Litigation Funding Blog
September 20, 2010
This disturbing case shocked the local community of Iron Ridge, Wis. A dog attacked and killed a 4-year-old girl.
Taylor Bells was just 4 years old when she died; attacked by a 5-year-old Boxer while she was in the backyard of a home she had never been to before. For some reason, she was left out in the yard by herself, with no supervision.
Apparently, the Bells family was visiting a friend and the dog was in the backyard, attached to a lead and chain that was long enough for him to roam most of the yard. Taylor was left outside with the dog and no one noticed what had happened, until a neighbor heard a terrible racket coming from the backyard.
The dog was mauling the child. The neighbor flew across the yard to pound on the door of the residence, alerting the people inside the home to the attack. A 911 dispatcher instructed the family how to perform CPR on the gravely injured child; coaching them for approximately nine minutes. When EMS crews arrived, Taylor was rushed to the nearest hospital where a trauma team tried to save her for over an hour. They were not successful.
The Boxer was taken to the local humane society for a quarantine period of 10 days. The owner will have to decide whether to put the dog down or not when the time is up. Police reports did not indicate why Taylor was left alone with the dog.
Cases like these are never easy for anyone, particularly if a small child is involved. The major question in this case is whether the dog had a known history of being vicious and attacking people and whether Taylor’s mother knew about it. While the dog may have been chained in the yard, if it was known to be vicious, the Bells family should have been warned.
The Bells family will not only be emotionally devastated, but quite likely financially strapped as well, as a result of paying for Taylor’s emergency medical treatments. They will be wondering how they will be able to pay the medical expenses on top of their other bills. The best solution for them may be to apply for legal funding from a litigation finance company.
Litigation funding, also known as pre-settlement funding, is a little known service for plaintiffs to apply for an interim emergency cash advance on their expected lawsuit settlement or court verdict. If they qualify for the fast cash, it is sent to them within 24 to 48 hours. They don’t pay to apply for a lawsuit cash advance and get to keep the cash free and clear if their case is not won in court.
Plaintiffs are not expected to pay any upfront fees or to make monthly payments on the lawsuit cash advance. The money is theirs, almost immediately, to do anything they want. Most plaintiffs realize they need to pay their medical bills first. The rest of the money is a backup fund that lets them wait for a reasonable settlement offer from the insurance company. Usually, an insurance company lowballs the first offer, in the hopes the plaintiff will accept. If they know the lawyer is serious about going to court, the settlement amount often becomes larger.
Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.
Jobs sites are notorious places for accidents to happen and this upsetting mishap is no exception. Here, a construction worker was driving an SB 1600 Mud Buggy; it crashed because the worker could not get the vehicle to respond to the controls. As a result of the crash, the man fractured both legs (tibia and fibula in each) which necessitated multiple surgeries.
The worker alleged the mud buggy was defective; the manufacturer, Stone Construction Equipment Inc., admitted there was a defect, but insisted that the worker’s negligence caused this accident.
Nice try; the jury didn’t buy it and found Stone Construction 94% liable and the worker 6% liable. The initial award was $1.35 million, reduced to $1.5 million on the assessment of liability of the plaintiff.
An injury that results in lengthy disability creates an excellent reason for an injured worker to seek assistance from a lawsuit funding company. Product Liability and disability litigation is a lengthy process. Pre-settlement funding will help pay the medical bills as well as regular bills and expenses that can’t be made when there is no money coming in. which would have been substantial because of the many surgeries.
Litigation funding may be applied for online or by calling a legal finance company, directly. Complete a short form online or talk to a friendly, experienced professional; it is up to you. Records will be obtained; your case’s qualifications will be assessed, quickly and professionally, and if you are approved, you will receive your lawsuit cash advance within 24-48 hours by check or wire. It’s that quick and that easy.
There is no credit check or job requirement to qualify for what some refer to as a ‘lawsuit loan‘. Most of the people who apply for legal funding are disabled from work as a result of their injuries. There are no application fees, no upfront contract fees and no monthly payments to make. It’s quick, easy and hassle free.
