Personal Injury
Medical Malpractice
Wills and Powers of Attorney
General Civil Litigation
Employment Matters
Personal Injury
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury, perhaps in an automobile accident, a slip and fall, or some other incident caused by someone else's negligence, The Law Office of S. Robert Sutton can help you to obtain full and fair compensation for your injuries in a timely manner. Personal injuries often can involve expensive medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Sometimes the injuries suffered, and the corresponding losses, can be long term, or even permanent. By consulting with medical and economic experts, we can properly evaluate, and demonstrate, the extent of your losses in an effort to assure that you are properly compensated.
We fully understand that the legal process can be confusing and highly stressful, particularly when you are also dealing with personal injuries that may involve important decisions regarding medical care, and when you may be dealing with an inability to work and with on-going pain, suffering, and mental anguish. We can help to simplify the legal process for you, and to provide you with the advice and guidance that you need, while fighting to obtain the best result, preferably without the need to enter the courtroom.
And, one thing that you won't need to worry about is paying legal fees because your initial consultation is free, and because we handle personal injury matters on a contingent basis, meaning that we get paid only if, and when, we resolve the case, whether through settlement, mediation, or litigation.
For the answers to frequently asked questions regarding personal injury and medical malpractice matters, please
click here.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is a specific type of personal injury that arises when a health care provider, such as a doctor, dentist, nurse, hospital, or hospital worker fails to provide the required standard of care and injury results. It is important to understand that not all unfortunate outcomes give rise to a medical malpractice action. As with all personal injury cases, it must be demonstrated both that there was negligence and that the harm resulted from the negligence. In the context of medical malpractice actions it must be demonstrated that the health care provider failed to provide the required level of care and that the patient was harmed as a "proximate" result of that failure. Establishing that the health care provider failed to satisfy the required standard of care, and that harm resulted from that failure, typically requires the supporting testimony of a health care provider who is familiar with the required standards of care. These health care providers are referred to as medical experts.
When you come to us with a potential medical malpractice action the first thing that we will do is to listen carefully to what happened, and what did not happen. What was the underlying medical issue? Where did you go for treatment? Etcetera. We will walk you through every step of the process, so that we fully understand what happened, what went wrong, and what you are going through. As noted above, there is no charge for this initial consultation. Then, with your permission, we will obtain and review the medical records, and, often, seek input from a medical expert. At that point we will meet again to discuss our findings and impressions with regard to the standard of care provided, the likelihood of proving that injury resulted from a violation of the standards of care, and the extent of the injury, and we will jointly evaluate whether there is a case worth pursuing. As with other personal injury cases, we handle medical malpractice matters on a contingent basis, meaning that we don't get paid unless you get paid.
For the answers to frequently asked questions regarding personal injury and medical malpractice matters, please
click here.
Wills and Powers of Attorney
Wills are not just for the wealthy. If you have an item of sentimental value, such as your grandfather's watch or your mother's necklace, that you would want your son or daughter or niece or best friend to have, then a will allows you to make such a "specific bequest." If you should pass while your children are still young, who would take care of them? A will allows you to designate a guardian for your children. A will also allows you to assure that the assets that you leave to your children are protected. Your will can include a trust that specifies when and how the "trust assets" can be used, such as only for your children's "health, maintenance and education." The trust can also govern when the remaining trust assets will "vest." Do you believe that you son or daughter will be responsible enough at age 18 to decide how to spend your money, or might he or she spend the money that you were saving for his or her college education on a new sports car? Your will can specify that the trust remain in effect until your child reaches a more responsible age, an age that you select. In short, a will gives you a level of control over your estate that simply is not available without a will. The laws of "intestacy" establish the rules that will apply if you do not have a will. Those rules may not be consistent with your desires, and they may not provide an adequate level of protection for your assets and your heirs. The Law Office of S. Robert Sutton can craft a will specific to your situation, and can do so for a reasonable fee.
Powers of Attorney similarly can provide a valuable level of control over your affairs. A Health Care Power of Attorney allows you to select an individual or individuals who can make health care decisions for you in the event that you should be unable to make those decisions for yourself. A Health Care Power of Attorney also allows you to make your wishes known, so that your Health Care Agent and your doctors can act in compliance with your wishes. A Durable Power of Attorney can provide a similar level of control over your assets by designating an individual to act for you in the event that you should become incapable, even temporarily, of acting on your own behalf. With such a document, if you should become ill, the individual that you designate can assure that your bills get paid and that assets are properly managed. On those occasions when acting on your own behalf is difficult or inconvenient, a Single Transaction Power of Attorney can allow you to grant only the specific power necessary to accomplish what you want to accomplish without unnecessary inconvenience. The Law Office of S. Robert Sutton can prepare the Powers of Attorney that are specific to your needs and consistent with your intentions, and can do so at a price that you can afford.
General Civil Litigation
Disputes frequently arise involving individuals and small businesses. Those disputes can involve matters relating to employment, allegations of breach of contract, the non-payment of bills, insurance coverage matters, business disputes, or any of a variety of other matters. Often those disputes can be resolved quickly and amicably to the satisfaction of those involved. Attorney S. Robert Sutton has enjoyed considerable success at resolving civil disputes without the need for litigation. In those instances where litigation proves necessary, Mr. Sutton is an experienced litigator who is ready, willing and able to provide you with aggressive legal representation. Such services typically are provided on an hourly fee basis. When Mr. Sutton was with larger firms, his time was billed at premium rates. The Law Office of S. Robert Sutton offers those same legal services at more reasonable hourly rates.
Employment Matters
You have the right to enjoy an employment environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. You also have enforceable rights to family and medical leave and to be free to assert those rights without fear of retaliation. The Law Office of S. Robert Sutton is well prepared to help you to assert your rights, and to assist you in pursuing damages should those rights be violated, and to assist you in negotiating the terms of your severance should the time come to terminate your employment relationship.