How Will a DUI Affect My Employment?

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How Will a DUI Affect My Employment?

dui attorney in bedford va

The consequences of a DUI extend far beyond the initial fines you pay and the time you may spend in jail. In fact, you may find that your DUI arrest or conviction will impact your career path and the jobs you’re able to take.

Learn more about the ways a DUI may affect your job, and for more personalized advice regarding drunk driving charges in Virginia, call Pack Law Group at 540-586-7225.

Regulated Professions

The greatest consequences often come to those in regulated professions. This includes any career that requires a specific license, including:

  • Teachers
  • Social workers
  • Nurses
  • Dentists
  • EMTs
  • Government agents

If you are convicted of driving under the influence, you could have a difficult time getting or renewing the license you need for your career. Of course, everything depends on your specific profession and the licensure requirements set forth by your governing board. In many cases, a DUI does not lead to an immediate loss of license. However, it does typically lead to an inquiry and investigation, at the end of which you could lose your license.

This also includes commercial drivers. If you get a DUI, you can expect to lose your commercial driver’s license for a set period of time. After multiple DUIs, you could permanently lose your CDL. This poses significant economic difficulties to drivers who have built their entire careers around their safe driving record.

Jobs That Put You in Charge of Vulnerable Populations

Even outside regulated professions, many employers run background checks on new employees. If your background check shows your DUI, you could have a difficult time staying employed. This is particularly true if your job requires you to work with vulnerable populations. For example, health aides at nursing homes or group homes, teaching assistants or aides, and shelter workers all work with at-risk populations. If you get a DUI, your potential employer may think that you are not trustworthy enough to work with the population they serve.

Career Growth Options

Perhaps you won’t lose your job after getting a DUI. This doesn’t mean, however, that your career is unaffected by a DUI conviction. You may have a hard time getting promoted or advancing in your career path down the road. While companies may be willing to take a risk on someone with a DUI for a lower-level position, they may not be willing to have someone with a drunk driving conviction in a higher-level role within their organization.

Protecting Your Career

This highlights the importance of a strong DUI defense if you are arrested for driving under the influence. Too often, people believe that they can defend themselves against DUI charges and get charges reduced or dismissed. If you get convicted, your conviction will affect every part of your life. It will affect your finances, your freedom, your employment, and your social standing. This really is not a time when you want to take chances on a DIY legal defense.

The best way to protect your career is to hire an experienced DUI attorney after you get arrested. Your attorney knows the ins and outs of the criminal justice system, and they can use that experience to build a solid case. They will analyze the evidence against you, look for holes in the state’s case, and find the best defense available to you.

Not only will hiring an attorney give you a good shot at protecting your career, it is the best way to protect your rights and your future. Police officers tend to take lots of liberties when it comes to DUI arrests, and in doing so, they often violate suspects’ civil rights. By hiring an attorney, you can hold law enforcement officials accountable and ensure that your rights are not violated.

Pack Law Group Can Help with Your DUI Case

If you’ve been arrested for driving under the influence, we understand how much stress you’re under. You likely have lots of questions and concerns regarding your charges and how they may impact your future. We’re here to help. Our extensive experience in criminal defense puts us in a strong position to protect your rights and give you a shot at a fresh start. To discuss your case in greater detail, call our team at 540-586-7225 or contact us online.

Are You Required to Provide a Recorded Statement to an Insurance Company?

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Are You Required to Provide a Recorded Statement to an Insurance Company?

recorded statement to insurance company

After an accident, you might feel like your phone is ringing off the hook. You’ll get calls from your insurance company, the other party’s insurance company, and people checking in to see if you are okay. But what can you say to each person and what will harm your case? If the other party’s insurance company asks you to make a recorded statement, know your rights and your options.

If you’re considering a personal injury claim after a car accident in Virginia, the team at Pack Law Group can help. Give us a call at 540-586-7225 to set up a free consultation.

Why They Want a Recorded Statement

First, you should know why the insurance company wants a recorded statement. Hint: it’s not because they want to know how much damage their client has caused so they can give you a full and fair settlement.

The insurance company generally asks for recorded statements to look for discrepancies between the statement and your other statements and reports, including those given to the police and found on social media. Any discrepancies they find may hurt the validity of your claim and give them reason to decrease what they offer you.

They may also ask for a recorded statement if their client’s version of the accident doesn’t make sense or has changed multiple times. In some cases, your story is really just used to get to the truth. However, you should go in with the mindset that what you say can be used to damage your claim, and do not provide a recorded statement without first speaking with an attorney.

How a Recorded Statement Can Impact Your Claim

Upon giving a recorded statement, you should expect whatever you have told the insurance company to affect your claim. Imagine, for example, you report some neck tenderness but no real pain anywhere else. However, in the days that follow, you begin feeling intense lower back pain and suffering migraines. Since those symptoms were not mentioned in your original statement, you may not be able to receive compensation for those injuries.

