The most vulnerable people on the road are pedestrians. They have no way of avoiding a speeding car and take the full weight of the vehicle against their body. Pedestrians who are struck by cars suffer life-changing injuries and need the help of experienced pedestrian accident attorneys to assess their damages and evaluate their claim. If you have been struck by vehicle while walking or crossing the street, contact a lawyer immediately.
Many pedestrian accidents happen at night and often involve drinking and driving. This makes the injuries especially severe because the driver rarely brakes before hitting the pedestrian. If you were struck by a drunk driver, it is vital that you speak with an experienced pedestrian accident lawyer immediately. That investigation needs to begin right away in order to get proper compensation for your injuries.
Some people think that just because they were not in a crosswalk or were in the street that they cannot recover any money. This is not the case. Illinois comparative negligence allows a person to recover so long as they were less than 51% at fault for an injury. So while a jury may find that you were 20% to blame for an injury, you would still recover 80% of any jury award. Do not accept an insufficient settlement just because you assume you were at fault for an injury. Speak to a pedestrian accident attorney before signing any settlement offers or accepting any checks.
The insurance adjuster will likely tell you that there is a limit to what you can recover, that the accident was your fault and you shouldn't expect to recover anything. These bullying tactics are common with pedestrian accidents. The insurance adjuster knows that these serious injuries will cost a lot of money, so they want to settle the claim as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Don’t let them push you around. Get a pedestrian accident attorney at valterhalter Law Firm and fight back against their bullying. We will stand up for you and make sure that any settlement or verdict covers your losses and makes you as whole as possible after your injury. We will fight to get you what’s fair.
At valterhalter Law Firm, we understand that a pedestrian accident can drastically change a person’s life. We know that these injuries are very serious and likely require a lifetime of treatment. We will fight to make sure that you get the money you need to seek the treatment you deserve. You shouldn't be forced to pay for the injuries caused by another person’s negligence. We will fight to make you as whole as possible after these serious injuries, allowing you to live your life as normally as possible even after the most serious of injuries.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Dog Bites Injury Attorney
Dogs are an important part of many families. They are treated as important family members and seem like harmless creatures. Unfortunately these kind animals can suddenly feel threatened and snap at someone. When a dog bites another person, the owner can be held responsible for the injuries they cause, often through their homeowner’s insurance.
Being bitten by a dog can be a traumatic event, especially if the victim is a young child. Statistics show that most people who are injured in dog attacks are 11 years old or younger. A child may want only to play with the dog but get a little too close to its face or play a little too roughly. The dog may not necessarily mean to hurt the child, but sadly, it does. Even if the dog has never had a history of biting or injuring a person, the homeowner is still responsible for the injuries caused by his or her dog.
Even the smallest dogs can cause serious damage when they bite. Some problems that can be caused by a dog bite include:
Puncture wounds
Nerve damage
Emotional distress
Some states give dogs a “one bite free” rule, meaning they allow dogs without a violent history one free bite before the owner can be held liable for their dog’s injuries. Illinois is not one of those states. If you have suffered an injury, whether this dog has a history of bites or if this is its first, you can recover damages. If, however, the dog has a history of biting, a dog bite injury lawyer will work to uncover that history which can help bolster your claim.
If you have been bitten by a dog, the first thing to do is contact authorities. This is because the dog needs to be quarantined to make sure it does not have serious health issues such as rabies. It is also important to isolate it to make sure it does not bite anyone else.
Suffering a dog bite is a terrifying experience, especially for a child. But regardless of the victim’s age, it is important to hold the responsible parties accountable and make sure the injuries caused by the dog are fully compensated. Because it can take many months for the injuries to heal, and can in fact leave permanent scarring, it is important to hire an attorney who is familiar with these serious injuries. This way, a person can be confident that the amount they recover fully compensates them after this devastating injury.
Being bitten by a dog can be a traumatic event, especially if the victim is a young child. Statistics show that most people who are injured in dog attacks are 11 years old or younger. A child may want only to play with the dog but get a little too close to its face or play a little too roughly. The dog may not necessarily mean to hurt the child, but sadly, it does. Even if the dog has never had a history of biting or injuring a person, the homeowner is still responsible for the injuries caused by his or her dog.
