Practice Areas
- Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
- Medical Malpractice
- DUI, Traffic and Criminal Law Defense
- Business Litigation
- Divorce
Blog 
Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
- Virginia Seatbelts
- Nursing Home Cases
- Personal Injury Cases where the injured party has died
- Dog Bite Cases II
- Looking out for your teen driver
- Dog Bites
- Hosting a Graduation Party in Virginia? Read This First!
- Virginia Beach Sheriffs Immune
- Chesapeake to Install Countdown Crosswalks
- Charlottesville, Virginia Police Taking Heat After Hitting Wheelchaired Pedestrian
Medical Malpractice
- More heparin deaths? Yes, its true.
- Joint Commission Targeting Children Medication Mix-Ups
- Finding The Best ER For Your Child
- Why Free Drug Samples Are a Bad Idea
- Knee and Hip Replacements Expected to Spike
- Supreme Court Grants Immunity for FDA Approved Medical Devices
- FDA Warns Doctors to Retrieve Device Fragments
DUI, Traffic and Criminal Law Defense
- DUI Cases II
- Can walking in a straight line really reveal that I’m unfit to drive?
- Your Right to Remain Silent
- Drug Offenses
- DUI Cases
- 'Click It or Ticket' and Virginia's Seat Belt Laws
- Inside the Officer's Mind
- UVA Professor: Vague Traffic Laws Invite Discrimination
- Great DUI Information
General Observations
General
Firm News
Kaine announces newest attack on drunken driving
Christie Brinkley Divorce Case Settled
Shia LaBeouf receives DUI, cleared of blame in car crash
Police: charges pending against injured Virginia Beach motorcycle rider
Norfolk Police officer off the streets after DUI arrest
Bicyclist Killed After Being Struck By SUV
W&L professor formally sues Virginia Lottery
Salmonella can ride water into tomatoes
Cold Medication Use In Young Children Can Lead To Adverse Effects, Even Death
Man in critical condition after being hit by car in Norfolk
Firm Library
Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
- Car Insurance Terms in Virginia
- What are Virginia's Laws Regarding Dog Bites?
- One in Three Va. Drivers Texting
- No Civil Liability for Hosts or Bars in Virginia
- Is Your Car Spying On You?
Medical Malpractice
- Switching to Electronic Health Records has Great Benefits, But Poses Liability for Hospitals
- Why is Heparin Killing Babies?
- Website Allows Consumers to Compare Hospitals
- Transient Ischemic Attacks & Strokes
- How Medical Mistakes are Costing U.S. Healthcare $8.8 Billion
DUI, Traffic and Criminal Law Defense
- Having one more for the road may skew breath tests
- Virginia DUI Laws for First Time Offenders
- Virginia Legislature Working to Repeal Fines
- Requesting a Restricted License in Virginia
- Ignition Interlock Devices & DUI Law
Divorce
General
How Virginia's Driver Demerit Point System Works
One of the ways that Virginia punishes dangerous drivers is to tack “demerit points” onto your license when you are convicted of traffic violations. When you are convicted of violating traffic law, the court notifies the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and points are attached to your name and license number in their database.
Drivers Over the Age of 18
Drivers who are 18 or older and accumulate as few as 12 points in 12 months (or 18 points in 24 months) will be required to complete a driver improvement clinic within 90 days.
If you accumulate 18 demerit points in 12 months (or 24 points in 24 months), your driver’s license will be suspended for 90 days and you will need to complete another driver improvement clinic before your license is restored. Once restored, you will be placed on probation for six months.
Drivers Under the Age of 18
The DMV treats young drivers much more harshly. With the first demerit point violation, a young driver will be required to complete a driver improvement clinic. The DMV will suspend that driver’s license or permit until the clinic has been completed.
If a driver under the age of 18 receives a second demerit point conviction, the DMV will suspend his license for 90 days.
If a driver gets a third demerit point conviction before his 18th birthday, the DMV will revoke the driver’s license for one year or until the driver reaches the age of 18, whichever is longer.
Safe Driving Points
Just as Virginia punishes bad drivers, the state rewards good drivers. For each calendar year that you hold a driver’s license without getting any traffic tickets, you earn one good driving point. A total of five safe driving points can be accumulated and used to offset demerit points later in your life.
In some cases, you may voluntarily take a driving improvement clinic and earn as many as five good driving points at once.
Wiping the Slate Clean
Driving demerit points do not stay on your record forever. The points only remain there for a period of two years from the date of the offense.
List of Three Demerit Point Offenses
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Weisberg & Zaleski, P.C.
112 College Place
Norfolk, VA 23510
Toll Free: (800) 690-0235
Phone: (757) 622-7740
Fax: (757) 533-9223
FAQs
Personal Injury and Automobile Accidents
- Do I need a specialty lawyer for my personal injury case?
- When do I have a personal injury claim?
- Will a traffic court's determination of guilt or innocence affect the outcome of my civil suit for personal injury?
- Should I leave my vehicle unmoved at an accident scene until the police arrive?
- Should I call an Attorney before seeking medical attention?
Medical Malpractice
- What will the attorneys fees cost?
- What should I do if I feel that I, or someone close to me, have been a victim of medical malpractice?
- How is medical malpractice defined?
- The result of the medical care was bad and I believe that my doctor made a mistake. Will I win my case?
- Do doctors have a duty to tell the patients of every possible risk associated with a medical procedure?
DUI, Traffic and Criminal Law Defense
- Will a traffic court's determination of guilt or innocence affect the outcome of my civil suit for personal injury?
- Does the failure of the police to give the Miranda warnings prior to arrest operate to make your arrest unlawful?
- I have failed my breathalyzer test. What good can an attorney do in such a case?
- When should an attorney be present with me?
- I have been asked to sign some forms by the police officers. What should I do?
Business Litigation
- What is involved in litigating a business matter?
- What are the alternatives to litigation?
- How does mediation differ from arbitration?
- What effort will you put in to my case?
- What fee schedule is employed for a class action?
Divorce
- If your spouse is in the military and you have been married less than ten years, do you have any rights to the military pension?
- Do you have to have the agreement of your spouse to get divorced?
- How is it possible to agree on a divorce with the best possible outcome for both parties?
- Can I and my spouse use the same attorney for our divorce for the purpose of saving money?
- How likely is it for a father to retain custody of the children?