Some matters in everyday life, often accidents or marital trouble, are settled with the aid of a lawyer, a defense lawyer, a real estate attorney, or another legal representative. Even accidents not involving other people can be settled this way, such as a slip and fall case indoors or outdoors related to public works or products. A slip and fall case could happen if a construction worker slips on work materials and injures himself, or if a warehouse worker has a slip and fall incident due to workplace hazards or negligence from maintenance or cleanup crews. Even writing a will can involve legal help to make sure that a person’s estate is handled correctly after their passing.
Accidents and Wills
Every day and every year, Americans suffer because of divorce, car crashes, or passing on without a legal will to protect their assets. Drunk driving or distracted driving on American roads today leads to a lot of injuries and some fatalities. In fact, it is estimated that every two minutes, a drunk driving crash will occur and cause injury, and the U.S. Department of Justice has determined that around 52% of all personal injury cases are due to motor accidents. Medical malpractice makes up another 15%, and 5% comes from product liability. Also, many Americans do not have a proper will drafted, and when the person passes on, this can be a real problem. Often, a person neglects to write a will simply because he or she procrastinates or believes that their estate (total money and other assets) is too small to bother with one. A real estate attorney can help with trusts and wills, and a defense attorney can work for a client in case of a car crash or a divorce.
Injury and Car Crashes
A construction worker may file a lawsuit against his construction company or other contractors in the case of injury after a slip and fall incident, and often, victims of a car crash will hire an accident lawyer after the motor incident. For a car crash case in particular, the victim’s case will have to account for not only their total medical bills, but if permanent injuries may affect their ability to work for money in the future. This can be complicated without a lawyer, but with one, these figures can be worked out. And if the at-fault party’s insurance company refuses to give the total settlement demanded or even any at all, attorneys can handle this with their legal expertise and make sure that the money is obtained.
After an accident, a person may research various local law firms, especially those whose attorneys deal with car accidents and personal injury, and get consultations with various lawyers there. (There may be fees, so the client should check for that ahead of time.) A client should find a lawyer who has the educational background, experience, and trustworthiness to make him or her desirable as a legal representative in litigation after a car crash. Not all such cases actually go to trial, but if they do, an attorney will be ready to handle it. A similar process can be undertaken after a person suffers a slip and fall incident on public works or a a construction site.
Writing a Will
Adult Americans are all encouraged to write a living will and testament, but many, even senior citizens, do not have one at all, and this could lead to problems. Without a will, the deceased individual’s money and other assets may be claimed quickly by creditors who have no regard for the family’s wishes, and even family members themselves may claim portions of the estate unfairly. This can be made even worse if the deceased owned his or her own business.
Estate planing involves hiring an estate attorney who can help the client write a professional, exploitation-free will that fairly distributes the estate as the client wishes after their passing. This can also include appointing a trust fund, and someone to watch over it, until the trustee turns 18 years old. If the client has a lot of money or assets, and/or a private business, planning how to use all this money in the years ahead can be difficult without a lawyer to help.