When I hear that from a new client or caller, that is generally a positive thing. It means that the person is hurt enough and pissed off enough to go find a lawyer to get some justice for themselves? About 80% of my clients have never filed a personal injury lawsuit before. Whether they actually have a case worth pursuing …
DO YOU NEED THE PUNISHER OR MY COUSIN VINNY?
The Punisher seeks vengeance for the murder of his family. I am not the punisher. My clients however do want their vengeance. They want someone to be held accountable. Often, while I enjoy the punisher concept, the fumbling, humorous, cross-examination of Vinny in My Cousin Vinny is better at accomplishing the task at hand. What is the task? The task …
CROSS-EXAMINATION OF EXPERT WITNESSES:
Preparing to cross-examine a defense expert witness is part of every case that approaches trial. For most of the case, all that I have from the defense expert is a three-page letter relating the expert’s opinions and his curriculum vitae or resume. That is not much information to go on. A typical letter from a typical defense expert says that …
GAZPACHO 101
I am the cook in my family. Summertime is for tomatoes and gazpacho. It is easy and awesome, as long as you have a blender. Here is the recipe. I found it in the NY Times years ago. 2 large fresh red tomatoes or three medium with cores removed. Chopped to fit blender 1 large cucumber/ ends …
GOT UIM?
Your car insurance includes something called underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) and its partner and friend uninsured motorist coverage (UM). You should have these. They are required by Pennsylvania law. Simply put, UIM protects you if you are injured by someone without enough insurance. UM protects you from hit and run drivers or when a deer jumps in front of your …
DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU DO?
Before the pandemic most people, like 70%, hated their jobs. Once pandemic was in full force, a lot of people said I don’t want to go back to that stinking job and found another or quit and stayed home. Now, with the hints of recession around, people are scrambling to get back into the workforce. Nevertheless, the question remains, do …
WHAT DOES THE PROCESS OF MOVING A PERSONAL INJURY CASE ALONG LOOK LIKE?
When a case first comes in, the client is usually a stranger to me. They are coming from google or a word of mouth referral, but we have likely never met. So, there is an initial process of getting to know you and in the first conversation or two I explain that you do not pay me on an hourly …
THE DONALD TAKES THE FIFTH
Former President Trump invoked his fifth amendment protection against self-incrimination today in the investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office into civil fraud claims. Most likely, he was asked: “Did the Trump Organization provide one value to taxing authorities for Property X and a different value to financial institutions? Answer: I invoke my right not to answer. Why is …
BROKEN WRIST WITHOUT SURGERY $43,000 vs. BROKEN WRIST WITH SURGERY $100,000
Why is there such a huge disparity in settlement numbers here? Well, in most personal injury cases there is an element of pain and suffering that makes up most of the settlement claim. In the non-surgical case, the client may have pain and a splint or some period of healing. Perhaps after 8 weeks, they are better and back to …
SLIP AND FALL CASES
These cases often are the most challenging cases for a personal injury lawyer and client. Why? Well, there is always some allegation that the plaintiff could have avoided the trip and fall or whatever caused their injury. Most of the cases of this type that I handle are falls on black ice, falls caused by uneven sidewalk blocks, and often …