Furthermore, if there are any differences between your recorded statement and the statement given to police or others involved in the investigation, your words could come under further scrutiny. Even tiny, irrelevant differences in these statements could be used to weaken your credibility and make it more difficult for you to get a fair settlement.

Bottom line:if you’re giving a recorded statement to the other party’s insurance company, you should know that it will only work against you. It is extremely unlikely to ever help you.

What to Do When They Ask

So, if a recorded statement can damage your personal injury claim, what should you do? First off, speak with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible. If you retain the services of an attorney, they can take over communication with the insurance company and get an understanding of your case.

One of the things an attorney will do is field any requests for a recorded statement. They will advise you on whether or not you should comply, and they will tell you if there is any legal reason you must comply. If you do decide to go on the record with a statement, your attorney will tell you what to say, what not to say, and what to expect during the conversation.

No matter what, you should not give a recorded statement to the insurance company without discussing your options and your rights with an attorney. Without knowing the possible consequences of a recorded statement, you run a very real risk of giving inaccurate or incomplete information, damaging your case, and ruining your chance at a fair settlement.

When Your Insurance Company Asks

The situation is a bit different if your own insurance company asks for a recorded statement. First off, it is unlikely that that this will happen. However, some companies do this as a matter of procedure. If yours does, you should still discuss the situation with your attorney. Know, though, that it’s less likely to damage your case than a recorded statement given to the opposing side’s insurance company.

Turn to Pack Law Group for Help with Your Personal Injury Claim

Have you been hurt in an accident? Don’t fight for compensation alone—we can help. Learn more about how you can get the settlement you deserve by calling Pack Law Group at 540-586-7225 or reaching out online.

Dangers of Tailgating and Liability When Following Too Closely Causes an Accident

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Dangers of Tailgating and Liability When Following Too Closely Causes an Accident

dangers of tailgating - following too closely

We’ve all been in a tailgating situation, and if we’re honest, most of us have been on both sides of the equation. Tailgating occurs when you follow a car too closely to stop completely in response to changing road and traffic conditions. In fact, following too closely is a very common cause of Virginia accidents.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a tailgating accident, let Pack Law Group help. Call us at 540-586-7225 to schedule a consultation right away.

Why You Should Never Follow Too Closely

Following too closely is easily one of the most dangerous habits you can develop as a driver. Drivers tend to underestimate just how much time and distance they need to stop at different speeds. For example, if you are driving below 35 miles per hour in good weather, you need two seconds to brake and get away from something on the road. When you reach 70 miles per hour, you need at least four seconds. That is not a lot of time, particularly if you are following the car behind you too closely when they brake.

Tailgating is always dangerous and should be avoided on any type of road, but it is particularly dangerous in certain conditions. When it is rainy, snowy, or icy outside, you must give yourself significantly more following room than you would in good weather. Tailgating in these conditions can leave you with no time at all to respond when the driver in front of you hits the brakes.

It is also important to avoid tailgating on highways. Unfortunately, this is also where tailgating is most common. The faster you are driving, the more space you need to stop safely. Consequently, you should leave more space on the highway—not less.

Avoiding the Urge to Tailgate

The need to tailgate typically comes from road rage or irritation at those sharing the road with you. Yes, the driver in front of you might be driving below the speed limit. Instead of tailgating, drop back and wait for an opportunity to pass.

Habit is another reason people tailgate. If you’ve just always driven this away, it is hard to realize that you are driving in an unsafe manner. The only way to break a habit is to be consciously aware of it every time you drive. As you force yourself to leave proper stopping distance between your car and other vehicles, that will become your new habit instead.

Liability in Tailgating Accidents

In the majority of tailgating accidents, the rear car (the one that initiates contact) is liable and must pay compensation for the damage they have caused. This is because tailgating is against the law and is simply unsafe. As a driver, you have an obligation to everyone else on the road to be safe and minimize the risk of accidents. Tailgating is a violation of that obligation. Even if you only rear ended the person in front of you because your car slid or you were momentarily distracted, you will still likely be liable.

There are some exceptions to the general rules, however. If the driver in front was aware of your tailgating and tried to get you to stop by slamming on the brakes, they may have some or all of the liability in the accident. The same may be true if the front driver cut off the rear driver and did not leave them enough room to stop safely.

Protecting Yourself Against a Tailgating Accident

If you fear a tailgating accident because someone is following you too closely, stay calm and avoid making rash decisions. It is common to be afraid in this situation, since the driver behind you has already shown disregard for your safety and may also be trying to intimidate you.

Ignore them, do not look at them or engage them, and continue driving safely. If possible, scoot one lane to the right to allow them to pass. If they will not let up, consider taking the next exit or turning off the road to reroute and get away from the aggressive driver.

Find Out How Pack Law Group Can Help with Your Tailgating Accident

Tailgating is dangerous, and victims of these accidents may be entitled to compensation. If you have been injured by a tailgater, let the team at Pack Law Group help. Call us at 540-586-7225 or reach out online to set up a free consultation and case assessment.