At some point in your life, it is likely that you have, or will, sign a liability waiver. These are the same types of forms many parents receive from their children’s school when the school plans to take the class on a field trip. Liability waivers are legal documents that indicate that you acknowledge the…
Oftentimes, when people experience some sort of health condition the most common answer is to take medication. Regardless of the degree of your condition, when you take medication the expectation is that it will improve your health condition. However, this is not always the case. Whether you are taking a prescription drugs or over-the-counter drugs…
The term pain and suffering frequents the courtroom and is especially frequent in personal injury cases. Many claimants use the term pain and suffering with little knowledge of what it actually means. Pain and suffering is the legal term for physical and mental stress caused by an injury. This definition classifies pain and suffering into…
Individuals who pursue personal injury claims typically do so to recover damages that stemmed from an accident. Assault and battery are both intentional torts, which means that each could serve as the basis for a civil claim where a plaintiff is looking to recover compensation for damages. Assault and battery are also illegal actions and…
Plaintiffs who are considering a malpractice lawsuit most commonly think of pursuing a suit against a doctor. Doctors, however, are not the only medical professionals who can cause patient injury through malpractice. Dentists and orthodontists can be sued as well when the services they provide to a patient fall below the standard of care required.…
Playgrounds are a place of fun and enjoyment for many children. It is an open opportunity for them to use their imagination, make new friends, and get physical exercise. However, there are risks and hidden dangers at all playgrounds that children enjoy. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, hospitals and emergency rooms…
Airplane crashes are one of the rarest types of accidents, but they do occur, and individuals need to be prepared to take legal action in the event of an airline injury. In-flight mishaps and turbulence are far more common occurrences in which individuals can find themselves injured. The Federal Aviation Administration conducted a study that…
Defamation of character is part of personal injury law because it causes damage to an individual’s character or reputation. Defamation is classified as either libel, which is written defamation or slander, which is spoken defamation. Defamation is not considered a criminal wrong, but rather a tort or a civil wrong. Defamation can take a multitude…
North Carolina’s Disclosure of Body Cam Footage Laws Transparency in law enforcement is at the forefront of public policy issues now more than ever. Disclosing body cam footage worn by law enforcement is at the center of it all. Does the government’s need to closely guard the use of force and the conduct of its…
The relationship that a client has with his client is one of the most important relationships that one will have in his life. Most importantly, the relationship is built upon trust. Even when an attorney is representing a client with criminal charges, and the client is hesitant to reveal all details to his attorney initially,…
If you’re on our webpage then you’re in the market for a lawyer but it’s very likely that you have already been inundated by letters, you’ve looked at web pages and you’ve talked to friends. But the question is still there: How do I decide which lawyer to hire? Here are some do’s and don’ts:…
How Rosensteel Fleishman Helps to Deal with Union County Traffic Tickets Drivers everywhere must be educated on the law of the road. There are numerous types of traffic violations that you can commit if you are not aware of the law. Even if you are aware, there are certain technicalities that may get you a…
Traffic Tickets Attorney in Gastonia It’s nearly impossible to maintain clean driving record throughout adult life. When we can literally count the hours in a week we spend behind the wheel, running a red light, or going past the set speed limit is almost inevitable. We are still far from the age of driverless cars,…
Charlotte Traffic Ticket Attorney A moving violation such as running a red light rule or a non-moving traffic violation such as a registration or inspection ticket are seemingly minor infractions. However, said violations can still result significant repercussions for individuals. NC Traffic violations can be expensive and time consuming since many violations require your appearance…
Driving Under the Influence of Opioids Spikes More than two million Americans are addicted to, or abuse opioids. Opioids are a class of drugs which include illegal drugs such as heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers legally prescribed by treating physicians, such as, among others, oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, and…
Fourth Amendment Rights The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.…
Distinction Between DUI and DWI DUI designates driving under the influence, while DWI refers to driving while intoxicated. However, North Carolina’s Safe Roads Act of 1983 repealed previous laws on drunk driving and placed all drug and alcohol related driving laws under a single offense, which is driving while impaired (DWI). BAC Blood alcohol concentration—or…
The Court of Appeals issued an opinion today which involved the issue of retrograde extrapolation and expert testimony. The court applied the Daubert standard for expert testimony under the amended Rule 702. However, its conclusion in allowing the expert testimony did not differ significantly from the standard previously used under Howerton. In State v. Turbyfill,…
A Mothers Against Drunk Driving activist in Asheville is advocating for harsher penalties for those convicted of DWI while driving with a child in their car. Although people who are charged with impaired driving while driving with a child in their car are also often charged with misdemeanor child abuse, the activist argues that this…
Fourteen people were arrested for impaired driving at a checkpoint in Raleigh this weekend. The checkpoint was held from 11 p.m. Friday night until 2 a.m. Saturday morning. In addition to the 14 arrests for DWI, there were also 4 driving-while-license revoked charges, 2 other traffic charges, 5 drug charges, and 2 DWI-related vehicle seizures.…
Last month, the Raleigh News & Observer saw a battle of editorials relating to the bills in the North Carolina General Assembly that would require all people convicted of DWI to use an ignition interlock for a period of time. An editorial on July 23rd by the News & Observer Editorial Board argued for the…
Today, the North Carolina Court of Appeals issued an opinion today which examined the extension of a traffic stop to conduct a dog sniff in a post-Rodriguez world. Prior to the U.S. Supreme Court’s issuing of Rodriguez v. United States in April of this year, the officer would have been able to use a de…
In 2017, North Carolina residents who rented out their homes, apartments, or living spaces, through Airbnb made roughly $97 million. In Charlotte alone, residents made over $8.7 million using the popular short-term rental service. The business model of Airbnb is fairly simple—the company uses a house-sharing model that allows users to offer their homes, apartments,…
