Legal Advice and Tips

What is a Negligent Security Case?

Published on: May 29, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

negligent-security1-300x200-1 All property owners have a duty to maintain a safe, hazard-free environment for anyone invited onto their property. If someone lawfully on the premises is injured by their failure to uphold this duty, then the injured party may have grounds to sue for damages. This duty to keep the property safe extends to any criminal activity on the premises. If you were injured in a act of criminal violence, and the property owner could have prevented this with proper security measures, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the Don Turner Legal Team for a free virtual consultation and see how we can help you with your personal injury case.

Elements of a Negligent Security Case

Negligent security is a form of premises liability – a legal theory staring that property owners are responsible for any accidents or injuries that occur on their property. Premises liability covers a wide variety of areas, including slip and fall cases, swimming pool accidents, and accidents caused by structural defects or poor maintenance. All premises liability cases involve a property owner failing to address or warn about dangerous conditions on their property that they either knew or should have reasonably known about. Negligent security is no exception to this rule.

Let Freedom Ring and the Roads Be Safe #GodBlessAmerica

Published on: May 23, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

IMG_13331-1-179x300 Today is the start of Memorial Day Weekend, a time many Americans have been looking forward to. Many of us will be returning to the roads after weeks spent in lockdown due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, many people engaging in Memorial Day festivities will be consuming plenty of alcohol, which means plenty of people driving under the influence. Police are counting on plenty of intoxicated drivers this weekend and are ready to make DUI-related arrests. If you are stopped by law enforcement while driving under the influence, you could end up paying a very steep price, even if this is just your first DUI. If you have been arrested for driving under the influence, contact the Don Turner Legal Team for a free virtual consultation.

Police are advising people who plan to celebrate with alcohol this Memorial Day Weekend to plan a sober ride home or take advantage of rideshares, such as Lyft or Uber. This is advice you need to listen to, even if you do not think you are too impaired to operate your motor vehicle. The National Safety Council estimates that 366 people will die on the roads this Memorial Day Weekend. Many of these deaths will be caused by drunk driving, one of the leading causes of fatal accidents in the United States.

In fact, of the 397 people who died over Memorial Day Weekend in 2010, 40 percent of these fatalities were alcohol related. In fact, the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is considered the “100 deadliest days of driving”. This period of time is especially deadly for teen motorists, who have been consuming alcohol earlier and earlier in recent years.

Are You Excited to Get Back on the Roads Again? Do You Have the Right Protection?

Published on: May 22, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

IMG_13121-300x157 You want to make sure your auto insurance policy adequately protects you and your family in case you are in a collision. More specifically, make sure you have uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage. Over 1.16 million people in the Georgia drive without any kind of liability insurance, and still more only carry the minimum possible coverage of $25,000.00. Our attorneys can help you make sure that you and your family have the protection you need in the event of an auto accident. Contact the Don Turner Legal Team today for a free virtual auto insurance audit.

There is a good chance that any driver you get into a collision with will be uninsured or underinsured. You need to be prepared for this possibility. If the other driver lacks liability insurance or only carries the bare minimum liability coverage, you will not be able to rely on their insurance company to cover your damages or medical expenses. Without uninsured and underinsured motorists coverage, you will have to go through your insurance company or sue the other driver. And if the other driver cannot afford a proper amount of insurance coverage, they likely will not be able to afford to pay damages.

Fortunately, uninsured and underinsured motorists insurance can keep this from becoming an issue. Uninsured motorists coverage will typically help you pay for any property damage or medical bills that result from a collision caused by an uninsured driver, while underinsured motorists coverage will also help cover any bodily injuries you might suffer due to a collision with an underinsured driver. Better yet, adding this coverage to your policy is not expensive at all – on average, it will only cost you 10 to 20 dollars a month.

