CURZI LAW OFFICES

We are a general practice firm with an emphasis on courtroom matters. Our firm has litigated hundreds of cases. Our staff also addresses other areas requiring legal involvement. Our professional services include:

 

• Car Accidents

• Slip & Fall Accidents

• Work Place Injuries

• Criminal Law

• Family Law

• Real Estate Law

• Wills & Estates

 

Car Accidents

It is nearly impossible to drive a lifetime without being involved in a car accident. Insurance companies and their adjusters deal with thousands of auto collisions every year. Their motivation is to make a profit and keep costs down. That means it is not in the insurance company's best interests to help you. You should make sure you are adequately and responsibly represented before negotiating any claim with the insurance company.

It is important when involved in a car collision to make sure a police report is filed, not to give any recorded or written statements to an insurance adjuster, and not to sign anything, especially a medical authorization without first consulting a lawyer. The sooner you seek legal representation, the sooner your rights and your claim will be adequately protected.

Slip & Fall Accidents

A business or property owner bears the responsibility to exercise reasonable care in the maintenance of their property, as well as to notify or warn visitors to the property of any hazards that exist and might cause a slip, trip or fall.

A business or property owner is liable for a "slip and fall" accident when they are negligent in failing to reasonably maintain their property or in properly warning visitors of latent dangers.

Determining liability in a "slip and fall" accident can be difficult, involving many contributing factors. You should contact a personal injury lawyer with experience in "slip and fall" accidents to assure your rights are protected. Attorney Jeff Curzi will evaluate your case, so contact Curzi Law Offices today.

Malpractice

Negotiated settlements of claims arising from medical negligence frequently involve the issue of confidentiality between the parties. In cases where a defendant physician, facility or other health care provider demands a confidentiality provision as part of a settlement agreement, plaintiff’s medical malpractice lawyer must consider several factors prior to agreeing to include confidentiality as a material term of a release and settlement agreement.

The first and most obvious consideration is the client’s intent and objective in bringing the action in the first place. A client that is dealing with their own, or a family member’s loss, as a result of a medical error experiences a wide array of emotions in deciding whether to pursue a claim. A frequently stated motivating factor is the desire to “make sure this doesn’t happen to someone else.” As noble a cause as this may seem, it does not square with the remedies available in most jurisdictions, or the purpose of the civil trial system. The civil litigant is entitled to fair compensation for their injuries, and that remedy is the “justice” available.

Contact Jeff for a personal evaluation regarding your malpractice case.

Unsafe Products

The law of products liability involves the liability of a manufacturer, wholesaler, or retailer of a product for injuries caused by that product. Consumers have rights which protect them from defective products, and manufacturers have a legal obligation to provide safe products.

Product liability law invoves only items marketed for sale or lease and only injuries which occur as a result of a defect or deficiency in the quality or performance of the product. A products liability claim can be brought against anyone in the marketing chain, from the manufacturer to the retailer. While repair persons, installers, and inspectors may not be liable for the actual failure or defect of a product, they may be liable for negligence or breach of warranties for faulty repairs, installation, or inspection which causes personal injury or property damage.

When faced with an injury caused by a product which was improperly designed, manufactured, or maintained, it is important that you chose a law firm, experienced in handling products liability cases. The proper handling of a products liability case requires a thorough investigation by an experienced legal team to determine which organizations should be named as defendants and which legal theories should be pursued. Also, knowledgeable experts must be engaged in the case to provide testimony at trial. The products liability team at the Curzi Law Offices has the experience to conduct a thorough investigation to make your products liability case the strongest possible.

Work Place Injuries

The value of your claim is determined by statute and depends mainly on the kind of injury and the extent of any permanency. There are two ways that a workers’ compensation claim can be settled. The first kind is a settlement agreement written on a form provided by the Industrial Commission and the other is what is commonly called a clincher agreement. The main difference between the two involves your right to future benefits because of a change of condition within two years after the last date you received a check. In the IC form, your right to possible future benefits is preserved. In the clincher agreement, this right is waived in exchange for an additional sum of money.

Settlement of a worker’s compensation case can be complex especially if there are return to work issues. Before you sign anything, you should consult an attorney.

Commercial Litigation

While our commercial litigation courtroom skills are second to none, the ability to try and win a lawsuit is only part of effective legal representation of a business. We understand that often the greater challenge, and more important service, is to ascertain and achieve the out-of-court result that best advances the client's interests. When engaged to represent a business client, our first task is to determine what goals and interests are truly vital to the client. We then explore all avenues — creative settlements, mediation, arbitration and trial — to meet them.

Curzi's commercial litigators also understand that, in business, it's the bottom line that counts. The best legal advice and representation in the world is useless if the resulting legal fees bankrupt the company. We are committed to cost-effective service and to performing only the work necessary to accomplish the client's goals. We will work with business clients to define value from their — and not our — point of view, and then structure a fee arrangement based on that value.

Criminal Law

Unlike civil law, which involves private law suits between two or more private entities, criminal law attorneys represent clients who are being prosecuted by the state or federal government for an act that has been classified as a crime. Any act or failure to perform an act as designated by public law is considered a crime. With the exception of strict liability crimes, most crimes consist of three elements: an act (actus reus), a mental state (mens rea) and the intent to do social harm. Crimes are classified as "misdemeanors" (less serious offenses that are normally punishable by a fine like some traffic violations, petty theft, or possession of a small amount of marijuana) and "felonies" (more serious offenses that warrant imprisonment of one or more years, such as rape, grand theft, assault and battery, assault with a deadly weapon, or homicide/murder).

In criminal law, the suit is initiated by the state or federal government through a prosecutor rather than being initiated by the victim, as it is in civil law. Plaintiffs in a civil law suit only need to show by a preponderance of the evidence that a defendant is 51% or more liable (responsible) for the damages. But, the prosecutor in a criminal law case has to prove to the judge or jury "beyond a reasonable doubt" that the defendant is guilty of the crime charged.

Family Law

Family law is often perceived as pertaining mainly to divorce and child custody matters; however, this is only part of the picture. In addition to divorce and custody, we also offer expertise in areas such as prenuptial agreements, paternity actions, and post-judgment proceedings.

We are also actively involved in alternative dispute resolution proceedings, such as mediation and arbitration. These mechanisms enable parties to resolve their problems in a private setting, away from the emotional trauma and anxiety often present in a courtroom.

At Curzi Law Offices, we understand that each client’s case is unique and important, and demands a global view of all of the issues involved. We do not believe in the "cookie cutter" approach to divorce. Our clients deserve and receive the personal service and attention they need, at what might be the most difficult point in their life.

Real Estate Law

Our lawyers have many years of experience in residential and commercial real estate transactions. Additionally, Curzi Law is proud to have one of the most highly experienced real estate assistants in the area, Susan Stutz, managing that department. Susan has been helping buyers and sellers realize their dreams and needs since 1975.

 

Wills & Estates

Although no one likes to think about it, planning your estate is one of the most important things you should do for you and your family. Estate planning starts with a Will. A Will is the means by which you can assure that your last wishes are carried out to the benefit of your loved ones. You also may want to have prepared a Living Will, a document that tells your family and your physicians of your wishes should your illness be irreversible.

These are just two of the things that we can help you with at Curzi Law. Our services include estate administration as well as the filing of estate tax and inheritance returns.