Frivolous Lawsuits: My Dad Is Not The Bad Guy
Posted by
Danielle LandauJune 22, 2009 1:06 PM
As the daughter of a personal injury attorney, clips and quotes, which point a finger of blame at personal injury attorneys, offend me.
On facesoflawsuitabuse.org, Jerry Lightfoot, who became involved in a lawsuit concerning his workplace, Orange County Building Materials, Inc., said the following.
"These lawyers are not ambulance chasers but they are certainly creating havoc in society today."
Consider a world without personal injury attorneys. There would be dangerous drugs on the market killing people. Unfair laws and legislature would still be in use. And if you were wrongfully injured, put in the hospital, and unable to work and provide for your family, you would simply have to “deal with it”. When I see clips that point the finger of blame at advocates like my father, whom I truly believe fights for justice everyday, I am stunned.
For example: cigarettes are in the process of being marketed under new FDA restrictions and guidelines because personal injury attorneys have exposed through lawsuits, the harm of cigarettes. Smokers should know in this day and age what they are doing to their bodies, because, lawsuits filed by advocates like my dad, brought the dangerous effects of cigarettes to light. Now we know the risks; children are prohibited from purchasing cigarettes, and warning labels exist. Drugs like Thalidomide, were taken off the market because attorneys like Doug Landau represented families living with children who had been born with birth defects because of a bad drug.
And consider this: My father does not get paid if he does not help the person. This is a broad statement, but what I really mean is that my father provides the funds needed to bring a case to trial. If he does not believe that the injured person has been significantly hurt at the cost of another person’s negligence, then he will not proceed with the claim. It would not only be unethical, it would be a bad investment.
When I was younger, my peers and even adults in my life contributed to the negative impression of lawyers that was etched into my mind. But I have learned what my father actually does, and I have met countless people he has helped. My own impressions have changed and matured. Not all lawyers are scary, brutal, money-loving worms. I know this because I have a front seat view watching my father fight for people who have been hurt, in accidents that weren’t their fault. He helps these people get the restitution they need, sometimes when nobody else is willing to do so.
Read more about Doug Landau’s work.