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Litigation Funding Blog

Deadly Slip and Fall Ultimately Kills Theatre Performer

April 12, 2010

It was another day in paradise, until this man fell off a stage. His injuries killed him.

Disney World is a place of laughter and fun; a place for kids and happy families, and a place where actors get to live their dreams on stage. Such was the case with Mark Priest, a 47-year-old Disney World actor, playing a pirate.

As a pirate, Priest got to be on stage and take part in an interactive pirate show for the kids and also lead park guests through a variety of pirate skills tests. “He was in the middle of a mock sword fight when he slipped on a wet spot on the stage. He catapulted head first into a wall, resulting in a broken vertebra in his neck and a head laceration that needed 55 stitches,” recounted Daren Monroe, Litigation Funding Corporation, Southfield, Michigan.

He was quickly taken off stage so the kids in the audience would not see all the blood and get scared. EMS crews took him to the nearest hospital for initial emergency treatment. He was transferred to another hospital for further treatments and admitted to the intensive care unit. “He continued to be in good spirits while he was in hospital and two days later was moved out of the intensive care unit. The same day he was moved, he suddenly died from complications from his injuries. It appears he may have died as a result of traumatic brain injury,” said Monroe.

“Aside from the occupational health and safety repercussions in this case, there are questions about why the hospital did not consider the possibility of traumatic brain injury as a result of his head on ‘collision’ with a wall. Nonetheless, this particular case will take a fair length of time to get to court should the victim’s family file a wrongful death lawsuit,” added Monroe.

The family may well be interested in litigation funding to allow them to wait for a settlement. “A lawsuit cash advance would mean they could continue to pay their bills and in general deal with their financial burdens in light of Priest’s sudden and unexpected death. Most lawsuit funding may be arranged with just one phone call and be made available fast,” stated Daren Monroe, Litigation Funding Corporation, Southfield, Michigan.

To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.

Driving When Fatigued Caused One Death and Other Severe Injuries

This accident involved a whole group of people travelling in one van. The van flipped, killing one and severely injuring others.

The driver of the van in this case should not have been behind the wheel. He was tired and not paying that much attention to what he was doing. It had been a long trip with the dance troupe that he led. Bilal Badruddhin was driving a Ford E-350 van and was taking his dance troupe back home from an excursion and dance competition.

Badruddin at some point during the drive drifted off to sleep and veered into a guardrail on the left hand side of the road. Startled awake, he sharply overcorrected his trajectory, causing the van to slam into the guardrail on the right hand side of the road. This final impact ejected two backseat passengers, Mammini Rajoopath and Fatima Pervaiz.

Responding EMS crews airlifted Pervaiz, who had sustained severe non-life threatening injuries, to the nearest medical facility. Unfortunately, Rajoopath was pronounced at the scene. The driver and the remaining passengers suffered minor injuries due to the wreck. The responding state police issued a citation to the driver for reckless driving.

The family of the severely injured Pervaiz will be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver of the van. They will likely be able to recover their medical expenses, cost of therapy and any other long-term rehabilitation that she may need to return to normal life. The case will largely depend on the type of her injuries and their severity, and what the doctors say about how those injuries will affect her for the rest of her life.

The Rajoopath family will likely file a wrongful death lawsuit based on the information in the police report. Most likely they will be able to recover damages for pain and suffering, funeral expenses, lost wages, loss of companionship, and mental and emotional trauma. Cases like this tend to take a fairly long time to wind their way through the courts.

In the meantime, the Rajoopath family will still need to carry on with their lives. They will need to pay incoming bills, their mortgage, tuition, car payments, and other household expenses. In other words, even though death visited their family, they need to still keep going until they are awarded a fair and equitable settlement.

They may want to check out lawsuit funding, as a lawsuit cash advance will give them the funds they need to carry on immediately. It’s considered to be non-recourse funding, and they would have nothing to pay back should they lose their case. Most often this type of funding is made accessible within 48 hours or faster. It may be well worth their time to check out this option.

Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.

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Hit & Run Leaves Father With Traumatic Brain Injury

This disturbing case happened in Boston while a 30-year old man was putting his one year old toddler into a rear car seat. He was struck by a car and sustained massive traumatic brain injury as a result of this serious automobile accident. The child was not harmed. EMS crews immediately took him to the nearest hospital in order to start treatment for the head trauma.

The 47-year old female driving the car that hit him was arrested later for leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury and negligent operation of a motor vehicle. Thanks to this woman, the young father will never be the same again. He will never be able to get his life back prior to the accident.

