In many cases, the officer has already decided if they are going to give you a citation before he or she even talks to you. One of the first things an officer is trained to notice is if you or the vehicle smells of alcohol. A good idea is to eat a small snack such as peanut butter crackers before driving to combat the “bar smell”.

Do not ever get out of your vehicle to take a sobriety test. These are designed for failure, and are hard to pass even if sober. Do not blow into a breathalyzer at the scene either. Oftentimes the machines in patrol cars are outdated and inaccurate. In the case that you are charged with a DUI, it is best to go down to the station, and then seek the help of an attorney. A skilled defense attorney will be able to lower your fines or keep the DUI charge off your permanent records.

My best advice for avoiding a DUI? Wait a few extra minutes for that cab, or call a friend. Don’t get behind the wheel after drinking, no matter how many (or how few) you’ve had.

Almost twenty years later, its infamy lives on. The hot coffee case is regularly used as an example of how average people have taken advantage of our legal system. Is that a fair assumption, though?

Stella Liebeck, then 79 years old, was in the car with her grandson when she tried to remove the lid from her coffee they had just purchased from the drive-thru to add cream and sugar. When the coffee spilled onto her lap, she was horrifically burned. She suffered 3^rd and 4^th degree burns (some all the way to the bone) on her thighs and groin. Her burns were so severe that she almost died, and her initial hospitalization was eight days, followed by skin grafts and two years of follow-up treatment.

Initially, Stella and her lawyer simply sought compensation for her medical bills. McDonald’s refused to offer more than an $800 settlement for the $10,500 in medical bills, though, leading her to sue the corporation over the dangerous temperature of the coffee and the defectiveness of its cups.

Bringing a lawsuit against a corporation is often vilified. But let’s not forget that in cases where someone is severely hurt, going to court to gain justice is actually quite heroic.

If you have questions about negligent security at a business or private premises, contact the premises liability experts at McAleer Law.

An $808,000 verdict was awarded to Chandra Frankfort of New Jersey after a slip and fall on an icy sidewalk. Ms. Frankfort, 35, was walking along a sidewalk outside of an automotive body shop when she icy patch. She fractured her right ankle that required implantation of stabilizing screws and rods as a result  of the fall.  A cane is now required for walking and Ms. Franklin’s total out-of-pocket medical expenses were about $8,000.

She sued an auto repair shop alleging the shop owner was negligent in not removing the ice and snow from the sidewalk and warning of its presence. The defendant argued back that Ms. Frankfort was equally negligent as she was a local resident and knew about the condition of the sidewalk.

Ms. Frankfort was a pharmaceutical marketing representative earning about $110,000 annually at the time of the accident.  As a result of her impaired ability to walk, Frankfort was forced to find another line of work and became a college counselor earning about $35,000 annually. In the wake of lost future earning capacity, the plaintiff sought about $2 million. The jury allocated 80 percent fault to the defendant and 20 percent to the plaintiff and awarded about $808,000 to Ms. Frankfort.

If you have had a slip and fall accident, call McAleer Law to get answers to your legal questions. Contact us at 404-816-7374.

While at a restaurant in the early hours of June 4, 2007, the plaintiff was robbed and shot by local gang members. Due to past criminal activity at the location, the police department had requested that the restaurant hire off-duty police officers to provide security while the only security around that night was unarmed.   The Plaintiff had an expert testify that the security provided was grossly inadequate.  While the jury deliberated, both the franchisee and the security company agreed to settle the Plaintiff’s claims.

Call McAleer Law to get answers to your legal questions. Call us at 404-816-7374.

The 76 clinics in 23 states that received methylprednisolone acetate from the three lots recalled by the New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, have been instructed to notify all affected patients.  The CDC said the “potentially contaminated injections were given starting May 21.”

If you or a loved one have been harmed by a dangerous and defective product or drug, contact the Atlanta Personal Injury Attorneys at McAleer Law today — Call now 404-816-7374.

A North Carolina jury recently awarded a young couple $1.7 million in a lawsuit against a local restaurant, Eddie’s Place.   On October 20, 2010, 25-year-old David Canter Huffman was speeding after leaving the restaurant and crossed over the center line and hit Matt and Meredith Eastridge’s car.  Mr. Huffman died in the crash as did the Plaintiffs’ unborn son.  Mrs. Eastridge was a front-seat passenger and was six months pregnant at the time.

Mr. Huffman had been drinking at Eddie’s Place and had a blood alcohol level that was nearly three times the legal limit.

Such a suit is brought under a state’s Dram Shop laws which are in place to protect the public from not only intoxicated drivers but also from bars, night clubs and restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages to guests who are noticeably intoxicated, knowing that these guests are  likely to be driving.

If you have been the victim of an alcohol-related auto accident, call McAleer Law to get answers to your legal questions. Call us at 404-816-7374.