Showing posts with label lawsuit. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lawsuit. Show all posts

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Michigan Personal Injury Lawsuit Funding

When a party suffers a personal injury on account of an act of negligence or careless neglect on another other party's part, usually the injured party opts for a personal injury lawsuit against the defendant party. In some cases, the lawsuit will be followed by a quick settlement, but most of the litigation takes many months or, in some cases it is years before a settlement is reached or a verdict is obtained. In all this time, the cost of litigation is substantial, and the plaintiff must bear personal expenses as well. The question then arises as to how these lawsuits are funded.

Lawsuit funding or pre-settlement lawsuit funding is a way to offset the costs of the lawsuit; a pre-settlement loan is offered to the plaintiff as a non-recourse cash advance. This type of funding is done with an assurance from the plaintiff that the advance will be paid back at the conclusion of the litigation. This type of loan also covers the plaintiff's personal expenses in situations where the plaintiff is severely injured or is indebted by heavy medical bills. In non-recourse finding, usually the plaintiff is not liable to pay back the advance if the lawsuit is unsuccessful. The lawsuit funding or financing company recovers the money only if the litigation is successful. The lawsuit funding party can be a financing company or the plaintiff's lawyer or the law firm.

As the fees associated with the pre-settlement funding are quite high, most of states in the United States have laws against charging of excessive rates for funding. As per Michigan law, in a contingency plan the plaintiff must pay the lawyer only after he has been reimbursed by settlement funds. Usually the recovery itself covers a lawyer's entire fee. Recently, a Michigan court held invalid a lawsuit-funding contract where the defendant's liability had been established, and it was ensured that the plaintiff would recover some amount of money as a result of the litigation. The court stated that the financing was, in fact, a loan, and the plaintiff was only supposed to repay the principal amount to the financing company.

Due to very high interest rates, pre-settlement lawsuit funding should be treated as a final option in adverse circumstances where the plaintiff has immediate financial needs. In such circumstances, where the plaintiff has no choice but to opt for funding, the decision should certainly be taken in consultation with counsel.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Improve Your Chances of Winning a Medical Malpractice Lawsuit

People hold doctors with high regard since they are intellectuals who deal with a very important aspect of every person's life: their health. We trust doctors with our lives because they are experts when it comes to medical issues.

So it is sad when we hear of stories of medical malpractice. In fact, it is very troubling. Doctors should carry out their jobs responsibly because they owe it to the people who entrust their lives to them.

People can sue negligent doctors who are liable to the injury or death of a patient. Of course, there are factors to consider in order for a case to be valid in court. A credible expert shall determine such factors. This expert should be able to attest that the standard of care wasn't followed.

A plaintiff must be able to establish the four elements of tort or negligence for a successful medical malpractice claim:

1. A duty was owed - A legal duty under common law is required whenever a hospital or health care provider undertakes care or treatment of a patient.

2. A duty was breached - The provider failed to conform to the relevant standard of care.

3. The breach caused an injury - The breach of duty was the proximate cause of the injury.

4. Damages - Without damages, there will be no basis for a claim, regardless whether the medical provider was negligent.

Statutes of limitations, i.e., time limit upon which you can file a medical malpractice lawsuit, vary from state to state. In California, a medical malpractice legal action for an injury or death must be brought to the court within one year from the date of discovery of the negligent act, but no more than three years from the date of the injury.

According to a study done by the Institute of Medicine, 98,000 Americans die annually due to medical errors. Other studies show 7,000 die because of prescription errors. 1,500 patients lose their lives to surgical negligence every year. Among this, only one in every eight instances goes to court.

Unfortunately, medical malpractice cases are one of the most difficult lawsuits filed in a courtroom. Trials usually take a long period before the court reaches a verdict. Moreover, the cost of bringing a case to trial goes beyond the monetary amount expected by the complainant to receive after.

Statistics show that patients who have been harmed because of medical malpractice seldom sue for damages. Still, people should not allow the person/s responsible for the injury or death of a patient to get away with their negligence. There is something they can do to obtain justice for the irreparable damage caused by the medical error.

Like other suits, you will need legal assistance from a good lawyer. In this case, look for one who specializes in medical malpractice. Their general purpose is to review the case history, assess the damages and losses sustained, and advice if the complaint is legitimate to be admitted in trial.

