In our last post, we discussed several questions to ask your attorney when you are first hiring them. Hiring the right attorney is extremely important for building a solid case and being able to properly understand the legal jargon that is thrown around when you have been in an accident. Your attorney is the person that will be able to best help you when you are in a tough legal condition. That is why we have complied another list of questions to ask your attorney that will help you determine whether a potential attorney or firm will be best for your specific situation.

Questions To Ask Your Attorney

There are many different attorneys out there with a variety of different skills levels and types of law that they practice. If you have recently been in an accident or otherwise require a personal injury attorney, continue reading to learn more about attorneys and the best kinds of attorneys for different circumstances.

What Is Your Approach For A Case Like Mine?

One of the most important questions that you can ask an attorney is what their approach will be for your individual case. The reason why this may be important is because many different legal clients have different needs and desired outcomes for their cases. Finding an attorney that can be adaptable to you specific desires is important. It is also helpful that when you hire an attorney that understands how to handle cases like yours. Also be sure to ask about the firm or attorney’s track record with winning or losing cases.

How Long Have You Practiced Law?

While there can be talented attorneys at any experience level, it often tends to be true that attorneys (or any kind of professionals) that have been working for a longer period of time are more likely to feel comfortable with any kind of case. It is important to understand whether a seasoned attorney or attorney that is fairly fresh out of law school with be assigned to your case. A less experienced attorney may be able to provide as great of services as a more experienced attorney, but it is still important information to have.

What Kind Of Specialized Knowledge Do You Possess?

While an attorney that holds a law degree is definitely qualified to take on your case, especially if they are familiar with the specific type of law that your case falls under, some cases require specialized training. For example, cases involving DUI’s require specific knowledge for attorneys to have in order to provide the proper representation. Asking your attorney what kind of things that they specialize in can help you determine if they are right for you.

How Will You Communicate With Me?

Another one of the questions to ask your attorney would be how well they can communicate with you. If you are hiring a new attorney for your case, it is vital that they communicate well with you because there are many details within a case that are important to discuss. There are many rapid elements within a legal case, and that is why it is important that the law firm that you choose is excellent at communicating.

Do You Need An Attorney?

If you are in need of an attorney to handle a case within the different spheres of personal injury law, estate planning, bankruptcy, and real estate law, look no further than to us at Lebaron & Jenson. We provide high quality legal services to residents of Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, and Arizona. For more information regarding our services or to hire an attorney, feel free to reach out to us today.

Pedestrian accidents and non-traffic accidents are tragic and unfortunately happen more frequently than one would think. A pedestrian accident happens when a pedestrian comes into contact and is injured by a vehicle. A pedestrian is defined as a person who is walking, running, sitting, or laying down.

Pedestrian accidents do not include accidents with people on roller skating, in wheelchairs, on scooters, or on other transportation devices that enhance a pedestrian. Non-traffic accidents are accidents that occur with a vehicle in parking lots, driveways, or in other areas where the vehicle is not going through traffic. There are certain things that are important to know about pedestrian accidents both as a potential driver or pedestrian. Continue reading to learn more.

Pedestrians Almost Always Have The Right Of Way

Utah pedestrian and traffic laws indicate that motorized vehicles should always give the right of way to pedestrians, when the pedestrian is on a crosswalk or in a non-traffic area such as a parking lot or a driveway. However, that does not mean that the pedestrian has the right of way if they jump out in front of a vehicle. That is reckless behavior and not only could cause injury to the pedestrian, but potentially cause harm to the driver and anyone else in the car as well.

Most Pedestrian Accidents Happen In Traffic Zones

An important thing to understand about pedestrian accidents is that most of the time, they are not non-traffic accidents. More often than not, pedestrian accidents occur on the road, which is not hard to infer. However, what may be surprising is that a small percentage of pedestrian accidents happen at intersections. The majority of pedestrian accidents occur on the open road. Lastly, a very small amount of accidents occur in non-traffic areas such as parking lots, sidewalks, driveways, etc. The saying “look both ways before you cross the street” is around for a reason. It is important to always remember this.

