Drinking and driving is widely understood to be an unacceptable action on the part of anyone, regardless of their age. Adults often have the experience and means necessary to avoid ending up in a situation where that's a likely outcome, but that isn't necessarily the case with teens or young adults. Unfortunately, opening that dialog with your son or daughter isn't always easy, so having some strategies and talking points can help get the conversation started. [Read More]

Seat belts aren't only designed to physically protect you in the event of an accident. Seat belts also provide financial protection when an accident occurs. If you have been involved in an accident where you weren't wearing your seat belt, it's important to know what type of legal roadblocks could be standing in front of you.    Seat Belt Defense The first challenge you face is the seat belt defense. If you happen to live in one of the 16 states that have this law in place, your failure to wear a seat belt automatically reduces the amount of compensation you can collect. [Read More]

An on-the-record, or OTR, decision from the Social Security Administration can help expedite the appeals process if your disability benefits claim was denied. Whether or not an OTR decision is the best for your case depends largely on the facts of your case. If you are considering filing a request with the SSA for an OTR decision, here is what you need to know before you do. What Is an OTR Decision? [Read More]

You don't have to go to jail if convicted of a crime. There are alternative sentences, most of them more lenient than serving jail time, which the court may offer you. Your chance of getting an alternative sentence is better if your situation meets most of these conditions: Your Alleged Crime Doesn't Carry a Mandatory Prison Sentence You stand a good chance of getting an alternative sentence if your offense doesn't have a mandatory prison sentence. [Read More]