If you are reading my website, it is likely that you have suffered one of the most traumatic experiences that can affect a parent - the injury to your child or children. There is no amount of relief that anyone can give such a parent. As parents ourselves, we ask you to take time to seek professional counseling or comfort from your friends and clergy in dealing with the grief, anger, frustration and depression that results from such cases. As lawyers, we ask if we may be of assistance to you and your family.

There is no amount of money that might be obtained that could ease any parent's suffering and no amount of money that could be considered "satisfactory" as compensation. But there is an opportunity to seek legal compensation for injuries to your child and help others. To obtain monies that can alleviate the stress and trauma of trying to raise an injured child on a daily basis and to hold automobile drivers, childcare centers, youth organizations, doctors and hospitals responsible for their negligence with the hope that other children will not be put in harms way. Injuries to children are too numerous to list on this site. Negligence claims arise from childbirth itself, to simple immunizations and "routine" surgeries, toys and other consumer products. The costs of even investigating such a case can easily reach $50,000.00 before the lawsuit is even filed. I would like to assist you in seeking justice for your child. My name is Randy Ford and I affiliate with attorneys all over the country who are willing to review your child's fact situation and medical information to see if your child’s injury is due to the negligence of others.
 

 How does this work?

When you contact me, I will try to personally assist you with your case. If I am unable to personally help you in your state, I will refer you to a firm in your state or region that handles your type of case. These types of cases need to be handled by lawyers whose law practice focuses on personal injury cases. Because of the enormous expenses in litigating these cases, the law firm will review your child's medical information "in-house," review the facts and circumstances around the injury, and then decide whether you have a potential case and if I or the other law firm(s) should send the medical records to a licensed physician for further review. These types of cases are handled on a "contingency fee" basis. This means the firm is paid a percentage of the entire recovery if successful in obtaining a monetary recovery for the child. There are not many parents who can provide $10,000.00 or more (sometimes a WHOLE LOT more) to a lawyer to investigate and potentially litigate their child's potential case. In a contingency fee case, the risk of loss is always on the lawyer. If the case is unsuccessful, it is the lawyer/law firm that loses its money and not the client. Most cases involving a contingency fee are calculated at 50% / 50% after expenses of litigation. In some fact situations, I and other attorneys can charge a reduced contingency fee percentage. Those decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. You should know that other expenses, such as medical bills incurred for your child’s care are not included in litigation expenses. Litigation expenses are the actual cost of preparing and litigating your child’s case: such as court fees, depositions, expert witnesses, phone, postage, costs in obtaining medical records, costs in travel and lodging if necessary in your specific case (some manufacturers of defective products are overseas in other countries). To give you an example of exactly how expensive litigating a case can be, I once had a client who suffered $1,200.00 in actual medical expenses but the engineering expert who worked throughout the case and appeared at the trial cost over $26,000.00!

To put it bluntly, the lawyer or lawyers working on your child’s case are risking, gambling if you will, their own money in preparing and presenting your case to a jury with the belief that your child’s case and their skill and ability will allow the jury to award your child significant monetary damages. If we lose, you and your child are not responsible for any of the bills that were created by the litigation (the expenses prepaid by the lawyers), but we, as lawyers, lose all of our money, money that we will never recover from your case. It is the removal of this litigation financial risk from the parents or caregivers that is the reason why higher contingency fees are charged. Furthermore, I want to make clear that there is absolutely no lawyer who can guarantee any result in your child’s case. However, we can promise that we will do our best and put the “burden” on ourselves by taking all of the litigation financial risk. It has always been my personal policy to tell parents and caregivers exactly what is going on and why. I do this because 14 years ago when I had been practicing law for only a few years I had a case where a young man was completely paralyzed, a quaraplegic, from an 18 wheeler semi truck that rolled over him. He did not realize that it would cost between $50,000.00 to $100,000.00 to litigate his case and was weary of signing a 50% contingency fee contract. After I explained the costs (which would exceed $50,000.00) and the risks associated with his case, and gave him the option of paying all the expenses and my hourly rate, he understood the reason for a contingency fee contract and hired me to assist him. Obviously a man who will be hospitalized for the rest of his life on a ventilator cannot afford to hire a lawyer. He, like most people, just did not understand that everyone can get into court, but it costs money, a lot of money in some cases, to effectively present a case. Unfortunately, my client passed away a few days later. You need to know that manufacturers usually carry liability insurance. I can also almost promise you that there is no insurance company in this world that will willingly pay you or your child 100% of what he or she is entitled to without a lawyer. Insurance companies make money taking people’s monthly premiums, NOT by paying 100% on every claim. You can look at all the warm and fuzzy commercials you like but the reality is that insurance companies are in the business of making money, not paying it out. This is why litigation is a adversarial process, we literally fight each other every step of the way. So now the next question:

 What is the Lawyer going to do?

The law firm is seeking damages or monetary recover from the negligent party or parties involved. One of the damages that attorneys try to recover for a seriously injured child is money to fund a "Life Plan" - a plan that identifies the economic, medical, psychological and other needs of a child based upon his or her condition as they grow up. For parents - monetary damage is sought for pain and suffering that are the permanent emotional damages from an injury to a child. The life plan is for extremely serious injuries and not, for example, a simple broken bone that will heal over time to normal parameters. Attorneys seek damages for medical bills, pain and suffering and any future medical care for “general” injuries (for lack of a better generic term) like broken bones, scars and other injuries.

When you contact me you need to know that there is no guarantee that you have a case, that you will win your case, or that you will recover any specific amount of funds to assist you with your child - but if you do not at least TRY to see if you have a potential case - you are depriving yourself and your child of knowing that all has been done that could have been done. There are no legal fees or legal expenses that the parents are required to pay unless the child's case is successful. The financial risk of loss is on the attorney/law firm. And in some of the most traumatic cases it is not unusual for several lawyers and their firms will “pool” or “team up” together to represent your child. I would ask that you devote your time to caring for your family and allow myself and the attorneys with which I affiliate or associate, to spend our time in seeking justice for your child.

A crucial legal matter you need to remember, regardless of whom you hire to assist your child, is that your ability to sue those persons or corporations for damages is limited by a "statute of limitations". This is a statute or "rule" that requires you to file your lawsuit in a court of law within a specific time frame or you will never be able to seek compensation. Every state has it's own statute of limitations. You must ACT IMMEDIATELY to protect your rights.

Please feel free to review my website for information regarding potential child injuries. There are also many pages of “fun” website links that your children and your family may also enjoy.

Please accept my condolences if your child has been injured or killed through the negligent act or acts or products of others. Please contact me if I can be of assistance to you and your family.

Sincerely,
Randy Ford

All Terrain Vehicles (ATV)

Child Maltreatment