In California, a man was transported to Ventura County Medical Center after he was injured as a pedestrian in a bus accident. The accident occurred at 3300 block on Telegraph Road at the Dunning Street intersection.
Generally, when a pedestrian walks on a sidewalk or crosses at a crosswalk, he or she expects to be able travel safely. However, there are times when drivers are not paying attention. There have even been a number of cases in New York City recently where automobiles ran onto crowded sidewalks and injured a large number of pedestrians.
If a pedestrian is negligently struck by a vehicle and suffers severe injuries, it may be possible to file a lawsuit against the person who caused the injury. State negligence laws and the property and casualty insurance industry exist to compensate victims of other people’s negligence. The remedy is usually an award or settlement in the form of money.
Monetary compensation normally considers damages such as lost wages, the cost of medical treatment and an amount for pain and suffering. Some accident victims think that filing a lawsuit will cost them too much money, as there are attorney’s fees to pay.
This concern is normally unfounded because attorneys who represent clients in personal injury lawsuits normally take on a lawsuit on a contingency fee basis. This means the attorney is only paid a fee if and when the lawsuit is successful.
Personal injury plaintiffs, injured as pedestrians or otherwise, may be surprised to find out that lawsuits take time to settle however. In fact, many serious personal injury cases settle years after the accident. Defendants and insurance companies sometimes use this delay to their advantage.
Plaintiffs often find themselves in financial trouble, especially if injuries eliminate or limit their ability to work. Faced with this situation, plaintiffs are sometimes forced to accept “low ball” settlement offers simply because they need money immediately.
Settlement loans designed to eliminate this problem as they are a purchase of PORTION of the future proceeds of the lawsuit. The settlement loan company buys a share of the lawsuit in advance of the settlement. The plaintiff receives immediate cash. Once the lawsuit is over, the company is repaid out of the proceeds, if any.
In the event the lawsuit loses, the settlement loan is not repaid. Nor is the plaintiff liable for its repayment. As such, settlement loans are risk free propositions for plaintiffs who wish to obtain a portion of the settlement right away.
Because settlement loans are no technically “loans”, there are no credit checks. Because clients are already in need of cash, there are no upfront fees to pay. And because the settlement advance is a sale of property rights, there are no restrictions on the money’s use. The settlement loan can be used at the client’s discretion.
