i need a lawyer to sue the person who burnt my home ro the ground

by Prof. Ike Feeney 6 min read

As the victim, you can file a complaint with the lawyer’s discipline agency for action to be taken. Or else, you can choose to hire a legal malpractice lawyer who can help you recover fees that you had already paid. To make matters worse, that lawyer who violates court rules or ethics can be barred from the association.

Full Answer

When to hire a lawyer to sue for property damage?

 · Your best bet here is a trial lawyer from the Public Arbitrators Bar Association (aka PIABA). You can find them online easily. All they do is …

How do I sue a lawyer for negligence?

If you are a landowner, you should consult with a skilled and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer to determine the duty of care you owe, if you have a hazardous feature on your property. Consulting with an experienced attorney could help you avoid future liability issues.

Can you sue someone for damages?

 · Hiring a Lawyer to Sue for Property Damage For larger or more complicated claims, especially claims involving a lack of insurance coverage or an intentional act, you should definitely consult a lawyer. Your lawyer will help you determine if you have a viable case.

What to do if your neighbor is being sued for emissions?

 · California Courts lists these as the steps for how to sue someone. Keep in mind the actual courts and processes may vary by state, but generally you will need to do these things if you’re pursuing a case by yourself: Figure Out How to Name the Defendant. Ask for Payment. Find the Right Court to File Your Claim.

What is negligence fire?

Fire Loss and Negligence While laws may differ from state to state, responsibility for burns, deaths and property losses caused by fire may be imposed on the basis of negligence when: A landowner or possessor maintains a dangerous condition on their property; for example, failing to install smoke detectors.

Can you sue for chemical burns?

Yes, you can sue a company for chemical burns if your lawyer finds sufficient evidence to prove that company is legally responsible for your injuries. If your burns happened at work, your lawyer will need to determine if a corporation that is not owned by your employer is at fault.

How do I sue local government?

In most states, you cannot simply file a lawsuit in court against the government. Instead, you need to provide a "Notice of Claim" to the government. If you do not follow notice of claim guidelines, your lawsuit will be dismissed by the court.

Can you sue previous homeowner for non disclosure Canada?

Yes, you can sue the seller for not disclosing defects if your attorney can prove that the seller knew about the defect and intentionally failed to disclose it.

How much compensation will I get for a burn?

First-degree burns almost invariably heal completely. The average settlement amount of a first-degree burn is less than $10,000. These injuries are not significant enough to warrant significant settlement compensation. Few law firms are handling these claims.

How much is a third degree burn worth?

However, personal injury cases may be worth more or less depending on the severity of your injury and other factors. For example, the average settlement value for a third-degree burn is $560,000, while the average settlement amount for a first-degree burn is $21,000.

Who does the Federal Tort Claims Act apply to?

Who is eligible to file a claim with EPA under the FTCA? Individuals, businesses, or governmental entities that have a claim for money damages resulting from personal injury or property loss or damage caused by EPA or EPA employees acting within the scope of their employment may file a claim with EPA.

What do you mean by negligence?

negligence, in law, the failure to meet a standard of behaviour established to protect society against unreasonable risk.

What is sovereign immunity?

Definition. The sovereign immunity refers to the fact that the government cannot be sued without its consent.

How long are you liable after selling a house?

Normally a buyer would have six years in which to bring a claim against you, although in certain situations it could be three years from when the buyer becomes aware of a problem.

What is the Easton case?

In the well publicized case of Easton v. Strassburger,' a California Court of Appeal held that a listing agent2 has a duty to conduct a rea- sonably competent inspection of residential property listed for sale, and to disclose to prospective purchasers all material facts that such an investigation would reveal.

Can buyer Sue seller after closing Canada?

In general, the seller should disclose any damage to the home that will require repair and any defects, hazards, water damage or things that may negatively affect the inspection report, like a pipe blockage. Failure to disclose information may cause a buyer to file a lawsuit against the seller.

Can I Sue Someone For Damaging My Property?