In the final analysis, lawsuit financing is a smart move because it lets the plaintiff pay all necessary bills and expenses and relieves the financial pressure to settle too early for too little compensation. Plaintiffs may follow their attorneys’ advice and wait patiently for a fair and equitable settlement or verdict. It is a risk free way to prevent plaintiffs from giving in to insurance company attempts to get them to settle low because they need cash now.
September 14, 2010
This is an interesting case involving a transit worker whose job is conducting with New Jersey Transit. A worker filed a toxic tort lawsuit (toxic fume exposure) against his employer, indicating he sustained brain damage after being exposed to toxic diesel fumes while working a night-time run.
On one of his normal runs, he found flames in a section of the train. He managed to get all the passengers off the train, spoke to the train master and finished his two hour run. During those two hours, he was, apparently, exposed to toxic diesel fumes, which caused anoxia, leading to brain damage. He did not leave the train; he had no authority to do so without an order from the train master.
The jury awarded $749,000 in future wage loss and $251,000 for past medical bills. However, they also found that the man (inexplicably, in my opinion) was 50% responsible, and the award, without interest and costs, was reduced to $500,000.
These cases always result in income loss; a litigant is asked to pursue litigation against powerful corporations and/or insurance companies when he has lost his livelihood and has no income coming in. So how does an unemployed worker compete with a well financed corporate interest? First, he retains an experienced attorney on a contingency fee basis. That means he pays nothing unless he wins or settles the case. He can also obtain the financial support he needs, also contingent upon the outcome of his case, by applying for and obtaining lawsuit funding. If he is approved for a lawsuit cash advance, he can pay his mortgage and car payments, and any medical expenses that are not otherwise covered.
The strategic advantage of litigation funding is that once a plaintiff has resolved his/her financial difficulties, he/she can reject inadequate or insultingly low offers from insurance companies and/or corporate defendants.
Applying for what many call a “lawsuit loan”, is easy and free; apply by phone or online. If you are approved, there are no upfront fees, no monthly payments to be made, no hassles and no credit checks to worry about. What you see is what you get; your pre-settlement funding arrives within 24-48 hours. It’s that fast because your legal finance professional knows that you need cash now to pay your bills. One thing is certain; this is lawsuit financing service that you will never get from any bank.
September 12, 2010
Drinking on the job and attempting to rape a nursing home resident ended this cook’s career.
This case is absolutely shocking and the family had a hard time coping with it. It’s no wonder when you hear the details. The jury at trial didn’t like what they heard either and subsequently awarded the plaintiff $12.5 million.
It evidently all started when Jose Vazquez, the cook at the Oakdale Heights nursing home, started drinking on the job. Whatever possessed him to use his master key (provided to all employees – although why the cook would need one is a burning question) and go into Sophie Schwartz’s room and try to rape the 92-year-old woman defies rational thought. Vasquez was caught by another staff member as he was trying to penetrate her.
Needless to say, Schwartz’s guardian ad litem (a family member and their attorney) sued not only Vasquez, but the owner of the nursing home, the operator and the administrator. No stone was left unturned in this disturbing case. The defense’s argument was that the whole incident wasn’t related to the home’s hiring practices or any lack of supervision at the nursing home. The jury wasn’t in any frame of mind to agree with that particular take on events and found for the plaintiff.
While waiting for justice in this case, it might have helped the Schwartz family if they had access to funds to handle the medical bills and other costs related to this shocking abuse case. Their bills would have still kept coming and Sophie’s physical and mental care would still need to be looked after in the wake of this horrid event. Perhaps the family would have had to move her to another facility. All this would cost money, something they may not have had on hand.
It may have been in their best interests to have applied for pre-settlement funding, also referred to as litigation funding. It only takes a phone call to access this funding or in the alternative, filling out an application online. The plaintiff does not have to pay anything to apply and there are no upfront fees involved in the application process or later for that matter.
