How to Deal With Dog Bites
October 4, 2012 | Adriel B. VillarrealDog bites are more common than you may realize. Dogs seem to be everywhere we turn from walking on the street with their owner to the local park and maybe even in your friend’s home. Unfortunately, humans cannot control animals in every situation and sometimes these animals attack. Why Dogs Attack Most dogs are good natured and don’t viciously attack, but sometimes when provoked or scared they will bite to protect themselves and accidents happen. Even worse, there are dogs that are trained specifically to be aggressive or are aggressive due to their environment. Either way, there are dogs that are prone to attack at any given time. Increasingly, we are hearing more and more cases about dog bites in this country. In fact, there are about 800,000 reported cases in the United States every single year. These incidents are not isolated to children as many people think; they can happen to anyone of any age. When pet owners become too lax and don’t keep their pets on leashes, they are opening themselves up to a huge liability. The same is true when they do not keep their dogs kept behind a fence that is tall enough or someplace where they cannot escape. If their dog somehow does escape or is not properly…
Read MoreWhy I Do What I Do
October 1, 2012 | Jon P. EricksonPeriodically I receive a call or a letter from a client I represented that reminds me of the importance of legal defense and how what we do can have such an impact on a client’s life. I recently received just such a letter from a mother whose son I represented on a Criminal Sexual Conduct charge of an incident involving an under aged female. He was an 18-yr-old senior in high school at the time, and she a 15-yr old-freshman. We were unable to negotiate a plea agreement, so we chose to have a jury trial. He was found not guilty. The following letter (names changed for privacy) told me of how he is now doing some two years after his acquittal. If he had been found guilty he likely would not have gone to college to follow his dream because of the collateral consequences of a criminal sexual conduct conviction. Dear Jon, You may not remember Mike, but a couple of years ago you represented him in a Felony Criminal Sexual Conduct case. You were able to prove him innocent, and clear his name. I was thinking about you the other day, as I was sitting in the stands watching Mike play football in his second year at University. It was such…
Read MoreHow to Feel in Control After an Auto Accident
September 27, 2012 | Adriel B. VillarrealYou never really expect to get into an auto accident, even though in the back of your mind you know it’s always a possibility. You can be the best driver in the world, follow all traffic rules and be visually attentive but still, one day – wham! You weren’t prepared for this and feel like you have lost all control; now what? Try Not to Panic First, you should remain calm and try your best not to allow stress to take over. It is natural to be in shock at first until you are able to assess the situation. Once you get over your initial reaction, you will be in a better state to see if you have suffered any injuries and if the other driver and passengers have been injured. Even if you were not badly injured, you should give your statement to the police officer reporting on the accident. You should never admit fault to the accident no matter what the circumstances. Simply tell the officer what happened and that’s it. If the other car involved leaves before the police arrive, make sure you write down the make, model and license number of their car. After you get home, be sure to contact your insurance company and give them an account…
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