Juventino Hernandez was allegedly hog-tied with a dog leash, handcuffed and placed in ankle restraints in 2006 by three police officers. He stopped breathing at a hospital, was revived, but sustained severe brain damage. Hernandez subsequently died from the injuries he sustained on arrest by three city of Clovis officers.
This case is disturbing for the use of a dog leash to tie up the defendant, who may have been having a psychotic episode at the time. The leash was used to stop Hernandez from attacking officers and to stop him from further harming himself.
While held in place on his stomach, he was transported to a hospital where the restraining dog leash was removed. On arrival, staff gave him medication to calm him down, but he stopped breathing. Although he was revived, he had suffered severe brain damage and clung to life in a vegetative state for several months before passing away.
A wrongful death lawsuit was filed.
In situations such as this, where a deceased defendant spent a significant amount of time in hospital, the medical bills would be extremely high. It would be difficult for the family to pay such bills while struggling to stay current on their own financial obligations.
The family might wish to consider applying for a lawsuit loan, otherwise referred to as litigation funding. Pre-settlement funding can be a lifesaver for cash-strapped defendants needing to pay their usual expenses and their extraordinary expenses and attempting to do so on a limited income.
A lawsuit loan, if the applicant is approved, is fast cash sent directly to a plaintiff’s bank account. On its arrival, they may use it to pay those pressing medical bills, funeral and burial expenses and other expenditures related to the care and subsequent death of a loved one.
Applying for pre-settlement funding is easy. It just takes a phone call or a visit to the litigation funding company website and filling out a form. Applicants need to be working with an attorney, file all the proper paperwork and provide as much information as possible to the company before a decision is made.
Plaintiffs find litigation funding to be appealing for a number of reasons. They do not need to have a job when they apply, they are not required to go through a credit check and they do not pay any money upfront or during his or her wait for a trial or settlement offer. If they lose the case, they keep the lawsuit loan. There are no strings attached.
Daren Monroe writes for Litigation Funding Corp. To learn more about lawsuit funding and litigation funding, visit http://www.litigationfundingcorp.com/.
