Thank you for contacting the Dolan Law Firm. This is how we will respond to your inquiry.

Our case managers will forward your information to one of our attorneys and we will get back to you as soon as possible. The Dolan Law Firm works on a contingency fee basis and we are only paid if we achieve a recovery for you. A contingency fee structure means that our legal team must be very mindful in the allocation of our resources so that we can do the greatest good for the largest number of people.

We may respond to your inquiry as follows:

We may ask you to schedule an in-person appointment with one of our lawyers,
We may ask for more information,
We may provide you a bit of advice and suggest that you get back to us if certain facts develop, or
We may inform you that we can not accept your case.

When we inform clients that we can not accept their case it is often because the case falls outside of the practice areas of our law firm. For example, we do not represent clients in criminal and family law matters, vehicle accident cases involving solely property damage and/or minor personal injuries, and consumer fraud, contract and other transactional disputes.

There may be other occasions when we may state that we will not take a case because of the fact pattern provided to us, the current status of the law, the risk in handling a case compared to projected case expenses, or other factors. Any rejection of a case on our part, however, is not a decision on the merits of the case. You can and should seek other counsel to review your case. Other attorneys may reach a different conclusion than us on whether to seek to represent you.

If we are unable to assist you, we will try and provide you with a referral to other counsel, the local bar association or a directory of attorneys that handle your type of case.

If we should not accept your case, you should promptly seek review of your case by other counsel given the statute of limitations. These are the deadlines set in the law that require individuals to act within a specific limited time period. Failure to file a claim or complaint within the statute of limitations may result in a loss of your right to pursue your claim.

If you have been injured by a government employee, government agency or on government property, you may have as little as six months to file a claim under Government Code Section 910. General personal injury claims have a two-year statute of limitations. Medical malpractice statutes of limitations are very complex – one year from the date you first suspected negligence and no longer than three years from the date of the negligent act.

There are exceptions to these statutes which may provide longer periods including, but not limited to, extensions for minors, incarcerated people, and in medical malpractice cases when there is fraud or the presence of a foreign body.

Employment cases generally have a one year statute of limitations to file a claim with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing- federal employees have a shorter time. We can’t tell you which statute applies to your fact pattern at this time but provide you this advice so that you are aware that there are consequences for not acting promptly.

Please note that we are not currently acting as your attorneys and we are not taking any action at this time to file claims, complaints, or take other action to protect your legal results. Unless we have a fee agreement with you, signed by both parties, we have not agreed to take action on your behalf.

Again, thank you for the confidence you have expressed and the time you have taken in contacting my firm.

Chris Dolan