Lost Front Teeth

[camie]

Three years ago, a careless person,friend at the time, and I were walking to his place to watch a movie after work. I was a bartender and he was a bouncer. He had several beers to drink and I had one and a half. He wanted to carry me all of a sudden and I said no. He proceeded to any ways, could not sustain my weight, and I fell backwards and face first into the cement sidewalk. I lost my four front teeth. Our blood alcohol levels and breath were not analyzed by the emergency room staff but they did put in their report that "we reaked of alcohol." He didn't want to take responsibility for the cost of fixing my teeth and that is why I started proceedings for suing him. All has gone very slowly and I am not sure that I trust my lawyer. This is the first time I've ever been involved in a lawsuit or needed a lawyer so I don't have anything to reference in order to know if all is going correctly. Since the accident, I have moved across country. Next weekend I am flying back to give a deposition to the opposing lawyer. My lawyer wants me to post security of $1200 to be held in his account until the matter is settled incase we lose. Is this typical? I don't think we'll lose so why would he ask for this? The opposing attorney offered to settle last year for an amount of $6000. It cost $5000 just to fix my teeth with a bridge. And I am told by my dentist that it will have to be changed three more times in my life time. Add on pain, suffering, loss of self esteem, so on and so forth. What final amount should I expect?

[This message has been edited by camie (edited May 10, 2000).]

 

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Arial, Helvetica, Verdana">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by camie:
Three years ago, a careless person,friend at the time, and I were walking to his place to watch a movie after work. I was a bartender and he was a bouncer. He had several beers to drink and I had one and a half. He wanted to carry me all of a sudden and I said no. He proceeded to any ways, could not sustain my weight, and I fell backwards and face first into the cement sidewalk. I lost my four front teeth. Our blood alcohol levels and breath were not analyzed by the emergency room staff but they did put in their report that "we reaked of alcohol." He didn't want to take responsibility for the cost of fixing my teeth and that is why I started proceedings for suing him. All has gone very slowly and I am not sure that I trust my lawyer. This is the first time I've ever been involved in a lawsuit or needed a lawyer so I don't have anything to reference in order to know if all is going correctly. Since the accident, I have moved across country. Next weekend I am flying back to give a deposition to the opposing lawyer. My lawyer wants me to post security of $1200 to be held in his account until the matter is settled incase we lose. Is this typical? I don't think we'll lose so why would he ask for this?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

My response:

"All I want for Christmas is my . . ., " well, you know the rest.

Have no fear. In most States, the wheels of justice turn ever so slowly. Your case is in the "Discovery" phase. A deposition is an in-person question and answer period, which can go a little something like this:

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy,
did you check for a pulse?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for blood pressure?
A: No.
Q: Did you check for breathing?
A: No.
Q: So, then it is possible that the patient
was alive when you began the autopsy?
A: No.
Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
Q: But could the patient have still been alive nevertheless?
A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere.

(rim shot, here)

Anyway, since you've moved away, your attorney is most probably asking for that money for costs. He'll keep it in his client/trust account, and use it for your case. He'll give you a statement of usage.
Once the Discovey phase is complete, both written and oral, costs for subpeonas and experts will be expended, and trial preparation will begin, should your case get that far.

Hope this helps, and that you got a couple of laughs.

IAAL




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