There is no expectation that the plaintiff has to pay a monthly fee to obtain a lawsuit cash advance either. Once the applicant is approved, the lawsuit loan is sent immediately via check or by wire and once that money is placed in the bank, the plaintiff may then use it however they please. Usually though, they use the funds to pay for medical bills and any other related costs. With a lawsuit loan in hand, they can now wait for justice and not have to accept any lowball offers from insurance companies.
Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit Litigationfundingcorp.com.
September 10, 2010
Imagine going in to have your brakes fixed not once, but twice, and later finding out they weren’t fixed properly and you ended up in an automobile accident. That’s what happened to this unfortunate plaintiff, who had a special kind of brake system installed in his car to make things easier for him when he delivered the mail.
Apparently the first time he attempted to use his vehicle after the brake installation, the brake cable malfunctioned. He took the vehicle back to the shop to get it fixed. The repair work failed and his vehicle rolled down a hill and crashed, fracturing the plaintiff’s elbow and fingers. The man retained a personal injury lawyer and filed a lawsuit against the repair shop for the negligent work.
The shop fought the litigation, but after depositions and negotiations, the repair shop finally settled out of court; after all, it was quite possible that a jury would have awarded more.
This case was an excellent candidate for lawsuit funding. This comes in the form of a lawsuit cash advance, available from a litigation funding company, after filling out an application online or by calling a legal finance company, directly. It costs nothing to apply for a ‘lawsuit loan’ and once the application has been approved, it only takes 24-48 hours for your fast cash to arrive.
Use a lawsuit cash advance for serious bills and expenses; you no longer have to settle your valuable case for pennies on a dollar just to make ends meet. Lawsuit financing might be just what you need to get the most our of your personal injury lawsuit.
September 8, 2010
This case was about to go to trial, when the family of an injured worker settled out of court. The 23-year old young man, who worked for his father’s masonry outfit, was crushed between a backhoe and his dad’s forklift. The machine was operated in reverse, without the required safety spotter. Unfortunately, the father was a witness to the accident.
The young man was taken to hospital with severe crush and degloving injuries this is an injury in which the skin is literally peeled off the body, like a glove. He endured multiple surgeries and eventually developed abdominal compartment syndrome so painful, he was placed in a medically induced coma to deal with the agony. He succumbed to his injuries and passed away six and one half months later, without regaining consciousness.
This was an horrendous construction site accident; no one should ever have to witness such an event, especially the father of the victim. The father filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the general contractor on the work site that was in charge of running the backhoe. The case cited workplace safety violations and negligence.
This family had a very long period of time where their son was undergoing numerous operations and skin grafting. The medical expenses in this case would be catastrophic. Was there medical insurance? If not, this would have been the time for the family to consider applying for pre-settlement funding. This is litigation funding that is provided to a plaintiff or his family in advance of an potential settlement or award in a personal injury case.
Lawsuit funding proceeds may be used to pay medical bills, funeral expenses, or important bills and expenses that a family falls behind on in a situation like this. Once an applicant is approved for what some refer to as a “lawsuit loan”, the lawsuit cash advance arrives, by wire or check, within 24-48 hours. The main goal of this valuable legal finance service is to ease a plaintiff’s financial situation just enough to permit him/her to reject inadequate offers of settlement and await fair offers of settlement. It prevents plaintiffs from settling valuable cases too soon, for too little compensation.
Applying for lawsuit financing is easy and quick; it may be done online or by phone. There are no monthly payments to deal with and no upfront fees either. It’s a no-hassle way to get legal funding that will help the family get through some tough financial times while they are trying to deal with their loss.
September 7, 2010
Oscar Torres worked as a pipe fitter in the 70s, fixing pipes in a chemical plant owned by Union Carbide. He regularly handled asbestos laden insulation and gaskets, containing asbestos, and manufactured by by Garlock Sealing Technologies. Fast forward 30 plus years and Mr. Torres is struggling with the effects of a 2009 Mesothelioma diagnosis; he retained an experienced attorney and filed a lawsuit against Garlock and Union Carbide.