Whether you can sue someone for damaging your property depends upon the circumstances. In North Carolina, If the property damage is to a vehicle– from a Car Accident — there are well established processes for starting a property damage claim and recovering damages.

How Much Is My Property Damage Claim Worth?

The value of your property damage claim can be established by several components and approaches to damages. If the vehicle is determined to be totaled, the value will be whatever the car was worth at the time of the accident. There are standard formulas for determining the value, and the NADA Blue Book Value is often used as a benchmark.

Will I Pay A Deductible?

If someone damages your property, you should not have to pay a deductible. That expense should be taken on by the other driver’s insurance company; however, if the accident was your fault and you engage your own insurance company to fix the car, then yes, you will pay your contracted deductible.

Pursuing The Personal Injury Claim

Property damage claims are fairly straight-forward, once you are able to establish a claim with the insurance company. Our office assists with property damage claims but we generally do not charge clients to do so. In most cases, we represent the individual in their personal injury claim.

Statute Of Limitations On Both Claims

You generally have three years from the date of the accident to make a property damage claim and a personal injury claim. By the three year mark, you will need to either settle your claim or file a lawsuit to keep your legal action alive.

Further Reading

If this article addressing “Can I Sue Someone For Damaging My Property?” was helpful, you may find other helpful articles on our Personal Injury Blog. Thank you for visiting the website—we hope it has been helpful.

What happens if a landowner fails to maintain their property?

If the landowner fails to do so, or breaches their duty of care to those entering their property, they may be liable for negligence.

What happens if someone trespasses on my property?

What if someone trespasses on my property and gets hurt? Property owners do not owe a duty to protect trespassers who enter their property. However, property owners cannot willfully injure trespassers. If there are frequent trespassers on the property, and the property owner is aware of them, they may be held liable for ...

What is attractive nuisance doctrine?

The attractive nuisance doctrine is what protects child trespassers from objects or features on a land that attract children to the land, and has dangers that are not expected due to the child’s inability to appreciate the risk. Examples could include pools, abandoned vehicles, and trampolines.

What is an example of sufficient warning?

An example of sufficient warning would be a sign at the entry of the property. To summarize, landowners owe no duty to trespassers to repair any dangerous condition. Nor do landowners owe a duty to inspect the property for such dangers. For the undiscovered trespasser, the landowner only owes the duty of not intentionally trapping or harming the trespasser.

Do landowners have to inspect their property?

However, in addition to that warning, landowners must inspect their property and make reasonable repairs to any dangerous conditions for their customers.

What is the duty of a property owner?

According to this standard, a property owner owes the duty to repair and fix known dangers. Additionally, they have an obligation to reasonably inspect for, discover, and fix unknown hazards in those areas of the property of where an invitee may have access to.

Do you have to tell your guests about a hazard?

The level of care is lower for licensees than an invitee. If you are aware of any potential hazards, tell your guests. If you are aware of a hazard, and do not tell your guest, it could result in you being liable for injured social guests.

What happens if someone else harms your property?

But what happens if someone else intentionally or accidentally causes damage to that property, especially when it’s considered valuable? When someone else harms your property, you become a victim of property damage.

How to take a small claim to court?

For smaller claims, you can take the defendant to small claims court. People often take this route for small claims or when there is a failure to follow through on a previous promise to pay. In small claims court, you need to demonstrate property damage and prove it was the defendant’s fault – while also proving the property’s value, too. Bring any documentation you have that provides evidence of a promise to compensate; the presiding judge can order the defendant to honor the original agreement.

Is it negligent to trip on a crack?

Tripping on the crack was an accident, but the homeowner may be negligent because the crack was there for you to trip on to start with. A reasonable homeowner would have repaired the crack or temporarily filled it in in some way – if he’d even noticed it yet.

Does homeowner's insurance cover a baseball?

