I hear personal injury lawyers advertise that they will work on a "contingent fee." What does that mean? A contingent fee is a fee that is payable only in the event the case is successful. No fee is owed if the case is not successful. In personal injury…
I am getting ready to sue someone over a car wreck. My lawyer says that she is going to file a "complaint." What is that? A lawsuit is initiated by the filing of a “complaint.” A complaint identifies the persons or entities being sued. It includes a short and plain…
I was hurt in a car wreck six months ago. It wasn’t my fault. I have been waiting for over a year for the case to settle. I lost three months of wages and have had to pay some medical bills that were not covered by my health insurance. Can…
I believe that my doctor committed medical malpractice on me and injured me for life. What is the deadline for filing a medical malpractice case in Tennessee? The short answer to this question is one year plus one hundred-twenty days. But the issue is really more complicated than that. Generally,…
My husband was killed in a car wreck by a drunk driver. What damages can be recovered by me and our children? These are the types of damages that can be recovered: (a) medical expenses; (b) funeral bills; (c) conscious pain and suffering from the date of the injury until…
I was hurt when I fell in on a slippery floor in a grocery store. I broke my right leg. I missed ten weeks of work on my construction job. My lawyer says that we need a statement from my employer stating that I missed ten weeks of work…
I was hurt in a car wreck. I missed two weeks of work and have a bunch of medical bills. I think I need to talk to a lawyer about my rights but I don’t have money to pay my mortgage much less pay a lawyer. What do you charge for…
My lawyer says I have to give a deposition. What is that? Depositions are sworn statements taken from a party or witness in a lawsuit and they are often part of the discovery process. The person giving the statement is called the deponent. At the beginning of the deposition the deponent is…
I was hurt in a car wreck six months ago. I lost my job and my medical bills are enormous. I am behind on my mortgage and have been unable to make my car payments. Should I file bankruptcy, get my financial house in order, and then file a lawsuit…
My child was killed by a drunk driver. He was 10 years old. I want to file a lawsuit. His no-good mother, who never paid child support as ordered by the court and did not visit my son for the for the six year period after our divorce, says she…