His family will likely file a personal injury lawsuit in this instance and sue for compensation for his lifelong care. Massive head injuries mean a long, long road to recovery. He may never work again, may never have the cognitive skills to handle speaking. It’s touch and go for serious injuries like this.
The family may want to do online research into obtaining litigation funding to help them through the long wait for justice. They will want to deal with a reputable company, one that has been in the industry for years and knows the ropes. Look for one where the person heading it is or was a personal injury lawyer; he/she will have a unique understanding of personal injury cases and how to best provide a lawsuit cash advance.

Lawsuit funding will permit this man’s family hang in and await a fair settlement or jury award. A legal finance company will also pay the plaintiff’s bills right now and will pay future bills, on an as needed basis, until the settlement or verdict occurs. And, if for some reason, the case fails and no money is collected, the lawsuit finance company will completely excuse the obligation.

Jump Ends in Traumatic Brain Injury & Death

April 10, 2010

This California traumatic brain injury death was as sudden as it was unexpected. A University of California San Diego pole vaulter hit his head during a training practice and died two days later.

The victim was a 29-year old sophomore and a fine athlete. He was doing a training run and had just completed a jump when he missed the padding and landed on the concrete, hitting his head. He was doing a rope swing drill just prior to the accident. The minute he hit his head, the young man was unresponsive; he was rushed to the nearest hospital for emergency care for his TBI. Unfortunately, he was declared brain dead two days after this incident.

Questions that need to be answered here relate to whether or not the landing pad was properly placed; was the rope used in the practice exercise was faulty? Did it cause the young athlete to mid-judge his landing target? How much padding is enough and how far should it extend around the practice pit?

The family might find answers by pursuing wrongful death litigation. That is one of the many benefits of pursuing personal injury or wrongful death litigation. Another is closure and a third is to discover what went wrong so that the family of another athlete does not have to go through the agony that this unfortunate young man’s family is going through.

Lawsuit take a long time to resolve. Injury, disability, or death often cause financial problems for the victim and/or his family. Assuming their is proof of negligence in the case, victims and their families may be interested to know that lawsuit funding can assist in paying ordinary and extraordinary bills and expenses while the personal injury lawsuit/wrongful death lawsuit is pending. The family will have expenses to cover as a result of their son’s death, and may be stressed and worried about where the money will come from to handle the bills.

A lawsuit cash advance, if the victim or his family qualify, will provide not only the money they need to pay the bills now and in the future, but peace of mind in knowing they don’t have to accept an inadequate settlement because of the need for financial relief. Litigation funding can be arranged quickly and efficiently; the application process is easy and can be handled over the phone or on-line. Often, accident victims have cash in their hands within 48 hours.

Traumatic Brain Injury from Pellet Devastates Young Woman’s Life

April 9, 2010

When you go to the hospital and it’s an emergency, you expect attention. This woman died because of the long wait.

This is such a bizarre case, it defies normal logic. A California woman suffered a traumatic brain injury after she spent hours in an emergency waiting room. This seriously makes one wonder what on earth is wrong with the health care system and why we pay taxes in the first place. In this instance when the case got to court, the plaintiff, the victim’s mother Ofelia Reynaga, was successful and awarded a $12 million verdict against the local hospital.

What happened here? The injured woman arrived in the hospital ER with an air-rifle pellet in her brain and wound up waiting several hours before she was flown to another hospital for surgery. Jessica Ramirez was shot in the head when she was at a family member’s home. She was walking and conscious when she arrived at the local hospital for treatment. What she got instead was a five hour wait, during which time she gradually lost consciousness.

She was flown to another hospital and rushed to surgery, but due to the pressure on her brain and the internal bleeding, she will now require 24-hour care for the rest of her life. An expert witness, a neurosurgeon, indicated that Ramirez would have had a much different outcome had she been operated on sooner. The original hospital plans to appeal the verdict.

This is a perfect example of things going wrong when you least expect it. Ramirez went to hospital expecting help and instead waited five hours with a pellet in her head. The traumatic brain injury has destroyed what was once a normal life.

Her family may not have known about litigation funding, but if they had, they would have had access to cash advance lawsuit funding within roughly 48 hours. The family had to continue to live their lives, pay their bills and worry about how they would care for Jessica for the rest of her life. It was an enormous stress for them, wondering who was going to pay the ever-mounting bills. Lawsuit funding would have been the answer for them; they could have paid their debts, cared for their daughter, and waited for a settlement or verdict.

Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.

Swing & Hit in the Head

April 8, 2010

What better way to welcome in spring than with a baseball game. It’s American, right? Almost everyone has played or watched the game at some point in their life. In the past several years, the baseball season has also raised the debate over the risks of metal bats used at the youth, high school and college levels, many times at the wake of a serious injury on the baseball field. There is always controversy whether the use of metal bats poses a greater safety risk than wooden bats. Some believe because metal bats give more velocity and speed, pitchers have less reaction time when the ball is hit.