Other types of property damage may be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy, but only under certain circumstances. If your teenager hits a baseball and it flies through your neighbor’s window, the liability section of your policy may cover you. If you are mad at your neighbor and intentionally hit a ball through his window, you will not be covered. Negligence (like not telling your teen to not play baseball near windows) is usually covered, but willful acts are not.

Does nature cause damage?

On occasion, Nature does play a role in property damage – including minor storms and downed trees to major catastrophes caused by hurricanes, tornadoes, and similar weather phenomena.

What is malicious property damage?

Malicious property damage: When someone means to harm your property out of rage, spite, or a desire to hurt you. This includes vandalism and/or attacks (like slashing your vehicle tires after an argument).

What is considered negligent property damage?

Negligent property damage: When someone’s carelessness directly results in harm. For example, if a neighbor’s tree falls onto your roof and causes damage, it may be considered negligent because they didn’t take proper care of it. Accidental property damage: When someone causes damage, yet it wasn’t intentional.

How to sue someone in California?

California Courtslists these as the steps for how to sue someone. Keep in mind the actual courts and processes may vary by state, but generally you will need to do these things if you’re pursuing a case by yourself: 1 Figure Out How to Name the Defendant 2 Ask for Payment 3 Find the Right Court to File Your Claim 4 Fill Out Your Court Forms 5 File Your Claim 6 Serve Your Claim 7 Go to Court

Why is being a lawyer so hard?

Being a lawyer is hard; that’s why it takes so much time and money to become one. Lawyers typically do not represent plaintiffs at small claims court because the stakes, shall we say, are too low — but that makes those cases no less complex for a layperson.

Can you file a small claims court action in California?

You can call your own insurance company to find out how to have this accident covered through your uninsured motorist policy. If your policy doesn’t cover the damages, you might wish to consider a claim in small claims court. In California, you can file a small claims court action for damages up to $10,000.

What happens if someone disobeys a court order?

When someone disobeys a court order, you can file a contempt action in an effort to get them to comply. If the court finds that the person did in fact disobey the order, the court may fine the person (or even put them in jail). In addition, the court will take steps to force the person to comply with the order.

Can a case be dismissed if there are no reasonable grounds to bring a lawsuit?

Just because a case was dismissed doesn’t mean there wasn’t reasonable grounds to bring the suit. Generally speaking, it’s very difficult to prove malicious prosecution and usually not worth the expense. But, you really have to meet with an attorney in your area to review your case and make a determination about this.

Do you have to pay for everything in small claims court?

While this likely won’t occur in something like small claims court or collections court, you will still need to pay for everything, down to copies of the judge’s opinion.

Why do personal injury attorneys charge by the hour?

Personal injury attorneys usually work on contingencysimply because it would not be financially possible for a plaintiff to bankroll a lawsuit; criminal attorneys like to charge by the hour. Far too much is required in fees on an up-front basis. For types of cases other than personal injury, ask for the attorney’s estimated fees and weigh whether it would be smarter to settle or pursue a claim pro se.

Why do some people remain silent when suing an attorney?

When it comes to suing an attorney for negligence, some individuals choose to remain silent because they are not aware of the complaints system. Below are some of the common problems:

What is the sin of not communicating with a lawyer?

You may not like to be ignored by your lawyer, but when it happens you need to take action. Lack of communication set up distrust between the attorney and the client. It may reach a point that the lawyer want to cover up problems with your matters. But is there a way to be compensated when your lawyer fails to keep an open line of communication? You can look for a legal malpractice attorney who can assist you to be compensated. According to the bar counsel, lawyer should not only responds to your enquiries, but should also initiate communication when it is necessary in the below ways:

What should a lawyer explain?

A lawyer should explain any matter in an extent to make the client make informed decisions.

What should a legal representative do?

A legal representative should keep the client judiciously well-versed on the position of his/her matters and quickly respond to any demand for information from the client.

Why do people need a lawyer?

