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Personal injury lawyer for wrongful death and dog bite in San Francisco |
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THERE’S NO NEED TO RUSH TO GET A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWYER, IS THERE? WE
CAN’T AFFORD TO GET A LAWYER RIGHT AWAY.
Yes you can, and you must. Your wrongful death attorney does not
charge you for his representation unless he wins. Then his fees come
out of the money collected. He also advances the expenses of
litigation for you. If he loses, you do not owe a fee. In fact, very
few lawyers would even charge you for an initial conference to
evaluate your case and give you an opinion as to whether he can help.
You have nothing to lose from a free consultation with an experienced
wrongful death lawyer.
I DIDN’T HAVE LIABILITY INSURANCE. THE NEW LAW SAYS I CAN’T SUE.
RIGHT?
Wrong. If a loved one has been killed by someone else’s fault, the
loss is a catastrophic one. It certainly deserves to have a lawyer
review the facts and tell you if you can sue. Don't assume that you
understand the law. You might be surprised. Again, it costs nothing to
ask us. The lack of liability insurance may affect how much can be
claimed or awarded, but the case might still be well worth pursuing.
I CAN CLAIM AGAINST THE INSURANCE WITHOUT A WRONGFUL DEATH LAWYER,
CAN’T I?
Technically, yes. However, a layperson is unlikely to know what
evidence to preserve or what other immediate steps need to be taken.
Nor would he or she have a very good idea how much a specific loss is
worth. A layperson (or even an attorney) unskilled in this area would
be at a great disadvantage against the insurer. One should not assume
that just because the person was drunk when he killed your family
member, that his insurer will happily pay the full amount that you
deserve. Insurance companies have one goal: to pay as little as
possible. There also might be additional parties who are partially
responsible, though this might be missed by anyone but a professional.
You could inadvertently give up a large part of the recovery to which
you are entitled. This is not a small neck sprain claim that you might
intelligently handle without counsel. In our experience, there is no
wrongful death claim that should be handled without counsel.
CERTAINLY RETAINING COUNSEL CAN WAIT UNTIL AFTER WE’VE MADE THE
FINAL ARRANGEMENTS AND FINISHED GRIEVING?
Actually, no. We understand that you might feel insensitive or even
uncaring by taking care of “money” issues so soon after a terrible
loss. But we know from 33 years of experience that your rights can
evaporate like smoke in only a few days or hours, as evidence is
irrevocably lost, removed, destroyed or altered. You must anticipate
that the insurance company, if there is one, will vigorously oppose
your claim, no matter how clear the liability.
If you are a surviving spouse with children, you must protect their
future with prompt action. Secure counsel, and let him or her worry
about protecting your rights while you attend to your family.
Meanwhile, do not give any interview or answer questions for any
investigator representing the party at fault. Remember, they are on a
quest to save money, not to simply seek the truth, and certainly not
to help you.
You may know someone who waited months to hire counsel, but then they
“did fine” anyway. Not everyone is that lucky. Also unknown is how
much better they might have fared with more prompt action. Case in
point: a woman was injured in a solo taxi accident, in which the
police did not investigate. Later, her personal injury attorney found
that the cab was back in service and looked fine. The taxi company
claimed there never was any accident, never any damage to the cab, and
they denied having photos or repair records. The case was won, but the
recovery was much lower than it should have been. Had an attorney been
retained promptly, photos of the involved taxi would likely have
changed everything.
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information that it is hoped my be informative and educational. It
does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an
attorney-client relationship. No claim or warranty is made that any of
this information applies to your situation. You should NOT take this
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representation. This site also
contains communications from a member of the State Bar of California
concerning availability for professional employment. |
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