Even the smallest dogs can cause serious damage when they bite. Some problems that can be caused by a dog bite include:
Puncture wounds
Nerve damage
Emotional distress
Some states give dogs a “one bite free” rule, meaning they allow dogs without a violent history one free bite before the owner can be held liable for their dog’s injuries. Illinois is not one of those states. If you have suffered an injury, whether this dog has a history of bites or if this is its first, you can recover damages. If, however, the dog has a history of biting, a dog bite injury lawyer will work to uncover that history which can help bolster your claim.
If you have been bitten by a dog, the first thing to do is contact authorities. This is because the dog needs to be quarantined to make sure it does not have serious health issues such as rabies. It is also important to isolate it to make sure it does not bite anyone else.
Suffering a dog bite is a terrifying experience, especially for a child. But regardless of the victim’s age, it is important to hold the responsible parties accountable and make sure the injuries caused by the dog are fully compensated. Because it can take many months for the injuries to heal, and can in fact leave permanent scarring, it is important to hire an attorney who is familiar with these serious injuries. This way, a person can be confident that the amount they recover fully compensates them after this devastating injury.
Legal Malpractice
Like all professionals, attorneys are held to extremely high ethical standards. They have a responsibility to do right by their clients and put their interests first. If an attorney breaches this duty, they can be held liable for damages. If you hired an attorney and they failed in representing your best interests, you may have a case for legal malpractice.
Some people may be mad after a trial and may want to sue their attorney. For instance, if a criminal case does not go their way and they wind up getting sentenced to jail or a personal injury trial resulted in no recovery, their first instinct may be to sue the attorney. That is not necessarily legal malpractice. If the attorney represented you to their best of their ability and the trier of fact (the jury) ruled against you, this is not in and of itself grounds for legal malpractice.
If, however, you were found guilty because the attorney missed an important hearing or your personal injury lawsuit was barred because the statute of limitation ran out, you may have a case for legal malpractice. An attorney must be certain not to make any preventable mistakes that could damage his or her client’s case.
An attorney must also be sure not to misallocate funds for their client. If you think that money you are paying for legal fees is actually going to something else or if your attorney took your settlement money and is suddenly not returning your calls, that is legal malpractice. An attorney has a fiduciary duty to never misallocate or steal a client’s money.
Legal malpractice can stem from any number of issues. It could just be that a lawyer has taken on far too many cases and cannot handle their workload. Suddenly deadlines are missed or hearings are skipped just because the attorney is overworked. It could also be from issues like drug or alcohol problems. Substance abuse is a serious problem among attorneys and if these personal problems bleed over into their professional lives, it could lead to a malpractice claim. Or, unfortunately, it may just stem from old-fashioned greed. While attorneys are held to high ethical standards, there are some people who are simply dishonest and lie to their clients or cheat them out of money.
Almost all attorneys carry malpractice insurance to defend against claims such as these. This insurance will cover any damages that you have suffered due to your attorney’s negligence and seek to make you whole due to problems with your lawyer. An experienced legal malpractice attorney can discuss your case with you and identify any negligence that may have occurred. If we spot some, we will aggressively fight to get you every penny you deserve.
At valterhalter Law Firm, we fight these cases aggressively because these attorneys give all of us in this profession a bad name. Most lawyers are hard-working, honest people who observe high standards of ethics and treat their clients well. It is these bad apples, however, who stand out in the public’s mind and contribute to the distrust of lawyers. This is one of the reasons we offer certain free legal services, because we want people to know that we are honest and trustworthy individuals.
If you have suffered a loss because of legal malpractice, contact a legal malpractice lawyer at valterhalter Law Firm today for a free consultation. We will let you know if you have a case and fight to get you the money you deserve.
Some people may be mad after a trial and may want to sue their attorney. For instance, if a criminal case does not go their way and they wind up getting sentenced to jail or a personal injury trial resulted in no recovery, their first instinct may be to sue the attorney. That is not necessarily legal malpractice. If the attorney represented you to their best of their ability and the trier of fact (the jury) ruled against you, this is not in and of itself grounds for legal malpractice.
