East Brunswick Personal Injury Law Blog | Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC

A car accident or fall can easily cause a traumatic brain injury

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in Injuries on Tuesday, February 12, 2019.

Hitting your head in a car accident or at the time of a slip and fall can at first be deceptive of how serious the injury really is. You may have a cut or a bump because of the hit and believe that is the extent of the injury. Unfortunately, there can be much more damage on the inside that you cannot see. This damage that can happen to your brain could mean you experienced a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

The effects of TBI are not always immediately felt and symptoms that show you have done more damage to your brain than you first believed could take days. There are even times when you can suffer from TBI without an actual hit to your head. A violent shake of your head from something like a car accident can be enough to jar your brain enough to cause damage.

Is a diversion program right for you?

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in blog on Tuesday, October 31, 2017.

You may have heard recently that Tiger Woods pled guilty to reckless driving and entered into a diversion program for his arrest on May 29, in which he was found passed out in his car with prescription drugs and marijuana in his system. While he had consumed no alcohol, it is illegal to drive under the influence of any drug, even validly obtained prescription medication. He was originally charged with driving under the influence (DUI).

Diversion programs can help avoid the stigma of a criminal conviction

New Jersey can – and will – try children as adults in certain circumstances

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in blog on Thursday, October 5, 2017.

If you are under 18, you are considered a juvenile. Unless you are not.

In New Jersey, children 15 and older can be tried as adults in certain circumstances. Legislation passed in 2015 allows prosecutors to request minors be tried as adults in cases involving certain charges such as drug sales, robbery or murder.

Charged with a DUI? Here are the penalties you could face.

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in blog on Thursday, October 5, 2017.

You know it is against the law to drive drunk so when you go out partying, you usually designate one of your friends to be the driver. You probably also have an uber or lyft app on your phone, just in case things get crazy.

Then there's the occasion when you don't think you've had too many drinks, don't feel drunk and decide it is ok to drive home. Then suddenly it's not ok. You are pulled over for a broken tail light, missed stop sign, or were swerving and the police officer decides to give you a breath test.

Cell phones and driving: The laws in New Jersey

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in blog on Friday, September 29, 2017.

For most of us, driving is a part of our daily lives. So is texting, talking on the phone and checking our social media profiles. Keeping these two things - driving and cell phone use - separate is a challenge. Even the safest driver checks a text message while behind the wheel every now and then.

However, if you are caught using your cell phone while driving in New Jersey, you may get in trouble.

Breath tests aren’t always reliable

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in blog on Friday, September 29, 2017.

Many people wrongly believe that breath tests are the be-all and end-all when determining whether a person is intoxicated. But, the truth is, breath tests are not always reliable indicators of whether someone is too drunk to drive.

Having a breath test return a false positive – reading you as intoxicated when you were not – is not as uncommon as you might think. There are many factors that can impact the accuracy of a Breathalyzer.

Shielding your teen from the dangers of underage drinking

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in juvenile crimes on Tuesday, June 6, 2017.

Underage drinking is a rampant problem nationwide. Approximately one in five teens consumes alcohol, and one in seven struggles with binge drinking, according to the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. In New Jersey, those numbers are even starker: Nearly 30 percent of minors aged 12-20 have had alcohol in the past month, and 20 percent have engaged in binge drinking.

Underage drinking can lead to a whole host of problems. On top of the health, safety and addiction risks, the legal ramifications can take a serious toll on your teen's future. A conviction for underage drinking (or underage DUI) could come back to haunt them on college applications and job opportunities. In the short term, the penalties could include significant fines, loss of driving privileges, community service and participation in an alcohol education program.

Drunk driving could result in deportation

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in Drunk Driving on Friday, May 5, 2017.

A drunk driving arrest can be incredibly stressful for anyone. Your driving privileges, reputation and potentially your employment are all on the line.

For an undocumented immigrant, however, a DUI charge could also mean being deported - especially in light of the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration issues. As at least one prominent case has illustrated, your entire life could be uprooted, even if you have a clean record and play a strong role in your community.

What to do - and not to do - if you get pulled over

On behalf of Law Offices of Thomas Carroll Blauvelt, LLC posted in Drunk Driving on Tuesday, April 4, 2017.

The majority of traffic stops start off as routine events. Sadly, they can become tragic in short order. Following several incidents where police officers killed motorists or vice versa, more legislators are working to train drivers how to respond to being pulled over. Here are some tips that might help you make it through a stop.