In most cases, people require a lawyer because a situation has become complex to solve on their own. But what happens when the lawyer hired screws them up. How can one prove malpractice since these cases are very hard to win? It becomes very frustrating when you don’t know what to do. Reporting a legal malpractice is the only option you can have to get compensation for your losses. If you have lost confidence in you lawyer and the only thing in your mind is to look for justice, you are not alone. Challenges involved in proving a legal malpractice can push you to this question, “ How do I sue my attorney? Don’t be afraid to take action, there are some strategies that you can use to know when to take action

Can you sue a lawyer for malpractice?

You’re among the many who are pondering on the question, “ can I sue my lawyer for legal malpractice? As the victim, you can file a complaint with the lawyer’s discipline agency for action to be taken. Or else, you can choose to hire a legal malpractice lawyer who can help you recover fees that you had already paid. To make matters worse, that lawyer who violates court rules or ethics can be barred from the association.

What to think about before sueing a company?

1. Do You Have a Good Case? This may seem obvious, but you need to have a genuine legal claim or " cause of action " in order to have a court support your position .

What is the last step to take to avoid a lawsuit?

If you have done everything you can to avoid a lawsuit, then your last step is to sue the company. You need to be within the statute of limitations for your state, and you will need the company's legal business name, the name of the owner, and their contact information before you file the lawsuit.

What to expect when taking a case to court?

You can expect to gather evidence, have contact information for yourself and the other party, talk clearly in front of a judge or courtroom of people, and follow any court orders. Even if you do not win, taking your case to court means you must follow whatever the court decides.

What is a small claims court?

Each state's court system has some variation of " small claims court " or "conciliation" court, which only hears disputes in which a certain dollar amount is at issue (usually $5,000 or less).

Do you have to file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations?

Laws that place a time limit on bringing a lawsuit are called " statutes of limitations .". You do not need to handle the entire case within the statute of limitations.

How does a lawsuit affect your life?

A lawsuit may take a lot of time and energy, and can be emotionally draining. Remember that you might find that you have less time and energy to devote to your work, business, family, and social life for the duration of the lawsuit. The case may involve completing demand letters and paperwork, filing at the clerk's office, waiting in court until your turn to speak, and following any of the judge's orders.

Is it cheaper to settle a lawsuit?

Lawsuits can be expensive, and recovering your attorneys' fees is often not an option. Ask your lawyer for an estimate of legal fees, and do the math. It may be cheaper to settle. Get legal advice from an attorney you trust and consider the amount of money you could win compared to the amount you'd get in a settlement.

What to do when you hire an attorney?

When you hire an attorney, you do so with trust and confidence. Most attorneys are upstanding and do a good job for their clients. Unfortunately, there are also some bad eggs out there. If your attorney has done something wrong, you may want to consider suing a lawyer for malpractice.

What do you need to show when suing an attorney for malpractice?

When suing an attorney for legal malpractice, you will need to show that the attorney did not use the ordinary amount of skill and care that most attorneys use in similar situations.

Can an attorney be disbarred?

The attorney could be disbarred or directed to pay you compensation. If you are disputing a fee with your lawyer, the state also likely has a fee dispute committee that can help you obtain an out-of-court resolution. You can hire another attorney to complete or fix your case and obtain the outcome you need.

What happens if an attorney violates the law?

If the attorney violated proper ethics, you can file a grievance with the ethics committee of the state bar association, which ensures all attorneys are in good standing to renew their licenses. The attorney could be disbarred or directed to pay you compensation.

What is a breach of contract?

Breach of contract. This occurs when an attorney fails to do something he or she agreed to in your contract, such as filing your deed or patent. If the lawyer promised to do something he or she was contractually obligated to do and didn't do it, you have grounds for breach of contract.

What is breach of duty in a lawyer?

Breach of duty. This kind of malpractice happens when the lawyer violates his or her responsibilities to you by settling the case without your approval, not preparing the case for trial, lying to you, abandoning your case, misusing funds you provided for court costs, or misusing funds owed to you (such as a settlement amount). The attorney has not done what other attorneys would do in this type of case.

