Personal Injury Lawyer Wins One for the Little Guy

There is a great story in the L.A. Times today about an out-of-work and homeless plumber named Stephen Schulman who was run over by a large delivery truck while sleeping near a dumpster. His legs were crushed, and in a great scene, he checks himself out of the nursing home where he is recuperating and spends a day, riding busses, and limping across Los Angeles County to confront the trucking company owner about his injuries:

He climbed the concrete steps into a bungalow office. Sweat poured down his frame, slight but for his potbelly. His wounded foot felt like it might give out, but this was his moment, the one he had been waiting for. He faced the company owner. “One of your truck drivers ran me over,” he said. Schulman expected an apology — and compensation. The man stared in apparent disbelief. Then he burst out laughing. Schulman recalls the sting of what he heard next: “The only way you’re going to get anything is to sue me.” He could hear their laughter as he limped away.

Well Schulman did sue, but it wasn’t easy. In a stroke of luck, he met attorney Gary Casselman the courthouse one day and the two struck up a relationship. Casselman, an experienced personal injury lawyer, agreed to take the case, and, as you can probably guess, things worked out for Schulman.

Take a look at the story. It’s a good example of how the system works, and why the contingency fee is so integral to our justice system. Without a fee arrangement where lawyers can get paid on the back end, people like Schulman – and countless others – would never get the justice they deserve.

Source: Los Angeles Times

The personal injury lawyers at Walton Law Firm represent individuals who have been injured in all types of incidents, including auto accidents, worksite injuries, food poisoning, pedestrian injuries, construction accidents, property injuries, and malpractice matters. Call (760) 571-5500 for a free and confidential consultation.