While some states like North Dakota and New York have banned aluminum bats for safety reasons, others have considered such laws, but have not yet implemented them. In light of a recent incident, California plans to introduce a three-year ban on non-wooden bats allowing time to review bat safety. Here are a few cases that have brought this issue to light over the past few years.

On March 11, Gunnar Sandberg, a 16-year-old Marin Catholic High School pitcher, was hit in the head by a line drive off a metal bat. There was so much pressure on the teen’s brain that doctors at Marin General Hospital had to remove a portion of his skull and place him in a medically-induced coma.

Brandon Patch, an 18-year-old American Legion pitcher, was killed in 2003 when he was hit in the head with a line. He went into convulsions on the mound and died a few hours later.

In 2006, Steve Domalewski (then 12) of Wayne, N.J. was drilled in the chest by a line drive that stopped his heart for several minutes. He suffered brain damage and remains severely disabled.
In 2005, Bill Kalant, a 16-year-old pitcher in Illinois, was in a coma for two weeks after a line drive hit him in the head. Kalant has since had to relearn basics, such as how to brush his teeth.

No one can be certain if the metal bats the hitters used were responsible for these injuries and deaths. The statistics on exactly what the risks are vary. In 2002, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission could not find enough data to determine that metal bats posed an unreasonable risk of injury. They found between 1991 and 2001, 17 people died from being hit by a batted ball and that included all types of bats, not just metal ones.

A group of researchers at Illinois State University came to the same conclusion in 2007 saying that “there was no statistically significant evidence that non-wood bats result in an increased evidence of severity of injury.” No bat will eliminate dangers from baseball, but there are things pitchers can do to reduce their chances of getting hit. It is important to always keep your eye on the ball. Getting hit in the head with a ball is one of the most serious injuries and fatalities playing baseball. Pitchers should be required to wear a helmet. They are at the same or greater risk of head injury than the batter. Face guards would be equally beneficial to reduce injuries to the eyes, nose, and mouth. A helmet can prevent long-term disabilities, even death.

Traumatic brain injuries may result from a sudden bump, blow, or jolt to the head. These injuries may range from a mild concussion to severe, life-threatening injuries. These injuries are preventable. Following safety tips, rules, and common sense will keep the fun in the game and avoid serious injuries or fatalities.

Litigation Funding Corp. is a company that provides strategic lawsuit funding to plaintiff involved in personal injury litigation. We provide legal finance to accident victims while they wait for their cases to wind their way through the long legal process. Strategically, we are trying to reduce their financial incentive to settle their valuable cases for pennies on the dollar due to financial difficulties caused by their injuries or disabilities. We believe that the best way to avoid personal injury lawsuits is to avoid personal injuries in the first instance. That is why we are advising all of our readers to put safety first! A helmet is only a slight barrier for your brain, but it can make all the difference in your future and that of your loved ones. As in any sport, always be aware. Observe what is going on around you at all times. Keep your head in the game.

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Misdiagnosis Causes Severe Brain Damage

April 4, 2010

This case involves a New Jersey man who suffered brain damage due to a medical misdiagnosis and was awarded $25 million by a jury. Cases like this are hard fought and, in the right situations, excellent candidates for legal finance services.

John Stanford was only 40-years old in 2001, when he went to the hospital emergency room five days in a row to find out what was wrong with him. He had bad headaches, right leg paralysis and kept falling down. His family kept asking for help, but John kept being discharged and sent home. On his first visit to the ER, a CT scan of his brain showed a cyst doctors overlooked. That misdiagnosis and lack of appropriate treatment led to an aneurysm that left Stanford with irreversible brain damage. These types of serious breaches of medical standards of care will often result in medical malpractice lawsuits. Don’t be fooled by those who say that lawyers file “frivolous lawsuits” against doctors. These are serious cases, with serious breaches of professional conduct and serious, life-changing, often deadly consequences for victims and their family members.

This case did not come to trial until seven years after the incident. After the successful trial, there were several post-trial motions and, probably, an appeal. During the seven years the Stanford family waited, patiently for a trial, they probably experienced some serious financial issues. I am certain that his life-changing, disabling condition has an an impact on the family’s ability to pay its regular bills and expenses as well as the extraordinary bills and expenses for his long-term care and support. I am not aware that the case has resolved; these financial issues might still be a concern, 9 years after this unfortunate incident.