If, however, you were found guilty because the attorney missed an important hearing or your personal injury lawsuit was barred because the statute of limitation ran out, you may have a case for legal malpractice. An attorney must be certain not to make any preventable mistakes that could damage his or her client’s case.
An attorney must also be sure not to misallocate funds for their client. If you think that money you are paying for legal fees is actually going to something else or if your attorney took your settlement money and is suddenly not returning your calls, that is legal malpractice. An attorney has a fiduciary duty to never misallocate or steal a client’s money.
Legal malpractice can stem from any number of issues. It could just be that a lawyer has taken on far too many cases and cannot handle their workload. Suddenly deadlines are missed or hearings are skipped just because the attorney is overworked. It could also be from issues like drug or alcohol problems. Substance abuse is a serious problem among attorneys and if these personal problems bleed over into their professional lives, it could lead to a malpractice claim. Or, unfortunately, it may just stem from old-fashioned greed. While attorneys are held to high ethical standards, there are some people who are simply dishonest and lie to their clients or cheat them out of money.
Almost all attorneys carry malpractice insurance to defend against claims such as these. This insurance will cover any damages that you have suffered due to your attorney’s negligence and seek to make you whole due to problems with your lawyer. An experienced legal malpractice attorney can discuss your case with you and identify any negligence that may have occurred. If we spot some, we will aggressively fight to get you every penny you deserve.
At valterhalter Law Firm, we fight these cases aggressively because these attorneys give all of us in this profession a bad name. Most lawyers are hard-working, honest people who observe high standards of ethics and treat their clients well. It is these bad apples, however, who stand out in the public’s mind and contribute to the distrust of lawyers. This is one of the reasons we offer certain free legal services, because we want people to know that we are honest and trustworthy individuals.
If you have suffered a loss because of legal malpractice, contact a legal malpractice lawyer at valterhalter Law Firm today for a free consultation. We will let you know if you have a case and fight to get you the money you deserve.
Free Power of Attorney
A power of attorney is a form that gives a person the legal authority to act on another’s behalf. It can be used for medical reasons, financial reasons, or other legal matters. This can be extremely important should a person become incapacitated or otherwise unable to make decisions on their own. This is known as a “springing power of attorney” because it “springs” into effect at the time of death or incapacity. While it is important, many people cannot afford to have this document drafted. Once a person becomes incapacitated, however, it is too late to draft such a document. That’s why the attorneys at valterhalter Law Firm offers this document for free.
Some people may assume that a trusted loved one will be allowed to make important decisions on their behalf. In actuality this is not the case. If something happens to a loved one, it can actually lead to serious family disputes, and may even lead to litigation if things really break down. By empowering one person to make these important decisions, you can avoid these ugly disputes and put one person in charge.
These forms are actually available online and are relatively straightforward, but if one mistake is made it can lead to serious problems. It could even lead to the form being thrown out entirely. At valterhalter Law Firm, we will work with clients to make sure that these forms are filled out properly and that they accurately reflect a person’s wishes. We will also sit down and discuss a living will or advance health directives which can ensure that if a person is in a serious accident or otherwise injured, their wishes will be honored regarding treatment and quality of life.
While some attorneys may charge hundreds of dollars or more for these documents, we will draft them for free. There are no fees, obligations, or any sort of compensation required. We will help you create a legally valid power of attorney form at no charge. We do this because we know how important a power of attorney can be to a family and we don’t think it’s fair that people have to skip them because they can’t afford it. When times are tough, people have to cut back on legal services and we understand that. By offering to draft these documents at no charge, we can give back to members of the community and provide a valuable service for people who may not otherwise be able to afford it.
We also do this to help build trust with people. We understand that people may be skeptical of attorneys and may not view them in the most positive light. But we are not typical attorneys. We try to keep the office casual and want our clients to feel like they are members of the family. Even though we may wear shorts and tennis shoes to the office, we are no less serious or less experienced than other attorneys. We strive to provide the best representation possible for our clients, but we also strive to build lasting relationships.
