Distracted driving. Sometimes it seems that's all we ever hear about these days from police, government and ICBC. We are told that there are thousands of drivers out there ripping around with their heads firmly buried in the electronic devices on their laps, causing chaos and countless injuries and deaths wherever they strike. [pullquote]...
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You put 30 years into working at a retail job. As you are preparing for your final years before retirement, suddenly, your employer is accusing you of theft and fires you. In a moment, your experience, pension plan, vacation time and benefits are all out the window. You have to find a new job, which could be much harder with a criminal record. You will likely get paid less and have to work longer. This is what happened to one Sears employee, who was fired on the allegation she stole trial cosmetics only two years before she planned to retire. [pullquote]The...
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Being in a car accident is a terrifying experience. In moments of intense panic, you might be tempted to drive away as fast as you can. Maybe you observe the scene and think it's safe to go but still leave too quickly. Perhaps you don't talk to all of the people who saw the accident. If you're not careful, you could make the accident worse by unknowingly committing a hit and run or jeopardize your liability in a claim with ICBC. At Acumen Law Corporation, we've dealt with many criminal and civil hit and run cases. Here are the things we...
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You’ve just been handed a 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition. For the next three months you can’t drive, but you need your car to get to work. Not only do you get fined, but you now are facing loss of income because your job requires you to be mobile. Worse, you might not get that big promotion because of loss of reputation. Nightmare scenario: you could even be fired. [pullquote]“It’s very individualized. Getting a stay depends on how much harm a client is going to feel in their job. How much their reputation will be impacted, how much money they’ll lose.” - ...
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It’s not just the grainy dash cam video that make “The Drug Whisperer” look like scenes out of a horror film. Getting arrested for a DUI under the claim you have marijuana in your system by a drug recognition expert, testing negative, and having to still fight the charges is a nightmare. It happened in the United States and it could happen in Canada. "The Drug Whisperer" arrested at least five people with no traces of marijuana for DUIs Earlier in 2017, 11Alive News chief investigator Brendan Keefe discovered drivers were being arrested for driving stoned despite drug tests showing no signs...
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Legal, recreational weed is coming to BC next year. On Dec. 5, 2017, BC government finally announced its first decisions on legal marijuana regulation. Like alcohol and tobacco, the legal age for cannabis will be set to 19. BC's Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) will be the wholesale distributor of non-medical cannabis in BC. There will be a public and private retail model with details of the private cannabis retail model anticipated in early 2018. While this sounds like big news, BC Government actually has not released a lot of information. Most provincial governments across Canada had already announced similar plans — months before. After...
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Whether it’s a long weekend, the holidays, as part of some CounterAttack program or just because police feel like it, police roadblocks are a reality nearly all Canadian drivers are familiar with. In the vast majority of cases, motorists will pull up, show the officer their driver’s licence and insurance, and if there are no infractions detected the motorist is free to drive away. Charged after being stopped at a roadblock? Give us a call. 604-685-8889. But often, police will probe a lot further than simply asking for your licence and insurance papers. The most common one many drivers will have heard...
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British Columbia's new NDP government appears to have its sights set on stronger penalties for driving offences. Earlier in November, the government increased penalties for distracted driving by raising insurance premiums for those drivers who receive two or more distracted driving tickets in three years. Previously, that would have cost British Columbians an additional $1,256 in total fines and points, but with the changes announced on Nov. 6, 2017 (to take effect March 1, 2018) the new premiums will cost $1,996. And now, just 23 days later, BC Government appears to be toughening the minimum penalties for street racing and stunt driving...
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The Canadian government is increasing the fines for criminal DUIs, codifying aggravating factors that would normally be left up to a judge's discretion. The changes come as part of the omnibus Bill C-46, which passed its third reading on October 31, 2017. The bill makes significant changes to a number of drinking-driving offences, including the new designations of DUI over .12 and DUI over .16. What will the new cost be for a DUI over .12 in British Columbia? The new law, which is now before the Senate, creates different punishment depending on the drivers blood-alcohol concentration. If the law...
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Canadian laws can sentence drunk drivers to serious prison sentences, even if the driver in question was not involved in a serious collision where someone is injured or killed. Going to jail for drunk driving is not uncommon, and in fact, there are mandatory minimum jail sentences for multiple convictions of drunk driving. For a first-time drunk driving offence where a driver is convicted of having a blood alcohol level of .08 while behind the wheel, the offence accompanies a minimum fine of $1,000. However, as soon as you receive a second conviction, you’ll now receive a minimum jail sentence...
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