Lawyer recommendation (personal injury maybe)

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

I'm looking for a lawyer and have no idea where to even start since I'm not sure my case qualifies as personal injury (or if I even have a case).

I don't want to give specific details yet, but the gist is that I was recently in a local business (a chain store, not a locally-owned one), really freaky bad things happened (these things were not the fault of the store/staff, but the staff missed numerous attempts to de-escalate the problem), I've been traumatized by this whole experience.

I spoke to the store manager who naturally is claiming the store did everything right. They're not doing anything to clean up this situation and make me feel safe in their business again. All they've said is pretty much "we're sorry this happened, but sometimes these things happen."

Anyway, that's all very vague, but I don't want to go into the details here. I checked through all the legal posts and didn't find anything relevant--hopefully somebody has insight and can point me in a good direction.

Thanks!

Comments

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

Sue Wilson (http://suewilsonlaw.com/) helped my partner with a personal injury case several years ago, and I'd highly recommend her. Good luck with getting some resolution to this.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks; emailed her!

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

A personal injury lawyer named Sue? Seriously? That's funny.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

omg, can't believe I didn't go there first.

It's like the punchline to "what do you call a lawyer with no arms and legs?"

[ron_newman]

At least she's not a boy.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

*rimshot*

[bostonartist.livejournal.com]

I would call the Mass Bar Association. They will give you a referal list of attorneys in the area that handle these type of cases.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Good idea; thanks!

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Both the Massachusetts Bar Assoc and the Boston Bar Assoc offer Lawyer Referral Services. There's no fee for the referral, and the first consultation is often $25 or less.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[ron_newman]

I know you're being discreet, but I have to admit I'm curious what store I should be avoiding and why.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Perfectly understandable; I thought about that and didn't want to scare anyone. There's nothing unsafe now that I know of. I will say it's a pharmacy chain and this location is neither in Davis nor Porter.

[ron_newman]

Thanks, now at least I know that we don't have to avoid CVS or Rite Aid or Family Dollar in our own neighborhood. Good luck, and let us know what you end up doing.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

you should avoid the CVS in porter anyhow :P

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Haha, why? :) I've only been there once and it was kind of nusto, but that was Halloween.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

The people who work the pharmacy just tend to be really rude and I had one of my prescriptions screwed up once (thankfully I knew exactly what the pills looked like--no idea what they gave me)--and, I think I only used them twice. So, not good odds.

Porter Sq.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

It's always Halloween there.

First, it's in Porter Sq. Mall, which should be enough of a deterrent. Second, I had to rescue a stranger from being accosted by a crazy woman once.
Third, I was waiting in my car for a friend to run and pick up a prescription, and some Tufts girl backs out of her spot into my brand new car.
Fourth, it's always mobbed in there.
Fifth, every time I have tried to enter the store, I have had to pass some crazy person.

I've been there three times, and all this happened to me.

That said, about your legal issues, a lawyer will determine if you have a case or not. I was afraid to sue because I never thought I would have had a case, but since lawyers only get paid if you win (40% of award is typical), they generally only want to put in the work if there will be a reward.

Re: Porter Sq.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

Whenever I go there, no matter which line I get in, I end up with "the crazy lady" ringing me up. One time she told me that I looked like the girl in the book she read and then continued to sing Wilson-Phillips "Hold on" at top volume while bagging my stuff.

Re: Porter Sq.

[blackdove24.livejournal.com]

That's... kinda hilarious, really. Granted, I have not experienced said lady, I'm saying I want someone to sing Wilson-Phillips at me while bagging my stuff.

Re: Porter Sq.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

it made me feel special ;)

Re: Porter Sq.

[purpless77.livejournal.com]

Crazy lady? I've got no problem with a little singing even at top volume. Too much nastiness in the world. A little singing would be a refreshing change.
I've been going to that CVS for over 20 years. I recommend it.
There are often issues with busier stores, but that's what living in the city brings.

Re: Porter Sq.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

well she seems to work weekdays between 9 and 5, so you might luck out and get a song if you go during her shift and they are playing her favorite in-store play tape/cd. she's a character for sure.

Re: Porter Sq.

[purpless77.livejournal.com]

Oh I want to go, I love fun cashiers, lol. I'll keep my ears open the net time I'm there.

[tfarrell.livejournal.com]

I've gone in there in the middle of the night, coughing and sneezing and blowing my nose, bought cough drops (about $1.50), and on my way out of the store a member of the staff demanded to see my receipt and tried to actually get in my way to stop me until I would do so. Under the circumstances I was in no mood to play their game, and told him to get out of my way or I'd walk over him. The guy went berserk and threatened me with the police. I told him to go ahead and call them, and left. Slowly. So the cops would have no problem finding me if he called them. All of this over a $1.50 item, which he could see in my hand, with a receipt in my hand. (Yes, I'm a crabby SOB who could have let him read my receipt, but once I've paid they're my cough drops, and I'm under no obligation to show the receipt.)

I've gone in there to buy something, it had no price marked on it, there was a sign advertising a sale price, but at the register they tried to charge me a higher price and when I pointed it out they simply said "the sign is wrong." No "oops sorry we'll give you the marked price," no "oops sorry we'll correct the sign," just "pay this higher price."

The next time I got sick and went in there in the middle of the night to buy cough drops, I made the mistake of trying to use the self checkout machine. It rang through my item, and then inexplicably refused to accept payment and told me to go to a cashier. So I went to a cashier. She rang me up. Just as I was about to pay, the manager ran over and demanded she void my transaction. So I'm standing there feeling like hell, really needing a cough drop, and this manager who has just foiled my second attempt to buy some cough drops is puttering around and telling me to wait and refusing to explain anything, while other customers are being served. I asked him why I was being singled out to be made to wait, and he told me it's because I used the machine, and didn't explain further. I told him either he would get me checked out or I would leave. He became abusive. I left.

I'm not going back. Why should I go in there to be abused when I can go to any of the other pharmacies in the area and be treated better?

[ron_newman]

Now that we have one in Davis, I never go to the Porter one anymore.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

Hey ron_newman, I'm not a lawyer, but if she is considering litigation, I believe it would be unwise for her to spill details here.

[ron_newman]

That's OK, what she said above is sufficient.

[mermaidcafe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's why I didn't get into any specifics. But if anything comes of it that people should know, I'll pass it on.