professional Help

Make the Human Resource person your friend in that as soon as a problem arises; speak to a Human Resource Personnel. They have the proper training to deal with certain workplace issues. They are familiar with the signs, and they know employment laws. Consulting with a Human Resource person shows objectivity. It could also prevent you from making the wrong decisions.

Do Not Worry about what the Employee Would Do

As a manager, you always want to protect yourself. Do not worry too much about any lawsuits an employee might file. Additionally, do not get caught up into thinking that the employee might get aggressive. Once all the proper actions get taken, based on the advice of a Human Resource rep, everything should work out well in the manager’s favor. Following company protocol is always the best choice of action. Additionally, alert the higher ups. All bases should get covered.

In conclusion, if a manager suspects sexual harassment, immediate actions should get taken. Investigate and document everything. Stay objective at all cost. Do not take anything personal. Get professional help from people who are qualified to handle such matters. Cover yourself and follow protocol instead of worrying about what an employee might do.

We get advice from one of the finest estate lawyers in Ottawa.

A large percentage of deaths occur without a proper will or executable estate plans in place.  If an estate plan is not in place, the government will automatically transfer assets to the closest relatives of the deceased and rule on the fate of children if the other parent or guardian is unable to do so.  It is important to have your affairs in order to ensure these types of decisions are made the way you want them in advance.

Who Can Benefit From An Estate Lawyer?

Estate planning is more than just deciding where your assets go and planning how to shelter your money tax in the case that the sum is substantial.  Who better to choose how your assets are distributed than you?  Planning ahead allows you to make guidelines for loved ones to follow in terms of health care and asset distribution.  Without a plan, the state will decide on the assets and your family may not benefit.  High lawyer fees can be involved in trying to distribute wealth after a death if there is no distinct plan in place.

Making Your Own Estate Plan

Many DIY options exist on the Internet, in books, other resources or through a non-profit organization.  These can provide or outline living trusts, powers of attorney, last wills and other documentation for nominally less than an estate planning lawyer.  While all these documents can be filled out and also executed by one-self, this is not recommended and deemed risky.  Estate planning can be compared to filling out tax forms.  In the case of taxes, not hiring a professional often results in a greater audit percentage, improperly filled out forms and missed deductions.  In fact, estate planning is more complex and convoluted than tax filing is so hiring a professional estate lawyer is doubly important.

Seeking Professional Help & Guidance

Sometimes estate planning can be easy, as in the case where there are few assets, no difficult family structures and no in-depth financial arrangements.  In most other cases an estate lawyer is highly recommended.  Creating your will yourself can sometimes have worse consequences than not having one at all.  A qualified estate lawyer will be able to ensure that tax exposure is minimized and assets are properly distributed.  In an arena with much subtle legality it is best to have a professional in your corner.

Often neglected, estate planning is a vital responsibility that one must not shrug off and take lightly.  Hiring an estate lawyer is in your best interest as they are affordable and can save your beneficiaries lots of time, hassle and money.  For more information about how an estate lawyer can assist you, please visit http://www.lawyercorporation.ca.