To Friend or “Unfriend”? Facebook enters the courtroom

Defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges alike have found it difficult unplugging jurors from the ubiquitous internet. In September 2010, a juror was sanctioned for posting a guilty verdict on his Facebook wall days before deliberations were concluded. More often than not, people are more comfortable expressing their opinions online than they are in person, as the internet not only provides …

Caveat Borrower: The Uncharted Territory of Lawsuit Loans

We have all heard the phrase “caveat emptor,” let the buyer beware, but there is a growing trend in lending within the legal world – lawsuit loans – that calls for the borrower to be extra cautious. As detailed in a recent New York Times article, lawsuit loans have been around since the late 1990s, and have allowed banks and …

Who Should Pay My Medical Bills?

You should have medical payments coverage on your auto policy even if you have health insurance. Why? Because if you are injured in a car accident and your health insurance pays your medical bills, they will seek to get this money back. Medical payments coverage will also pay with no deductible and no co-insurance payments.

Getting Your Deductible Back

One of our previous posts highlighted an option that many individuals overlook when they are involved in an automobile collision – filing a first party claim. If you have collision coverage on your insurance policy, your insurance company will pay for your vehicle repairs. In order to do so, you the insured pay a portion of those costs, which is …

Protecting Your Claim from an ERISA Lien

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”) is a federal law that governs retirement, health, life, and disability benefits for Americans. ERISA sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established pension and health plans in the private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans. ERISA requires plans to provide participants with plan information including important information about …

Practice Pointer #2: Five Tips On How To Get Cases

Young referring attorneys typically provide my firm with its largest and best injury cases. In turn, I enjoy teaching young trial attorneys how to manage their solo practice. In nearly sixteen years of private practice, I’ve learned by doing and now enjoy sharing my experiences. The biggest question facing a new attorney is how to get clients. 1. Develop a …

What’s in your auto policy?

Easily, the biggest problem I see when dealing with clients who have been seriously or fatally injured is insufficient automobile insurance coverage. Everyone makes assumptions when they’re involved in an accident that it’s not their fault. First, everyone assumes that someone will pay for their injuries. Second, they assume that the other driver has sufficient insurance. Unfortunately, the reality is …

Should you “call or click today” when buying insurance?

Insurance companies are rapidly changing the way they sell insurance and these changes affect your coverage. First, insurance companies are attempting to remove agents from the process. If you’ve noticed, insurance companies are now seeking to sell insurance to you directly. Many companies encourage you to call or click today; inviting you to order insurance directly online or through a …

Practice Pointer #1: Always Watch Your Money

I enjoy teaching young attorneys who are just starting their solo practice how to manage their own business. In nearly sixteen years of private practice, I’ve learned by doing and now enjoy sharing my experiences. Lesson 1. Always watch your own money. Read Accounting for Dummies or any similar introduction to accounting. Understand the following basic accounting and tax concepts: …

Congress Begins To Agree On Financial Reform Bill

The Senate Banking Committee believes an accord might be possible to get the Financial Reform Bill passed through Congress this year. Richard C. Shelby of Alabama, the senior Republican on the panel, said that he and the committee’s Democratic chairman, Christopher J. Dodd of Connecticut, “agree on probably 90 percent” of “just about everything” in the legislation. Read more from …