FAQs

Q: What legal fees will I have to pay?

A: You are only obligated to pay a legal fee if you obtain a recovery - this is called a contingent legal fee. Our legal fee is a percentage of your recovery. We are not paid on an hourly basis and you do not have to pay us any money up front. We work with you and by earning a fee only if you recover money, we have an incentive to work hard, to work diligently, and to obtain the maximum amount of money for you.

Q: What costs will I have to pay?

A: We will advance all of the costs required to prepare and bring your case. If we are not successful in obtaining a recovery for you, you will not be responsible for the costs we incur in bringing your case. If we do obtain a recovery for you, any costs we have incurred will be deducted from your portion of the recovery.

Q: Who decides if my case should go to trial?

A: The decision to try a particular case is made jointly by us as your attorney and by you as the client. There are many factors that must be considered when deciding to go to trial. These can include the merits of the case, the weaknesses in the case, the out-of-pocket costs that will be required to try the case and, of course, the likelihood of success. Attorney and client must consider all relevant factors in arriving at a decision.

Q: How much money will I receive?

A: Do not be misled by anyone who tells you how much you will receive. Your injuries are serious and go beyond the physical damage, extending to psychological and economic harm as well. In pharmaceutical and medical device cases, it is virtually impossible to predict how much, if any, compensation you will receive for your injuries because there are many variables that affect the outcome of your case. Most important is the legal concept of "causation" – proving that the defendant's drug or device caused your injury. You can be assured that we will do our best to prove "causation" but there are no guarantees that we or anyone else will be able to do so. You can also be assured that we will be honest and candid with you about the strengths and weaknesses of your case as it unfolds.

Q: Will I have to sue my doctors?

A: Normally we do not sue our client's doctors. Doctors are often "kept in the dark" about the dangers of a drug or medical device. In cases where a drug or medical device manufacturer failed to warn about a danger or risk associated with its drug or medical device, your doctor was unaware of the danger or risk and most likely would not have prescribed the drug or used the device if he/she had known about the danger or risk.

Q: How much time will I have to spend on my case?

A: To do our job effectively, we will need and expect your cooperation. This should only take a few hours of your time as we begin working on and developing your case. Initially, we will conduct 2 phone interviews with you – the first is to gather general information about your case. The second will be to gather important details about your injury, your medical history and other information that is important to your case. We may also ask you to send us certain documents and records that you have concerning your case.

Q: What about giving testimony?

A: In most cases, an injured party will be asked to answer questions under oath during a deposition. A deposition is an out-of-court meeting in a private office in which you will be asked questions by the defendant's attorney. The questions and your answers will be recorded and transcribed into a written transcript by a court reporter. Typically, a deposition usually takes no more than a few hours. In addition, you will have to spend some time with us preparing for your deposition.

Q: Will I have to travel for my deposition?

A: Usually, your deposition is taken in a location nearby your home so no out-of-state or overnight travel is required. There may be rare situations where some travel is necessary but those do not occur very often.

Q: Will I have to appear in court?

A: Very few cases go to trial these days. There are many reasons for this – some directly related to a particular case and others unrelated. We cannot say for certain that you will not have to appear in court but the likelihood of that is very slim.