Knox County Law Blog

For the most part, people in Tennessee can make it through the day without suffering an injury. However, this is not always the case and, as people know, accidents do occur, resulting in injuries. Some of these injuries are fairly minor and may result in some discomfort for a couple of days, but others are severe and could completely change a person's life. One injury that could be catastrophic is a spinal cord injury, which can cause permanent damage.

Spinal cord injuries can affect the entire body. The spinal cord transmits all messages from the brain to the various body parts and monitors their functions. So, if the spinal cord is damaged and the messages are not going where they need to go, then that body function will not work.

It is getting warmer in Tennessee, which means more people will be out riding their motorcycles. Other motorists on the roads will therefore need to increase their awareness to avoid crashing with into these motorcyclists. Motorcycles are much smaller than other vehicles on the road and it is easier for people driving cars and trucks to miss them in their blind spots or underestimate their speeds. Due to these facts, there are many motorcycle accidents every year.

Unfortunately, one such wreck recently occurred, resulting in a motorcyclist losing his life. A man driving a pickup truck swerved into oncoming traffic in order to avoid hitting a vehicle stopped in the lane in which he was travelling. It is unclear why that vehicle was stopped, but when the truck driver swerved he hit the motorcyclist travelling in the opposite lane of traffic. The motorcyclist was wearing a helmet, but the impact of the crash killed him. The Tennessee Highway Patrol stated that criminal charges are pending, although it is unclear at this time who will be charges.

There are many reasons why some Tennesseans are not working. Sometimes it is a voluntary choice not to work. Other times it is not. A person may be involuntarily out of work for a variety of reasons, but one of the main reasons is because the person is injured or has an illness that renders him or her unable to work. This can be particularly difficult because not only is the individual dealing with the pain and other side effects of the injury or illness, but he or she is unable to earn an income and may be dealing with financial difficulties that accompany unemployment and treatment of a medical condition.

People who find themselves in this unfortunate position may be able to receive some financial help through Social Security Disability benefits (SSDI). However, not everyone who is unable to work due to a physical impairment is entitled to receive these benefits. The individual must meet certain criteria. The most important of which is that the disability must meet the requirements of a disability.

Another tax deadline recently passed in Tennessee. Many people may enjoy this time of year as they receive tax refunds, but not everyone falls into this category. There are many other individuals who owe taxes or have not filed a tax return yet for 2017. This can be a very uneasy time for people in this position. This is because the IRS is very good at getting the money it is owed and enforcing the laws. The IRS is not an agency that most people want to owe to.

The IRS can impose penalties both civilly and criminally. In general, civil penalties are monetary consequences. If they go unpaid, the IRS can garnish bank accounts, paychecks, and other financial resources until the debt and penalties are paid off. The IRS can also impose criminal penalties for violating the tax laws, such as lying on tax returns or engaging in tax evasion. These penalties can include fines similar to civil penalties, but they can also include jail time.