We are confident that if you use our free legal services, you will come back should you ever need our assistance again. If you need a power of attorney form, contact valterhalter Law Firm to have one drafted for free.
Some people may assume that a trusted loved one will be allowed to make important decisions on their behalf. In actuality this is not the case. If something happens to a loved one, it can actually lead to serious family disputes, and may even lead to litigation if things really break down. By empowering one person to make these important decisions, you can avoid these ugly disputes and put one person in charge.
These forms are actually available online and are relatively straightforward, but if one mistake is made it can lead to serious problems. It could even lead to the form being thrown out entirely. At valterhalter Law Firm, we will work with clients to make sure that these forms are filled out properly and that they accurately reflect a person’s wishes. We will also sit down and discuss a living will or advance health directives which can ensure that if a person is in a serious accident or otherwise injured, their wishes will be honored regarding treatment and quality of life.
While some attorneys may charge hundreds of dollars or more for these documents, we will draft them for free. There are no fees, obligations, or any sort of compensation required. We will help you create a legally valid power of attorney form at no charge. We do this because we know how important a power of attorney can be to a family and we don’t think it’s fair that people have to skip them because they can’t afford it. When times are tough, people have to cut back on legal services and we understand that. By offering to draft these documents at no charge, we can give back to members of the community and provide a valuable service for people who may not otherwise be able to afford it.
We also do this to help build trust with people. We understand that people may be skeptical of attorneys and may not view them in the most positive light. But we are not typical attorneys. We try to keep the office casual and want our clients to feel like they are members of the family. Even though we may wear shorts and tennis shoes to the office, we are no less serious or less experienced than other attorneys. We strive to provide the best representation possible for our clients, but we also strive to build lasting relationships.
We are confident that if you use our free legal services, you will come back should you ever need our assistance again. If you need a power of attorney form, contact valterhalter Law Firm to have one drafted for free.
Wrongful Death Attorney
One of the most devastating experiences a family can go through is the death of a loved one. This death is made all the more difficult when it is caused by the negligence of another. If you have suffered the loss of a close loved one to an accident or injury, you need an experienced wrongful death attorney to help you through this difficult time.
While money is likely the last thing on a family’s mind after the unexpected death of a loved one, it is necessary to think about. Whether the loved one was the sole breadwinner for a family or whether that spouse was a homemaker who looked after the children and took care of the home, their death has left a gaping hole that can never be filled. Money will never bring that person back, but it is the only available remedy under the law.
Wrongful deaths commonly occur from the following:
Car accidents
Motorcycle accidents
Truck accidents
Medical malpractice
An attorney can be helpful during this time because they can focus on the task of full compensation while the family focuses on putting their lives back together. Instead of wrangling with the insurance company and adding more stress to an already difficult time, the wrongful death attorney can deal with the adjuster while the family attempts to overcome the loss of a loved one. Their advice and guidance can prove invaluable during this period.
A wrongful death lawyer can also help achieve a fair outcome for the death of that family member. Obviously the loved one is priceless and their death will never be made whole through money, but a wrongful death lawyer will know how to prove economic loss and emotional suffering to come to a fair settlement or verdict amount.
By working with experts such as economists, psychologists, and other experts in their respective field, they can put a number on lost wages, loss of comfort, loss of consortium, and other damages that can be difficult to evaluate. This way, you can be sure you are getting a fair amount for their death and not accepting an insufficient offer just to get this process over with. You need to be fairly compensated for your loss, and the wrongful death lawyers at valterhalter Law Firm will fight to get you every penny you deserve.
We understand that this is an extremely difficult time and we understand that a lawsuit is not something you want to go through. Our office is here to provide compassionate support and help you through this grieving process. Aside from just money, it can be very cathartic for a family to have the party responsible for their loved one’s death held responsible in a court of law. In some accidents, there is no criminal element so they can’t be found “guilty” of any crimes. Through the civil justice system, the responsible parties can be held accountable and allow the family to get some closure.
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