Pedestrian Accidents Are More Common In Urban Areas

81% of pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas, while the remaining percentage occurs in more rural areas. There are more cars and more people located in cities, so this statistic makes sense. However, it does further point out the importance of being on the lookout for pedestrians when driving in urban areas as well as being alert when walking or standing near traffic in urban areas. 

It Is Important To Be Aware At Night

The majority of pedestrian accidents occur at night. Night time brings less visibility for both drivers and pedestrians, so naturally more accidents occur. Night time is also a time when more people become drowsy, and less attentive and observant. More traffic accidents that occur between vehicles happen at night, for the same reasons. It is vital as a driver to be fully awake and aware at night, as the majority of the responsibility falls on them. However, pedestrians should also take special care to not put themselves in especially dangerous situations.

Do You Need A Personal Injury Attorney?

If you or a loved one have been involved in a pedestrian accident and have sustained injuries as a result, you could be eligible for compensation. If you have had a death in your family due to the negligence of a driver, you may be able to receive a settlement. However, securing a fair settlement requires having a qualified and experienced personal injury attorney on your side. We at LeBaron & Jensen provide high-quality legal advice and representation for those who have been injured in pedestrian accidents. For more information, feel free to reach out to us today!

Being a landlord has its perks, such as being able to collect passive income and own a tangible asset. However, there are also some downsides to being a landlord. Landlords tend to get a bad wrap with tenants and people who are looking to rent. However, even if you are a kind landlord, there is the potential that your kindness could be taken advantage of. There are certain steps that must be taken to complete an eviction in Utah as a landlord. Many laws are involved with the eviction process. Continue reading to learn more.

How To Complete An Eviction In Utah

Have Evidence

It is important before filing an eviction notice against your tenant to have reasonable grounds. With every tenant that you have, it is vital that you keep good records in order to protect yourself if you ever have to evict someone and provide evidence. Make sure to keep your physical papers organized, including payement statements, notes, etc. 

It is good idea to also have a backups of all your documents. Make copies with your printer and scan the pages into your computer to keep them in a digital file. It is also important to keep receipts of any online communication or payments including text messages and emails. If you have kept records, you will be in a much better position if a tenant stops paying or you need to evict them.

Notice To Comply

Before posting an eviction notice, it is customary to give your tenant a notice to comply. Perhaps they are not paying their rent, are destroying the property, or conducting illegal activity on the property. You may not always have evidence that illegal activity is occuring on the property or that the property is being destroyed, but if you suspect that something may be going on, keep an eye on your property and post a notice to your tenants reminding them what is appropriate behavior on your property.

Post An Eviction Notice

The next step to completing an eviction in Utah is to file a complaint with the district court and then serving a notice to the tenant. The landlord can also serve the notice to the tenant first. If the landlord files the complaint to the court first, they have four months to post on the tenant. Whereas, if the landlord post an eviction notice on the tenant first, they only have ten days to file the complaint and summons with the court.

Go To The Trial

The next thing that will happen after an eviction in Utah has been posted is an eviction hearing will be scheduled. Eviction trials are typically held within 2 months since the landlord filed the complaint with the court. Once the trial is complete, there is a short time period of 3-10 where either party can appeal. Assuming the tenant does not appeal, an order for restitution is immediately issued after the case finishes.

Follow Through On The Move Out Process

Once judgment has passed in favor of the landlord, the law dictates that the tenant moves out within 3 days following the verdict. If illegal activity was occuring on the property, the tenants may be removed immediately after the Order for Restitution is issued. The authorities are in charge of moving out the tenants. Do not attempt to evict the tenants physically yourself.

Do You Need A Real Estate Attorney?

We at LeBaron & Jenson offer excellent legal advice for landlords. We are well-versed in real estate law and would be more than happy to help you if you are working through an eviction case. We not only provide excellent advice for legal issues surrounding landlord and tenant disputes but we are also able to help you prepare paperwork and going to court or even represent you in court if the tenant rejects the eviction request. For more information, feel free to reach out to us today.