The parties could not settle the dispute and the case went to trial. The jury award Mr. Torres $2.7 Million and found Garlock and Union Carbide each 45% liable and held Torres’s former employer 10% responsible. Usually, cases will take years to come to trial; for some reason, trial in the case convened shortly after the lawsuit was filed, good news for the plaintiff.
As I indicated, this case came to trial quickly; most don’t. Victims who have filed a lawsuit and are waiting for trial, will often experience financial difficulties during the long wait. Usually, because of injury or disability, their ability to earn a living is impaired. Even Mr. Torres, who waited a year for trial, may have been interested to know that there is financial assistance available to people waiting for their lawsuits to settle or go to trial. These victims can secure lawsuit funding from a reputable provider of that service.
It is easy to apply for pre-settlement funding; if you have a quality case, it is easy to be approved for it, too. That’s because litigation funding companies do not look at your credit history or job status, in fact, they are not interested, at all, in how you used to pay your bills. They are only interested in the quality and value of your case, because helping you depends only on those two things. Once you are approved, you receive your lawsuit cash advance by check or wire within 24-48 hours; you can take care of your mortgage, rent or car payments, or accident related expenses like medical, therapy, or prescription charges.
This quick cash pre-settlement funding helps the plaintiff deal with his/her financial crisis, as a result of their accident, and allows him/her to concentrate on getting better and winning the lawsuit. Now that the plaintiff’s financial situation is under control, he/she can turn down inadequate offers from the insurance company and assist his/her attorney in obtaining a fair and equitable settlement. Legal finance services give a plaintiff staying power to achieve better lawsuit results. The pressure to cave in to the insurance company because of cash needs is gone.
There are no costs to apply for lawsuit financing; there are no upfront fees or monthly payments. A ‘lawsuit loan’ is a hassle free way to deal with the financial bind of being seriously injured, before your lawsuit is resolved before justice is done. And, if for some reason you lose your case, legal funding is contingent upon recover; you only have to paid the money back if you win the case. This is truly no-risk lawsuit funding.
September 5, 2010
A 47-year old disabled man who suffered from chronic pancreatitis and diabetes was admitted to hospital in 2005 for complications with his pancreatic diseases. He was given IV anti-nausea and Demerol in his right wrist at 6:30 pm. By 3 am the IV site was swollen and painful. The needle was taken out 45 minutes later.
Nine hours after he had been admitted his doctor came to check on him and found out that the drugs had leaked into his tissues. The doctor elevated the hand, but the pain didn’t stop. Later that same day, the man was taken to another medical center where an orthopedic surgeon operated on his wrist, but could not save his right thumb.
The patient was in hospital for 24 days and had numerous other surgeries to save his hand. He contacted a personal injury lawyer with experience in medical malpractice issues to help him recover pain and suffering as well as the costs of his treatments and surgeries. His attorney filed the case, naming the hospital and five nurses in the suit and stated they had allowed the drugs to infiltrate the tissue surrounding the IV needle.
This case and this plaintiff may have been excellent candidates for litigation funding; money that lets the victim pay their medical expenses and important monthly expenses now, before settling or trying his/her case to conclusion. A ‘lawsuit loan’ would have allowed this medical malpractice victim to wait, as long as he needed to, for his case to be settled out of or in court; he could turn down hard-hearted, deliberately and low offers made by insurance companies trying to take full advantage of his financial situation and desperation.
It is an easy and quick process to apply for pre-settlement funding ; there is no cost to apply, no payments to make, no credit check and no job requirement. All that is necessary is an on-going personal injury lawsuit. Apply by phone or online. Once the plaintiff is approved, the lawsuit cash advance is sent on its way by check or wire; a process that takes as little as 48 hours. Applying for a lawsuit loan is a win-win situation for many plaintiffs, as it allows them to deal with their financial difficulties right away. Plaintiffs do not have to pay legal finance proceeds back if they lose their case.
