RoTaRyBoYz wrote:Don't understand why a big shot lawyer don't take up the case all in the name of "justice".... Anywhere else in the world, a prominent lawyer would of offer his services to the family because the case seems very winnable.
Here's why:
The court systems are backed up. So if you bring a case to court now, you might not have resolution until 8 years in the future. Maybe.
The courts do not award punitive damages as they do in the United States. In the US if you sue McDonalds, let's say, the judge will not award you 1000 dollars if it turns out McDonalds was negligent. They will award an amount that will be punitive to mcdonalds, which can't be less than a few million.
In Trinidad, if you are damaged but then continue to work, the court will pay a percentage of your costs, and maybe try to prorate your salary over the time you were damaged or some such nonsense. So after the 8 years you may end up with 200,000 . Maybe. If someone dies, well I guess it is the same calculations. You might end up with more, but chances are it will NOT be a windfall as in the US system.
The courts do not usually allow for 100% payment of attorneys fees even if you win the case, so you as an Attorney will not receive all the money you worked for.
So as an attorney taking on these cases you are really in for a looong haul with no guarantee of a payment, even if you arrange for a percentage on success. Now each case is different, and the circumstances can be different, but over here is not like you see in the movies in the US.
In short, the court systems in Trinidad are totally f***ed for the average citizen. It is more in your interest to screw someone over and then tell them 'sue meh nuh' if you have millions.
You CAN screw people over in Trinidad and the courts will not protect them, especially if they themselves do not have a few million in the bank to pay attorneys.
