Who we are:
We are a long established and well-known personal injury law firm in San Francisco, California
What type of cases do we handle?
We only handle personal injury matters. We do nothing else. Most of our cases involve very serious injuries–what we term “traumatic.” These often involve fatalities and near fatalities as well as serious disfigurement, scarring, brain injury, botched surgeries (medical malpractice), serious vehicular matters involving broken bones, spinal cord, and disk injuries, as well as other serious injuries. Cases can arise either from auto accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, fire and burn cases and medical malpractice cases. We have nearly every sub type of personal injury cases in California.
How much will this cost me?
Nothing. My office covers all costs and expenses. We advance all monies for you. We are reimbursed for this only after there has been a settlement or award.
Is there any risk?
No. There is no risk to you of owing any money for legal services or legal costs. If the case does not settle or settles for less than the outstanding costs, you will not be at risk of owning any money.
How long does the average case take to settle?
Because we are usually dealing with very serious injuries, which in many cases take many months or more to resolve, our cases often take longer to settle then your run-of-the-mill “whiplash” case. Many of our cases settle within one year; some may take somewhat longer.
Why does it take a year or two for a case to settle?
Some personal injury cases can settle very quickly – in a matter of months. But, remember that my firm focuses on very serious cases that can involve six and seven figure settlement negotiations (less serious matters obviously involve lesser amounts). Because the compensation we are seeking for you is so significant and because the insurance company naturally desires to hold on to its money for as long as possible, you can imagine that the “process” of finally settling a case can take time.
How much is my case worth?
This is the question that is often at the forefront for each client. Every client wants to make sure that they receive the maximum possible compensation for their injuries. That’s what we are here for- to make sure you receive the full compensation the law allows. From our long years of experience the following factors often drive, indeed determine, the amount of compensation:
a. The seriousness of your actual injuries
b. The permanency of your injuries-are your injuries the type that will eventually resolve or are they likely to be permanent? If they will get better, how long is that expected to take?
c. Has there been any disfigurement, scarring or loss of function or use? Has surgery been necessary or will additional surgeries be necessary? Every surgery has some risk attendant to it. The thought of future surgeries is itself a source “pain and suffering.”
d. How much are your current medical bills? How much are your future medical bills likely to be? How much has been covered by insurance? Will your insurance company want to be reimbursed from your eventual settlement?
e. Have you had or will you need physical therapy? Vocational rehabilitation?
f. How much time have you lost from work? Have you missed any raises or promotions? What shanghai job opportunities were lost due to your injuries, i.e. were there any sales or deals that you otherwise would have made had you not been injured? .
g. Are there any hobbies or activities that you can no longer do or can still do but with pain, difficulty or worry? These damages are often known as “hedonic” or “quality of life” damages and are compensable. What if you can you no longer walk, jog, ride a bike, dance, clean, play with your kids or grandkids?
h. Has your marital relationship, often referred to as “consortium,” been affected?
i. Is psychological counseling necessary?
Who will take care of the medical bills as they come piling in?
Generally, you will be able to send all of your medical bills, including your hospital bills, to your own medical insurance company. Some of our clients prefer to send their bills directly to us and then we in turn forward them on to your insurance company. In either event, we keep track of all of your medical expenses.
What if I do not have medical insurance?
If you do not have any medical insurance we can often arrange to have you medically treated on a “lien” or IOU basis; that is, we can make sure that you receive all of the appropriate medical attention you deserve, and the doctors will wait until your case settles before they are paid. The doctors we work with figure that if we are willing and confident enough to wait for the settlement before we are paid they too can feel confident and wait to be paid.
What about mediation and arbitration?
Mediation and arbitration are procedures or vehicles which we use to settle your case after your treatment has been completed, and other steps, such as investigation or consultation with medical experts, engineers, etc., has been accomplished. For more information on these very important topics please see our brochure on Mediation and Arbitration.
What are your fees?
We use the contingency fee method. That is, we do not get paid until and unless there is a settlement or award in your favor. If there is no settlement or award in your favor we receive no fee. Our fee is usually 33.3% or 40% of the gross award depending upon when we settle your case. Costs are thereafter deducted as are any liens. The balance is your net settlement.