September 4, 2010
This lawsuit was filed by a 61-year old diesel tank worker who was burned over 35% of his body, when the diesel tank he was working on, in 2008, suddenly exploded. The injured worker had to undergo painful debridement and allografting. These painful processes will need to be repeated, over and over, for many years to come, as his body forms scars that need to be removed to allow the skin to ‘breath’ and heal. He will be in constant pain for the remainder of his life.
The lawsuit alleged that the president of the well drilling company the man was working for knew that the diesel tanker had hidden and highly dangerous conditions, but that the company failed to warn its workers, in particular, this badly injured and disfigured plaintiff, about those dangers.
This injured worker waited over two years for justice in his case. The jury awarded him $2,125,000, ‘justice’ that will pay for extensive and ongoing medical procedures for the rest of his life. During that time while he was waiting for case resolution, it must have have been enormously difficult, if not impossible, for him to pay his normal bills and expenses as well as those expenses,surgeries, rehabilitation, pain medication,and other injury related expenses. It is doubtful that he has returned or will ever be able to return to his former job.
This unfortunate man and other accident victims would be pleased to know that he could have filled out an application for a service known as lawsuit funding. This service is offered to plaintiffs who are in need of lawsuit financial assistance while they are waiting for their case to be resolved. Pre-settlement funding is available through a litigation funding company and it’s easy to apply for the fast cash online or by phone.
When someone does apply for what some call a ‘lawsuit loan’, and are approved, the money arrives rapidly – usually within 24-48 hours. Once the plaintiff has the lawsuit cash advance, they can take it to the bank and then pay all of their urgent medical expenses and also take care of their usual monthly financial obligations like the mortgage or car payments.
There is no cost associated with applying for a legal finance assistance; there are no monthly fees or upfront fees. Lawsuit financing is a no hassle way to get funds in place to let the victim wait for justice and not have to take a low offer from the insurance company.
September 2, 2010
The young man was only 27 years old at the time of his death. He was killed in an explosion at a processing plant, as he tried to restart a hot oil heater. He was working for Quicksilver Resources at the time and was killed when gas gathered by the burners; as he tried to light one, the heater exploded.
The wrongful death lawsuit indicated that Hanover (the original plant owner) and Quicksilver had notice at the time of this tragedy that the heater did not comply with safety recommendations. It was installed anyway and installed improperly. The jury assessed Hanover as being 90% negligent and Quicksilver as 10% negligent.
This a large award for an unimaginable loss for this family. How does a family recover from the loss of someone so young? It is an immense tragedy. Awards like this one are not obtained easily. The are fought hard for, over a long period of time. The wheels of justice turn very slowly. In case like this one, families often turn to lawsuit funding to get through the legal process without experiencing financial ruin. You see, accidents cause serious injury and/or death to important family members. Their injuries and/or deaths almost always cause financial devastation. Litigation funding provides victims with cash now, before their lawsuit resolve, providing the cash needed to pay their medical expenses or any costs related to the accident. These ‘lawsuit loans’ also assist victims in dealing with important bills and expenses, mortgage, rent or car payments, tuition and utilities. Pre-settlement funding removes the financial pressure to accept insurance company offers that come too soon for too little; victims may now wait for a fair and just verdict or settlement. In most instances, insurance companies will shoot low, aiming to get the plaintiff to settle for less money.
It is easy to apply for legal finance; it costs nothing to fill out an application form. Injury victims may apply online or by calling the litigation funding company’s toll free number. Once the details of the case have been assessed and the lawsuit funding approved, fast cash lawsuit financing arrives within 24-48 hours by check or by wire.
A plaintiff’s job status or credit history does not matter when he/she applies for a lawsuit cash advance; case underwriters are only concerned with the quality and value of the case presented for legal funding. There are no upfront fees and do not have any monthly payments; if the case is not successful, repayment is excused. This is truly no-risk case funding.
