Drinking and driving will always be illegal. But what if you didn’t finish your bottle of wine from dinner and wanted to go home with it? Or what if you purchased a few cans of beer to drink at home? Although Virginia does not explicitly prohibit having an open container of alcohol in a moving vehicle, its presence can still put you at risk of facing criminal charges. What is an open container? In Virginia, an open container is any container that has or had an alcoholic drink in it that is not the original sealed container from the manufacturer. The container could be anything from a tumbler o ..read more

There’s more to a conviction for driving under the influence (DUI) in Virginia than just fines and jail time. More than the payments and incarceration, a DUI’s impact can be severe and long-lasting. This blog will explore some of the long-lasting consequences of a DUI conviction. Understanding these potential punishments will be crucial to your case. Criminal record Like any criminal offense, a DUI in Virginia goes on your criminal record. This offense, while not as grave as more violent crimes, can still affect your future employment, housing and other opportunities. An earlier DUI conviction ..read more

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a federal stimulus program mounted in response to wide-scale business shutdowns and closures beginning in 2020. The government issued PPP loans as a way to help businesses keep their employees on the payroll despite needing to close their doors or drastically reduce their operations. Unfortunately, early research indicates that the PPP was one of the most fraud-riddled federal programs in recent history. Some researchers estimate that there were $200 billion worth of questionable loans issued under the PPP. Business owners and executives could be at ri ..read more

The evolution of marijuana laws across the United States has been captivating. In 2021, Virginia finally joined 23 other states in legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. Despite this groundbreaking shift, users must still exercise caution when consuming the substance, as straying beyond the legal limits could lead to harsh consequences. The risks of using marijuana inside a car In Virginia, adults aged 21 and older can possess up to an ounce of marijuana. That being said, this freedom comes with restrictions. The Code of Virginia explicitly states that individuals may not consume or use ..read more

Driving under the influence (DUI) is illegal and a serious crime in Virginia, but it is different from driving after having a sip of alcohol. It is when you have consumed enough alcohol to impair your ability to operate or be in control of a vehicle. In Virginia, the level of impairment does not need to go beyond the legal limit, but a DUI arrest should be reasonable. If an officer pulls you over after you have had a drink, you may think it is an automatic DUI conviction. However, that is not necessarily true, which is why you should know what to do in the event it does happen to you. Pull ove ..read more

Commercial trucks transport goods across the country and to maximize their deliveries, are usually large and heavy. If you are in an accident with a commercial vehicle, you can suffer serious injuries. Common accident causes There are several situations that can lead to an accident between a commercial truck and a personal vehicle. Commercial truck drivers may be expected to work long hours and reach their destinations quickly, which can cause driver fatigue and slow their reaction time. Likewise, they may also speed and because the truck’s size requires a longer distance to stop, they may not ..read more

Most drivers have heard of the so-called legal limit for alcohol, but many do not fully understand what this means. In this blog post, we will look at some of the details. Blood alcohol concentration The “legal limit” refers to a measurement of the percentage of alcohol in a driver’s bloodstream. This type of measurement is known as blood alcohol concentration, or BAC. Police typically measure BAC by using a chemical breath test at the roadside, but in some situations they can also  take drivers to a facility for a blood or urine test. These types of tests are considered more accurate tha ..read more

As the popularity of ridesharing services continues to grow, questions may arise about their impact on road safety. Companies like Uber and Lyft boast that almost 100% of their rides conclude without an incident. This figure certainly suggests a high level of protection for their users. However, it’s also true that the constant presence of these vehicles on the road could contribute to an increase in overall traffic and potential hazards. While ridesharing services offer a convenient alternative to traditional transportation methods, it’s important to consider the broader implications of their ..read more

The law in Virginia requires that motorists stop after a crash to check on each other and that they report the matter to the local police if there are injuries or property damage. Unfortunately, some people involved in collisions will not follow that mandate to report but will instead drive off, turning a standard collision into a hit-and-run crash. According to Virginia crash data from 2019, roughly 2% of the traffic violations in Virginia involve a hit-and-run scenario. Particularly if the party who caused the crash is the one who speeds off, the driver not at fault for the wreck may not kno ..read more

In Virginia, there’s a legal limit to the allowable blood alcohol content (BAC) level a driver can have before an officer charges them with driving under the influence (DUI). The legal limit for drivers 21 and older is a BAC of .08%. However, that threshold is much lower for drivers aged 20 and below. If an underage driver’s BAC is at least .02% or higher, an officer can charge them with DUI. But do underage drivers face the same penalties as adults convicted of DUI? DUI penalties for underage drivers Like adult drivers, underage drivers convicted of their first DUI offense will have a Class 1 ..read more