Shepard & Haven's Areas of Practice

Personal Injury

Personal injury victims are injured through the fault of another person or group. Personal injury encompasses a broad range of cases, from slip and fall injuries to automobile accidents. Any case in which one person is hurt by another person's negligent or wrongful action (or inaction) may be considered personal injury. Most personal injuries include physical, emotional, and financial hardships. If you or a family member has been the victim of personal injury, our firm can help you receive the compensation you need.

Learn more about personal injury law

Brain Damage

Brain damage is one of the most devastating types of injuries because of its ability to cause long-term or permanent disability. Brain injuries may affect any or all body functions, from speech to cognitive function, from movement to consciousness. Brain damage can occur in many ways, including car accidents, falls, birth trauma, and violence. Victims of brain injuries usually require long-term medical care and incur extremely high medical bills. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a brain damage, you may be eligible for compensation.

Learn more about brain damage

Catastrophic Injuries

Paralyzing spinal cord damage, neck injuries, burns, and other catastrophic injuries are personally devastating and financially costly. Both immediate treatment and long-term rehabilitation and care cost money, and if an injury is the responsibility of another, that party should pay the costs. A Shepard & Haven lawyer can help you pursue just compensation for the costs of a catastrophic injury so that you can receive the best care possible and focus on recovering and moving on with your life.

Learn more about catastrophic injuries

Car Accidents

Distracted, aggressive drivers are prevalent on our highways, and automobile accidents are an everyday occurrence. Despite the frequency of accidents, being injured in a collision can have serious effects on a victim's life. Automobile accident victims often face high medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, severe injury, permanent disability, or even death. If you or a loved one has been injured in an automobile accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Even if you are not sure that the other driver was at fault, our firm may be able to help you.

Learn more about auto accidents

Truck Accidents

For a passenger vehicle, an accident with a semi truck is even more dangerous than a conventional car accident. Trucks are larger, heavier, slower, and less maneuverable on the road, making them more dangerous to other motorists when handled without care, driven by an intoxicated or fatigued driver, or maintained insufficiently. If you have fallen victim to a truck accident, contact Shepard & Haven to discuss your options for litigation against the driver, trucking company, and other involved parties. A successful lawsuit may help you cover the costs of medical treatment, property damage, and other expenses associated with a crash.

Learn more about truck accidents

Insurance Litigation

Insurance companies are supposed to offer protection for their clients in case of a covered loss. When insurance works properly, it can provide people with an important safeguard in difficult times; when it doesn't, clients are often left confused, helpless, and in trouble. Insurance bad faith occurs when an insurance company denies benefits to a policyholder with a covered claim. Insurance bad faith can occur at any stage of the claim review process. The insurance company may refuse to investigate a claim, may unnecessarily delay responding to a claim, or may refuse to pay out on a legitimate claim. Insurance bad faith is illegal.

Learn more about insurance litigation

Premises Liability

Property owners have a responsibility to ensure that safety hazards on their land do not cause harm to guests. Homeowners with pools, for example, must take steps to protect visiting children from danger. If a danger is present, it must be clearly marked to prevent harm. If a store owner's floor is slippery after it is mopped, signs should be posted to warn customers. Except in cases of trespassing, property owners are liable for injuries that occur due to preventable hazards on their premises. Even if a property owner is not aware of the hazard, the law may say that he or she should have known about the problem. If you have been injured on another's property, you may be eligible for compensation.

Learn more about premises liability

Product Liability

Manufacturers and store owners have a responsibility to consumers. They must ensure that the products they sell are neither defective nor inherently dangerous. If a dangerous or defective product injures an unwary consumer, the manufacturer (and sometimes the designer, distributor, wholesaler, or retailer) is considered legally liable, as long as the consumer was using the product as it was meant to be used when he or she was injured. Whether the product is a toy or an automobile tire, manufacturers must make sure that products are designed and made safely, that quality control systems prevent defective products from entering the market, and that adequate directions and warning labels are available to protect consumers.

Learn more about product liability

Breach of Contract

Advertisers and companies must live up to the promises they make consumers. If a company makes a claim about its product and that claim inspires a consumer to purchase the product, the company may be liable if the claim proves to be untrue. There are other forms of breach of contract as well. If one contracting partner defaults on his end of a signed deal, he or she may be guilty of breach of contract. Companies that try to overcharge consumers may also fall under this category.

Learn about breach of contract

Business Litigation

Businesses face a host of challenges on issues such as contract formation and enforcement, employment, mergers, and acquisitions. Our firm handles a wide variety of business litigation cases. From contract negotiation to issues of commercial fraud, we are knowledgeable and experienced in helping businesses resolve disputes favorably.

Learn about business litigation

Real Estate Law

Real estate law deals with the buying and selling of homes as well as with land use disputes, problems with neighbors, financing, title insurance, and other issues. Our firm is highly experienced in handling all types of real estate litigation and non- litigation matters.

Learn about real estate law

Construction Accidents

Construction is one of the most hazardous fields of employment that exists in the U.S. In spite of rigid safety regulations and advanced equipment, injuries continue to plague construction professionals as a result of poor planning, careless conduct, substandard safety and maintenance practices, and other types of human error. When a construction worker is injured or disabled, litigation against those responsible is one way to ensure that medical treatment and the needs of family members will be provided for.

Learn more about construction accidents

Construction Defects

Construction sites pose many dangers to workers and others in the area. Workers often must lift heavy objects, operate large machinery, and perform job duties at elevated heights. Workers trust in the safety of the equipment they use and in the soundness of construction design plans. When either of these is defective, people's lives and wellbeing are at stake. Companies that manufacture construction equipment are liable if their products prove to be defective. Similarly, architects, engineers, and supervisors of construction sites have a responsibility to ensure that their plans are not defective.

Learn about construction defects

Contact Shepard & Haven

An attorney at The Law Offices of Shepard & Haven can help you recover compensation for any of a wide variety of civil wrongs. If you have been injured, or if you need expert advice on any area of the law in which we practice, please contact us today to discuss your case.