Three Legal Situations You Should Consider Being Prepared For

Life is never predictable, and sometimes things happen that you would rather didn’t happen. In these scenarios, you will always have an advantage if you were prepared, at least to some extent, for a similar scenario. Here are three legal situations that you would be well-placed to be prepared for so you don’t have a hard time when they do come up.

1. Buying a Faulty Car

A car has become an important investment for most families, so it’s important that they know how to go about getting one that won’t cause issues as a result of not having been in a good condition, to begin with. Such a car is called a lemon, and, because of the tendency of some unscrupulous car dealerships to sell them to people who may be none the wiser, different states have enacted variations of lemon laws.

For instance, the California Lemon Law contains the Tanner Consumer Protection Act which states the conditions under which a car is presumed a lemon. These include if the car has been out of service for over 30 days in total, within the first 18 months from when it’s delivered to the buyer, or within 18,000 miles of use. Read up on the details of these laws as not all bad cars qualify to be called lemons. If you do find yourself the victim of buying a lemon, you should know there’s a chance to get help.

2. Suing For Wrongful Death

The survivors or family members of a person that dies as a result of negligence or misconduct of another party can sue for wrongful death. They do this in a bid to get compensation for losses borne by the survivors, which may include funeral expenses, lost wages, loss of companionship, and more. The party responsible should be found to be at fault by the law. There are different scenarios in which a wrongful death can occur, from car accidents to medical malpractice.

For such cases, it’s good to be aware of the different types of wrongful death legal claims that can be made in your state. For example, in Georgia, there are two types. One is a claim that’s made by the next of kin or family member of the deceased, while the second is a claim made by the estate representative of the deceased. When you know the details around wrongful death claims, you may have an easier time navigating these generally tough times either by yourself or with your family.

3. Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol

The third legal situation you should be prepared for is a fairly common one, which is driving while under the influence of alcohol. There are different tests done to find out if a person is driving with an alcohol content that’s above the legal limit. They are mainly breathalyzer tests and blood tests, and the specific one depends on the situation in which the test is being done. In California, for instance, the legal limit for alcohol in the blood of a driver is a 0.08% blood alcohol concentration.

You have the right to refuse to take a breath test at a traffic stop, but it’s only possible to do so if you’re over 21 years old and don’t have prior offenses and you’re also not on probation. If you’re arrested for a DUI and taken to the station, refusing to take the breath test sees you immediately lose your driver’s license for at least one year.

Keeping these legal issues at the back of your mind is one thing that can help you stay prepared for them in case they occur. Even if they don’t occur to you, you can guide a close person to whom they occur and they will be glad you were there for them.