Civil Law
Lance Block is a civil trial lawyer. He handles personal injury and wrongful death cases exclusively. Mr. Block represents the “Plaintiffs,” people who have been injured or have lost loved ones due to the negligent or wrongful acts of others. Lance Block’s representation is secured on a contingency fee basis, which means that he is not paid until a recovery is made. The fee and costs of bringing the case are deducted from the final award. This allows individuals to have access to the civil justice system without the need to finance the case themselves. If the case is not successful, the Plaintiff usually pays the attorney nothing.
The burden of proof necessary for a Plaintiff to win a civil lawsuit is “the greater weight of the evidence,” while in a criminal case the prosecution must prove its case “beyond a reasonable doubt.” The “greater weight of the evidence” standard is also known as the “preponderance of the evidence,” and simply means that the Plaintiff must show enough evidence for a judge or jury to conclude that it is more likely than not that the Plaintiff’s claims are true.
Sometimes a victim of crime will pursue a civil case, even if the criminal prosecution resulted in a “not guilty” verdict. The significant differences between civil and criminal cases were underscored in the highly publicized O.J. Simpson case. The families of the victims were able to obtain a $33.5 million dollar settlement against O.J. Simpson in civil court even though he was acquitted of the murders in the criminal prosecution. Lance Block has successfully handled dozens of civil cases which followed criminal prosecutions and made successful recoveries for his clients, including cases involving crimes against children, the disabled, and rape trauma survivors.