Patty’s Story
Volunteer attorneys; changing lives
Patty, a single mother, takes her son to St Christopher’s Hospital for Children. He has Cerebral Palsy, hydrocephalus and chronic respiratory syndrome.
Patty employed a plumber to undertake some work in her basement. He failed to take the proper precautions to safeguard his activities which led to a fire whilst he was soldering pipework.
Her homeowners insurance covered the cost of the repairs needed to make the house safe and liveable but only covered $5,000 of personal property. She had also had to pay for a rental property whilst her home was being repaired.
Patty initially attempted to file a claim for her losses with the court as a pro se (without representation) litigant, but came to LCD for assistance. Working pro bono, two volunteer associates from law firm Reed Smith agreed to take on her case. They successfully negotiated for Patty to receive $13,000 in damages.
For more on Reed Smith click here:
Working pro bono, two associates from law firm Reed Smith agreed to take on her case and successfully negotiated for Patty to receive $13,000 in damages.
How to become a volunteer
Volunteers have always been a critical component of the work that LCD does. Without volunteers to take pro bono cases, help us with our financial statements and tax returns and advise our staff attorneys on legal issues, we could not operate at the capacity we do. Our community partners assist us with special events, fundraising and administrative tasks.
Interested in volunteering with LCD? Fill out the form below, and use the “Comment” section to indicate your skills/experience and the areas in which you would like to help out.