WINNING YOUR PERSONAL INJURY SUIT

by John Guinther ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 1980

Yet another in the stream of lawbooks for lay persons--but this modest entry is good. Guinther, a Philadelphia reporter, covers literally everything you'd need to know about suing for personal injury except for the license number of the truck that hit you: how to find a lawyer who's good at handling negligence cases (you don't need a Cardozo, but a good general practitioner won't do); how to handle fee arrangements with your lawyer; figuring out what your case is worth (a fracture? nice; sprain? forget it); how to help develop evidence; what to do as a witness; and when to accept a settlement. Probably most worthwhile for would-be plaintiffs is Guinther's clear explanation of the intricacies of the contingent fee system on which lawyer's compensation in the personal injury field is based. Merely knowing enough to insist that the fee be taken out after deduction of the lawyer's expenses could be valuable, not to mention what you can save (out of the damage award that's supposedly yours) once you figure out how to forestall ""double dipping"" by your counsel (in essence, collecting the contingent fee twice--once from you and once from subrogation claimants like Blue Cross). Also good are Guinther's detailed discussions of how to calculate and document medical expenses; the difference between ""pain and suffering"" and ""mental anguish""; and the importance of the contributory and comparative negligence doctrines. Unpretentious, concise, and very useful--worth thumbing through when the cast comes off.

Pub Date: Oct. 10, 1980

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Anchor/Doubleday

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1980

Categories: NONFICTION