Do You Really Need an Attorney To Handle a Case Against Allstate Insurance?

By Ben Glass

Each case is different and you have to draw your own conclusions about whether or not you need to hire an attorney for your claim.  However, we will keep recounting for you the stories of dealing with various insurance adjusters.

This accident occurred on December 21, 2006 in Virginia near Dulles Airport. The defendant had just left a Washington Redskins game and was very drunk. The vehicle our clients were riding in was hit from behind and rolled and destroyed.

The defendant hired a good drunk driving attorney and avoid going to jail on a technicality. The judge in traffic court actually said “not guilty does not mean innocent-the next time you do this I hope you go off a bridge by yourself.” (We have the transcript.)

The clients hired an attorney and made a claim against Allstate. At the time the case was referred to Ben Glass the male driver had been offered $20,500 to settle his claim and his wife had been offered $12,000. We thought these offers were ridiculously low and at a northern Virginia jury would see otherwise.

We filed suit and shortly before trial the case is settled as Allstate finally offered fair value for the cases. The case in which Allstate offered $20,500 settled for $85,000. The case in which all state had offered $12,000 settled for $55,000.

Again, each case is different and must be judged on its own merits. Here, the defendant lied in deposition about his prior drunk driving experience and conviction. You can draw your own conclusions as to whether hiring an attorney to prosecute your claim against Ball State is necessary.

This case was handled by attorneys David Marks, Brian Glass and Manuel Leiva, who are of counsel to BenGlassLaw.

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If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident, visit our Personal Injury Lawyer page to find a Personal Injury Attorney in your area.

FEMA Announces $200m In Emergency Food And Shelter Program Awards For 2010

The Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) today announced that federal funds totaling $200 million has been awarded to assist organizations dedicated to feeding, sheltering, and providing critical resources to our nation's hungry and homeless.

Funding was made available by Congress for the National Board of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP) to support social service agencies in more than 2,500 cities and counties across the country.

"The EFSP provides an important resource to support our communities and our most vulnerable citizens," said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. "As we work to build our nation's emergency response team, it is important that we recognize the diverse assistance that our agency is able to bring to bear, and ensure we are leveraging those resources for those who need it most."

EFSP grant funds are used to supplement food, shelter, rent, mortgage and utility assistance programs for people with non-disaster related emergencies.

These funds are in addition to $100 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, announced in April 2009.

The EFSP is administered by a National Board, chaired by Berl D. Jones Jr. of FEMA, with representatives from American Red Cross; Catholic Charities USA; National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.; The Jewish Federations of North America; The Salvation Army; and, United Way Worldwide. United Way Worldwide serves as Secretariat and Fiscal Agent to the National Board.

EFSP funding is allocated to qualifying jurisdictions based on thresholds involving population, unemployment and poverty levels both nationally and locally. Grants are then awarded to non-profit community and government organizations that are chosen by Local Boards in the qualifying jurisdictions. This year's awards bring the total aid disbursed in the EFSP's twenty-seven year history to more than $3.6 billion.

A state-by-state list of the eligible jurisdictions and award amounts is available at www.efsp.unitedway.org.

FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

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Roth Conversions - Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should

Some financial advisors are warning against a Rush to Roth.  The key to is to approach the idea cautiously and do a comprehensive analysis.  Whether a Roth conversion makes sense is a highly individual decision, to be made in consultation with your advisors.

I did a Roth conversion the last time the IRS allowed us to pay the taxes over a couple of years, which was about 10 years ago. This time around, however, I'm not so keen on the idea.

I have not completed an analysis of my own situation at this point, but I will probably decide against a conversion of my traditional IRA, as most of the additional income would likely be taxed at combined federal and state rates of over 40%.  Even with virtually certain future income tax rate increases, I expect that my taxable income will be lower in retirement.  That's particularly true if I head to sunny Florida, where there's no state income tax!  Plus, I'm not keen on giving Uncle Sam and the NC Department of Revenue $40,000 + of my savings - I may need it down the road (or even next year, as my son heads off to college)!

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Los Angeles Drug Crimes

When a Los Angeles drug crimes defense attorney represents someone accused of possessing, trafficking or using drugs, they must be a highly qualified lawyer. Los Angeles drug crimes include possession, sales, trafficking and more, and only a skilled criminal defense attorney can keep anyone accused of such a crime free from prison.

One such person is a church leader accused of a Riverside drug crime. A man was arrested on suspicion of selling drugs out of his church in Riverside, having previously been shot during a burglary attempt. In addition to Los Angeles drug crimes, the man is accused of sexual crimes as well and is being investigated by police. In September of this year, the man was wounded in a shooting during a robbery attempt outside his church, authorities said. He was taken to a local hospital, where he recovered. At the time, he reported to police that he had encountered four juveniles when he was shot. The man, who calls himself a bishop, and his church are not affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church.

If the man is found to have been running drugs out of his church, public opinion about him will very low, and any jury trial will be extremely difficult to defend. In addition, any Los Angeles drug crimes defense involves financial records that could lead to tax fraud charges by government lawyers. Again, this is why having a skilled Los Angeles drug crimes defense attorney is so important.

In such a high profile case, an experienced Los Angeles drug crimes defense attorney is absolutely necessary. A Los Angeles drug crime such as sales or trafficking can lead to years of prison, and may even be a federal crime if any interstate trafficking and/or sales was involved. Federal crimes are that much more difficult to defend. A Los Angeles drug crimes defense attorney can make sure that anyone charged with a drug crime gets the representation they need to protect their rights and freedoms.

If you have been charged with a serious criminal offense, do not hesitate to call Kestenbaum, Eisner & Gorin, LLP at (877) 781-1570. Our knowledgeable legal team can evaluate your case and advise you of your legal options.