Spending the day at a local amusement park such as Carowinds is undoubtedly an exciting venture intended for the whole family to have fun. Amusement parks are exceptionally marketed as places where everyone can expect to have a good time. Patrons of the park never enter anticipating danger or injury to take place. Unfortunately, because…
Summertime in North Carolina means warm temperatures. The hot temperatures draw more and more residents of North Carolina to public and private pools. Enjoying time at the pool is a great way to have a respite from the warm weather. Sadly, pool accidents and deaths occur at an alarming rate during these summer months. According…
In Charlotte, there are a number of different bars and nightclubs to explore, and all of which welcome patrons to come and enjoy a safe and fun night out. There are, however, some instances where a night out may not be so safe and fun. It is no surprise that a night out, particularly when…
According to statistical data gathered by the National Safety Council, slip and falls account for one-third of all non-fatal injuries in the U.S., As a result, they are also among the top 5 most common personal injury claims. Slip and fall cases are classified as a type of premise liability claim. Under the umbrella of…
Injured on a Construction site? In Charlotte’s Southend and Uptown neighborhoods, there are at least 16 different construction projects underway. At nearly every block, you are likely to see cranes swinging, excavators, bulldozers, and dozens of other heavy construction equipment. You will also see the many brave construction workers buzzing around in their hard hats…
The Implications of Governmental Immunity Meinck v. City of Gastonia NC Supreme Court (October 2018) Governmental immunity provides local government immunity from tort-based claims. This means that officials or entities are allowed immunity, when acting in connection with their governmental duties. However, this immunity is not provided to the government actor or agency if the…
Workplace Sexual Harassment and What You Should Know Sexual Harassment Sexual harassment is a hot topic in today’s headlines. Hollywood’s elite, politicians, athletes, journalists, musicians, and sports figures alike are under fire amid allegations of inappropriate behavior and unwanted sexual conduct. These are public figures so their salacious behavior makes the news. Sexual harassment doesn’t…
Familial DNA Matching One of the big headlines recently was the arrest of James Joseph DeAngelo, an alleged rapist and murderer. Dubbed the Golden State Killer and the East Area Rapist, DeAngelo terrorized citizens in several California communities during a ten-year period. He is connected to more than a dozen murders, 50 rapes, and numerous…
What is an Appeal? In every personal injury case, the plaintiff has the right to a jury trial. The outcome in any case is not guaranteed. In some cases the outcome may not be the one intended or expected. This is where the Appellate courts come in to play. A case is heard on its…
Policing Police Departments The internal affairs (IA) division of a law enforcement agency is an in-house investigative agency. The IA investigates allegations of misuse of public office, use of force by officers, accusations of criminal wrongdoing by law enforcement officers, and violations of agency policy. In other words, the IA’s role is to investigate and find…
Is Debtor’s Prison Making a Comeback? It is unconstitutional to impose a fine as a sentence and then automatically convert it into “a jail term solely because the defendant is indigent and cannot forthwith pay the fine in full.” Tate v. Short, 401 U.S. 395 (1971). Tate was an indigent man convicted of traffic offenses…
The United States Constitution (6th & 14th Amendments) guarantees a right to a trial by a jury of your peers in criminal prosecutions. The jury is charged with finding the facts of the case after reviewing the evidence and then decides if the defendant is guilty or not. Prospective jurors are picked randomly, typically from…
Fourth Amendment Rights The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides that the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.…
As unfortunate as it may be, people die every day. Some die of illnesses, health complications, unforeseen occurrence such as accidents, and others die from the hands of others, which is murder. Many times we see on the news how people have been murdered and the killer has been identified, yet charges end up getting…
Have you ever had a conversation with someone and later down the line, they denied something that they said? Or has there ever been a situation where you were not able to be present during a conversation or event, but you wanted to know what was said, which some refer to as being “a fly…
What You Should Know About Nursing Homes Making the decision to place your loved one in a nursing home is not an easy one. In fact, it is probably one of the most difficult decisions you will ever have to make for your loved one. Often, the decision must be made at a time of…
It seems standard for a cleaning crew at an airport to discover unusual things once a plane is pulled into a hangar for cleaning and prep for the next flight. Items that may be expected to be discovered include be bags, money, credit cards, hygiene products and maybe even drugs. However, some things you never…
Man’s Best Friend Most of us have seen service dogs at one time or another assisting the blind, or individuals with other disabilities. There are approximately 500,000 service dogs in the Unites States assisting the disabled so that they can live independently and manage the challenges of everyday life. shareamerica.org. Under the Americans with Disabilities…
When Should You Settle Your Personal Injury Case? Following a car accident, slip and fall or some other event, eventually the claimant will be confronted with the possibility of settling their case. A settlement can take anywhere from a few weeks up to a few years depending on the injury. There are many moving parts in…
It may seem like common sense when thinking about what happens to a personal injury settlement when a married couple separates and files for a divorce. Your initial thought may be that its marital property and you may have reached that conclusion for a variety of reasons. However, it is not quite that simple.…
Although expert testimony can touch on ultimate issues of fact, see N.C. Gen. Stat. § 8C-1, Rule 704, experts cannot testify on ultimate issues of law: [A]n expert may not testify that a particular legal conclusion or standard has or has not been met, at least where the standard is a legal term of art…
Losing someone you love is by far one of the most devastating, if not the most devastating occurrence that could happen in any person’s life. At Rosensteel, Fleishman, PLLC, our mission is to help family members find and hold accountable those persons who caused the death of their loved ones and for the ongoing grief…
TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS From time to time we are all faced with challenges that we are not expecting. Being on the receiving end of a traffic violation ticket in North Carolina is no exception. If you find yourself in need of an experienced attorney to handle your traffic violation offense, then look to the highly…