Can you sue a lawyer for negligence?

To sue lawyer for negligence, you need to be able to prove the attorney didn't use the proper care in your case and missed a deadline, filed the wrong papers, didn't comply with court orders, or made other errors that were not intentional but were sloppy.

What is recoverable in a lawsuit for a neighbor's noise, light, or odor emissions?

What is Recoverable in a Lawsuit for a Neighbor’s Noise, Light, or Odor Emissions? In general, if an individual is successful in a lawsuit against a nuisance from a neighbor’s noise, light, or odor emissions, they may be able to recover: An abatement of the nuisance, or the ceasing of the nuisance;

Who can help an individual bring an action against their neighbor?

In these situations, the city attorney or town counsel may help an individual bring an action against their neighbor. If an individual lives in a condominium, cooperative, or a planned community, the unreasonable conduct may be prohibited by the bylaws or regulations of that community.

What is an injured neighbor?

The injured neighbor came to the noise, light, or odor emission that already existed; The neighbor causing the nuisance was not negligent; There are contributing or alternative causes for the nuisance; The injured individual is abnormally sensitive to the noise, light, or odor emissions; or.

What happens when a nuisance occurs?

When a nuisance occurs, a court may order the responsible party to limit or cease the activity cause the nuisance by issuing an injunction. The individuals who were affected by the nuisance may also be entitled to damages. If the nuisance is criminal in nature, the responsible party may be jailed or be required to pay criminal fines.

What are some examples of nuisances?

Examples include: Noise from a racetrack; Noise from a music festival; Odors from hog or bird farms; Noise and odors from a landfill;

What does it mean when a neighbor is emitting noise?

Their neighbor is emitting noise, light, or an odor from their land; Their neighbor’s action unreasonably interferes with the individual’s use and enjoyment of their property; and. They have suffered a material and substantial harm because of their neighbor’s actions.

Can a neighbor be liable for noise?

There are situations in which an individual may be liable for noise, light, or odor emissions. In general, to prove a nuisance involving a neighbor’s noise, light, or odor emissions, an individual will have to show that: Their neighbor is emitting noise, light, or an odor from their land; Their neighbor’s action unreasonably interferes with ...

What to show when suing for slander?

If you are suing for slander, you must show that the spoken statement has harmed you in some way. Some examples of how you can do that include showing: You lost your job because of the statement. The press is harassing you. You have lost your reputation in your community or with your friends or family. 5.

How to file a slander suit?

Filing a slander lawsuit is very similar to filing other lawsuits. Generally, you will take the following steps when you file a slander lawsuit: File a complaint: This is the document that starts the lawsuit. Serve the complaint: After you file the complaint, you need to serve the defendant following ...

What happens after you file a complaint?

Perform discovery: After service is complete, you and the defendant will send each other questions that help with your case. You will also be required to show documents that help your claim.

Which Supreme Court case emphasized that the First Amendment protects certain defamatory statements?

This additional requirement came after the 1964 landmark Supreme Court decision New York Times v. Sullivan . This case emphasized that the First Amendment freedom of speech protects certain defamatory statements. The Court stated that mistakes could be made in public discussions, especially regarding public figures. Thus, these mistakes should be protected if they are "honestly made."

Why do public officials need to show malice?

Because of the nature of the work they do, public officials and figures also need to show malice to win a defamation case. Actual malice means the person making the statement knows the statement was false or did not care enough to check.

Can a third party publish a defamatory statement?

Here, a third party must have heard or seen the defamatory statement. Note that published doesn't mean the statement was actually published. It just needs to be communicated to a third person. So a post on social media or even a loud conversation is enough to qualify.

Is a statement that attacks a person's reputation slanderous?

Generally, if a statement attacks a person's reputation, then the statement might be slanderous . But courts will take a case-by-case approach to identify which statements qualify as defamatory and which ones are simply made in reckless disregard. 2. The Statement Needs to Be Published.