SAD FACT: Domestic Violence Has Risen Worldwide Since COVID-19

Published on: May 15, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

Screen-Sh1-300x201 It has been several months since the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19 first surfaced in America and multiple states issued stay at home orders. While these lockdown measures were meant to protect people, they have endangered many victims of domestic violence by forcing them to shelter with their abuser. Fortunately, victims can petition the courts for a total protective order, and courts will still hold TPO hearings, despite being closed for most matters until June 12. If you are facing domestic violence, contact the Don Turner Legal Team to confidentially discuss your case.

Americans have been encouraged to practice various social distancing measures in order to halt the spread of COVID-19. This has included encouraging citizens to remain in their homes whenever possible. Sadly, this has made homes a more dangerous place for many victims of domestic abuse. The stress caused by the pandemic has increased tensions in abusive households. Stay at home orders have left victims with less privacy, making them reluctant to contact domestic abuse hotlines. Abusers may further discourage their victims seeking help through the abuse of technology.

Anxieties caused by COVID-19 have left many victims more willing to remain with their abuser than live in a shelter, where they and their children may be exposed to COVID-19. Many shelters are facing health and economic concerns that make it more difficult to take in victims. The pandemic is also a time of widespread unemployment and economic uncertainty for many American. If the abuser is the primary breadwinner, the victim might be more willing to tolerate their abuse than risk the financial consequences of leaving.

What is Considered an Essential Hearing in Georgia?

Published on: May 1, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

Georgia-Supreme-Court-Building-Article-201903071846-300x180 It has been several months since the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19 in the United States. Since that time, multiple non-essential businesses have shut their doors to the public and multiple essential businesses adopted measures to limit the virus’ spread. The Georgia courts are no exception – until May 13, all courts throughout Georgia will only be hearing essential matters. But what is considered an essential matter, and what should you expect if you have an essential hearing on the calendar? Contact the Don Turner Legal Team today if you are facing an essential court matter.

Chief Justice Harold D. Melton declared a statewide judicial emergency on March 14, hereby closing all courts for non-essential matters, in order to help limit the spread of COVID-19. Although this order was originally set to expire by April 13, the mounting number of COVID-19 cases across the United States led to this order being extended into May 13. As of this writing, Georgia courts are still set to reopen by May 13; however, there is a chance that the order could be extended another 30 days.

The rules for what is considered an essential hearing are clearly laid out in Justice Melton’s emergency judicial order. To put it simply, if you have an immediate liberty or safety concern that requires the full attention of the court, then your hearing is still on the calendar. Any other hearing has been rescheduled and may be rescheduled further, depending on the needs of the court. Specifically, the following hearings are named as essential, per the emergency order:

Have You Checked All the Boxes on Your COVID-19 Checklist?

Published on: April 17, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

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A Different Approach to Georgia’s Opioid Crisis

Published on: February 21, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

6dfd6e82-aded-4b39-bd9e-3ca319f86404-300x200 Concern over the abuse of opioids has been a public health concern in Georgia for years. From 2010 to 2017, there was a 245% increase of deaths from opioid overdose in Georgia. In fact, two thirds of all drug overdose deaths in Georgia in this time period were attributed to opioid abuse. This problem has been significant enough for President Trump to declare the opioid crisis a public state of emergency.

Much of the legislature surrounding opioid abuse seeks to treat opioid overdoses and make alternatives more available in order to prevent prescription drug abuse. However, a study at the University of Georgia proposes an alternative approach to how we handle the opioid epidemic throughout Georgia and across the United State. Instead of diverting resources towards curbing the use of opioids, the study argues, we should look at a culprit behind opioid addiction – chronic disease.

The term “opioid” specifically refers to a broad class of drugs, including multiple prescription drugs such as morphine, oxycodone, and codeine, and the illegal drug heroin. All of these drugs interact with the opioid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. This dulls the body’s pain signals and emotional responses to pain, diminishing the body’s response to painful stimuli. Opioids also activate pleasure and reward centers in the brain, leading to a feeling of relaxation and euphoria.

On VDay, Take the Step to Break the Heartbreak!

