Where to begin with legal action?????
Posted: Tue May 10, 2011 3:01 pm
Has anyone received financial help with their medical bills from the institution responsible for the injury??
You need to contact a Medical Malpractice attorney. And not one of the ones you see on tv, either.
Call your local bar association and ask for some references. Ask around, find out if anyone you know has had to sue a doctor. Start there.
You need to ask questions of the attorney when you meet him or her:
-have you ever had a bpi case before?
-did you win/lose/settle?
-what is the percentage win/loss of bpi cases in your jurisdiction (every area is different--some are awful for medmal cases and some are better. your attorney should know this)
-does the lawfirm have it's own medical staff? (each case has to evaluated by a medical professional before it can move forward)
-who will you be dealing with? the lawyer? a paralegal?
they should NEVER ask you for money or pressure you to sign paperwork. they should explain how they make money (a percentage of the amount won) and how they deal with their expenses (which later become yours). all of it will be in the contract you sign, but they should explain it.
just so you know going in.... only about 40% of bpi cases are won . people win, but it is a hard sell. you HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO DOES BPI TRY YOUR CASE. it is just like having a bpi doc vs a regular doc... the minutiae is too important.
good luck,
claudia