The Stanfords and people in similar situations (disabled family member with pending litigation over the cause of the injury or disability) can benefit from a service commonly known as lawsuit funding or pre-settlement funding. This is a service that provides financial assistance to accident victims who have pending litigation against the person or entity that caused their injuries or disability. The money can be used to handle the family’s regular bills as well as the extraordinary bills that they face now, and in the future, as the result of the accident.

In this case, John requires 24/7/365 care, medications, therapy and ongoing nursing assistance. He is no longer able to work, has no income and is unable to support himself and his family. The lawsuit did not result in a verdict for seven years and it is not clear whether or not the verdict has been collected yet. A lawsuit cash advance, with only the pending litigation as collateral, would help pay medical and nursing expenses and the family’s regular bills, until justice is done and compensation is received. And, the family would not have to repay the money until the case is resolved in their favor and their attorney receives their lawsuit proceeds. And, if they lose their case, they do not have to pay the money back. This is known as non-recourse lawsuit funding; accident victims only repay if they win their case and collect case proceeds. It is financial peace of mind while a family waits for justice.

Litigation funding transactions can be completed, with a check or wire in your hands, within 24-48 hours after receipt of information from your attorney. It is often a godsend in cases like this where the family has no other avenues of financial assistance open to them. The call and/or visit to the website is free; the advice and funding can be a lifesaver.

Driving When Fatigued Caused One Death and Other Severe Injuries

April 2, 2010

This accident involved a whole group of people traveling in one van. The van flipped, killing one and severely injuring others.

The driver of the van in this case should not have been behind the wheel. He was tired and not paying that much attention to what he was doing. It had been a long trip with the dance troupe that he led. Bilal Badruddhin was driving a Ford E-350 van and was taking his dance troupe back home from an excursion and dance competition.

Badruddin at some point during the drive drifted off to sleep and veered into a guardrail on the left hand side of the road. Startled awake, he sharply overcorrected his trajectory, causing the van to slam into the guardrail on the right hand side of the road. This final impact ejected two backseat passengers, Mammini Rajoopath and Fatima Pervaiz.

Responding EMS crews airlifted Pervaiz, who had sustained severe non-life threatening injuries, to the nearest medical facility. Unfortunately, Rajoopath was pronounced at the scene. The driver and the remaining passengers suffered minor injuries due to the wreck. The responding state police issued a citation to the driver for reckless driving.

The family of the severely injured Pervaiz will be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver of the van. They will likely be able to recover their medical expenses, cost of therapy and any other long-term rehabilitation that she may need to return to normal life. The case will largely depend on the type of her injuries and their severity, and what the doctors say about how those injuries will affect her for the rest of her life.

The Rajoopath family will likely file a wrongful death lawsuit based on the information in the police report. Most likely they will be able to recover damages for pain and suffering, funeral expenses, lost wages, loss of companionship, and mental and emotional trauma. Cases like this tend to take a fairly long time to wind their way through the courts.

In the meantime, the Rajoopath family will still need to carry on with their lives. They will need to pay incoming bills, their mortgage, tuition, car payments, and other household expenses. In other words, even though death visited their family, they need to still keep going until they are awarded a fair and equitable settlement.

They may want to check out lawsuit funding, as a lawsuit cash advance will give them the funds they need to carry on immediately. It’s considered to be non-recourse funding, and they would have nothing to pay back should they lose their case. Most often this type of funding is made accessible within 48 hours or faster. It may be well worth their time to check out this option.

Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.

Routine Surgery Kills Young Boy

April 1, 2010

Ten years after the fact, an Illinois family received a $9 million wrongful death award as the result of a medical malpractice claim against the doctor who operated on their 12-year old son.
Andrew Muno had a surgical procedure done to repair a cut tendon he had on his left arm; he died during surgery.

The Muno family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the surgeon and the anesthesiologist. The road to justice for the Muno’s has been a long and hard one. If they had known about litigation funding in 1999, they would have been able to apply for a lawsuit cash advance while waiting for their verdict and for justice to become a reality.

Lawsuit funding is a valuable strategic tool that provides funding to plaintiffs, removes the financial pressure to settle too early for too little, and purchases precious time to permit the attorney to work up the case, let litigation run its course, and enable them to achieve largest result possible under the circumstances. This helpful service prevents families like the Muno’s from having to settle for pennies on the dollar. They can apply for legal finance so litigation can provide them with a fair settlement. Having access to lawsuit funding balances the scales of justice, removes the financial inequity between the plaintiff and the well-financed insurance company, and prevents a plaintiff from agreeing to an unfair settlement because of an immediate need for cash. It is easy to apply, by phone or internet, and, if approved, you will have cash in your hands in as little as 24 hours.

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