Published on: February 14, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

broken-heart-syndrome_Blog_Float_Right February 14 is Valentine’s Day, a day created to recognize the importance of the love we hold for one another. For most of us, Valentine’s Day means showing our loved ones how much we care with romantic gestures and well-meant gifts of flowers and chocolate. Sadly, for some people, Valentine’s Day means a brief reprieve from their abusive relationship. According to the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, Valentine’s Day is one of three days (alongside Christmas and Thanksgiving) where there is a slight decrease in reports of domestic abuse in the United States. That brief moment of relief is cold comfort for those who are victims of family violence.

Despite the name, family violence does not have to occur between family members. Under Georgia law, family violence is defined as any pattern of deliberately violent and abusive behavior between people in a domestic relationship, committed with the intent of establishing power and control. This includes parents and children, spouses and intimate partners, and roommates or housemates. There does not have to be physical abuse for an act to count as family violence either – if someone subjects a person fitting one of the above categories to emotional abuse, threatens to hurt them, stalks them, or deliberately damages their property, they can also be charged with family violence.

Despite the slight downtick in reports of domestic violence this Valentine’s Day, there are still bound to be lovers’ quarrels. These arguments can escalate into a domestic disturbance… and the situation might not be perfectly cut and dry. It takes two to tango, and there are unique circumstances leading to every incident. For example, you might be trying to get away from an argument with a partner that turned physical or fighting back against a spouse who attacked you first. Unfortunately, this might not save you from being charged with family violence if the police are called to your house.

Hemp vs. Marijuana: Can You Tell the Difference?

Published on: January 24, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

B4741A81-2424-4EC4-B7DD-B43F42712A2D-281x300 A1A9D186-250B-429E-A3C5-2379B3786031-300x247 If you ever intend to purchase CBD oil, make sure it contains less than 3% THC and is made from hemp, not marijuana. Getting a low THC registry card and purchasing only from reputable sellers can help you ensure that your CBD oil is legal for purchase. Remember that CBD that containing more than 3% THC is considered a schedule 1 controlled substance – a category of drugs that carry the harshest penalties for possession. Possession of high-THC CBD oil could get you charged with up to fifteen years in prison under Georgia law.

CBD derived from hemp is legal for purchase in Georgia in part because of HB 213, or the Georgia Hemp Farming Act. This bill has made it possible for licensed farmers to cultivate industrial hemp in Georgia. Industrial hemp, much like marijuana, is a variety of the cannabis sativa plant. Hemp looks and smells identical to marijuana. However, it differs on both a chemical and genetic level. But what is the exact difference between hemp and marijuana, and are there any legal issues attached to hemp products?

How Do Marijuana and Hemp Differ?

Gummies… They Aren’t Just for Kids Anymore!

Published on: January 10, 2020 | by Don Turner Legal Team

new-cbd-gummies-300x200 Marijuana is a substance that can come in many forms. The leafy green cannabis that you smoke might be the most well-known, but there are many other ways that the cannabis sativa plant can be consumed. The legalization of marijuana in other states has paved the way for the development of huge variety of cannabis products. This includes everything from devices that disperse cannabis into a vapor to tinctures and oils that can be applied topically, allowing it to be absorbed by the skin.

One of the most popular ways to consume marijuana is the creation of cannabis edibles. This includes pot brownies, cannabis-infused gummies, and hash cookies. Edibles have experienced a dramatic rise in popularity across the United States, especially in states like Alaska, Colorado, New York, and Washington, where they are legal for purchase. According to one study, 46% of those polled and 93% of those in favor of legal marijuana said they would be willing to try cannabis edibles if they were made legal for purchase.

The rising popularity of cannabis edibles has made law enforcement more aware of their existence. This means that cops looking to make a marijuana-related arrest aren’t just on the lookout for bags of weed. They’re also keeping an eye out for brownies, gummies, cookies, and other edible goods that give off the distinct smell of concentrated marijuana. And despite what you might think, being caught with even one edible in Georgia can land you in a great deal of trouble.