It is very important to hand over the case to an expert attorney. Otherwise, you might be wasting a lot of your time and money. See to it that you find the lawyer who has the greatest odds of winning the case. Their histories and experience will help you in choosing the right lawyer.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Common Reasons to Consider a Personal Injury Lawsuit

The legal system is many things. Those persons who find themselves in a position where they are forced to participate in the civil law process tend to find it to be very intimidating. Individuals who do not obtain a favorable decision from a trial, judge, or arbitrator are likely to find numerous flaws with the system from top to bottom. But for the people who prevail in their effort to hold a negligent party accountable for grievances, it is a process of incalculable worth. Understanding when it is appropriate to consider a personal injury lawsuit can help to increase the likelihood that your experience falls into the last category.

Mocked by unnecessarily bitter folks as "ambulance chasers", personal injury attorneys are actually more like the people's champion. The practice areas managed by a personal injury law firm can cover a broad variety of different cases and circumstances, but they are all held together by the following common thread: personal injury cases offer a wronged individual to pursue a civil judgment against the party or parties who have wronged him or her. Without the work of these attorneys, there would be little recourse against the manufacturers of dangerous products or the people whose egregious acts of negligence endanger the life and safety of another.

When to Sue

Because a successful lawsuit has the potential to reap substantial financial awards for the plaintiff in a case, there is a real temptation to file suit even when doing so may not be the best or most appropriate means of addressing an injurious accident. A reputable lawyer will help you to understand whether you may, in fact, have a basis upon which to seek a legal action, so it is highly advisable to seek representation from a firm with a demonstrable track record of skills and experience.

Unfortunately, the sheer numbers of different variables that must be taken into consideration in each unique case make it impossible to compile an absolute guide to what constitutes a viable case and what does not. The following list, however, represents some of the most common reasons that an individual may wish to consider a personal injury lawsuit:


Slip and fall accidents
Motor vehicle collisions
Physical assaults
Defective or dangerous products
Medical malpractice
Dog bites and other animal attacks

For a Thorough Review

For a thorough review of your potential case, contact the Des Moines personal injury lawyers of LaMarca & Landry, P.C.

Monday, February 1, 2010

How to handle a wrongful death lawsuit

What is wrongful death?

An incident is treated as an involuntary manslaughter considered if a person has died due to acts other hand, negligence, fault, negligence or fault. The law authorized the immediate family of the deceased or the distributees "to file a complaint against the defendant. The surviving spouse, children or parents can let their personal representatives in pursuit of an action for wrongful death. The absence of federal manslaughterStatutes in the United States in any State law varies in its provisions relating to the standard procedures for a job in shares of manslaughter.

How can a claim for wrongful death could have happened?

Most of the illegal killing of aid contains the following essential elements that are necessary to prove the guilt of the accused:


The death of the person
The defendant is acting in a negligent misconduct, negligence or fault, which caused the death exercised
The surviving familysuffering financial hardship due to the loss of their loved
The appointment of counsel for the estate of the victim

What damages are available in a wrongful death of the insured person will be assigned?

The amount of damages in a wrongful death of the insured person is generally based on damage or financial loss. Compensation should, however, fair and equitable. These losses or damage include:


Expenses for medical care and funeral services
Lost wages and salaries, including benefits, inheritance and the futureAssessment
Physical and mental pain and anguish
Accompanies loss
Damage and the general interests

What are the limits?

Like any other case of other injuries, the limitation applies undue death of the insured person. This sets the maximum period for families who survived the files. Depending on the state where the accident occurred, the common frame given period of time for families to a maximum of three years. What are the cases that theCourt beyond these limits, would have been disqualified. However, there are some exceptions to this matter. An example from his eyes, was the cause of death of a person initially deemed accidental. Then, some time after it emerged that are based in negligence. Therefore, the statute of limitations can be corrected prior to discovering the true cause of crime.

Why hire a lawyer?

Some of the applicants consider that they secured a wrongful death of the person by himself and can continuethat a lawyer has little relevance to their case. In contrast, the role of lawyers manslaughter is very important in these cases of appeal. You have the knowledge and skills sufficient to highlight the positive results. They also have the ability to successfully guide the applicant on what legal action should be pursued.