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Advocacy for
child with abnormal birth weightOur client, a child born at Beaumont Hospital with abnormal birth weight, had parents seeking to obtain supplemental security income (SSI) benefits on behalf of the child.
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Access to cancer treatment attained
Fighting cancer is difficult enough when one has access to quality treatments. Without proper medical care, a desperate situation can result, and that’s precisely the state in which we found our client.
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Saving a home from foreclosure
Our client’s home was foreclosed and sold at a sheriff’s sale for approximately $68,000. She contacted our office, and we agreed to represent her because there appeared to be problems with the origination of her mortgage.
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Defending a student’s right to education
Our 18-year-old client was a student who suffered brain damage after being assaulted by his schoolmates. With our representation, he was evaluated by school and accepted for individualized education plan (IEP) participation.
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Helping a disabled veteran
find hope and a homeOur client was a veteran who became homeless and was sleeping on the streets. Sadly, he lost his left leg and part of his right foot after suffering from frostbite.
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Restoring wheelchair accessibility for a disabled client
Our client, who was elderly and confined to a wheelchair, lived in a subsidized housing complex on the second floor.
Restoring wheelchair accessibility for disabled client
We agreed to represent her and filed a complaint in Wayne County Circuit Court alleging illegal lockout, violation of covenants of habitability and fitness, negligent infliction of emotional distress, violation of fair housing act, etc. After a hearing on a motion for a temporary restraining order, the defendants were able to repair the elevator. However, the matter of damages remained. Though the defendants highly contested paying damages, they offered $11,500 to our client to settle the matter. She accepted the settlement offer and remains living in the apartment complex.
Advocacy for child with abnormal birth weight
A fully favorable decision was rendered that included a cash award spanning at least three years from the date of the decision. Thus, the client received a cash award of approximately $25,000 (about $700 per month for 36 months); after this period, the client will continue to receive about $700 per month, as well as Medicaid insurance.
Helping a disabled veteran find hope and a home
The end result for our client was excellent. He was awarded a fully favorable decision that determined him disabled for a period of two years prior. Ultimately, he received approximately $17,000 of retroactive benefits, which allowed him to afford an apartment and avoid homelessness.
Defending a student’s right to education
Our 18-year-old client was a student who suffered brain damage after being assaulted by his schoolmates. With our representation, he was evaluated by school and accepted for individualized education plan (IEP) participation.
Thankfully, the client’s condition improved to the point he no longer required a wheelchair. However, while at school, another student began taunting him about his walk, and the client responded by hitting the student. He was arrested and suspended from school. After his suspension, he and his mother were told he had been dismissed from the IEP program.
At this point, we contacted the school and were told by administration that the client and his mother had misunderstood. We continued with this case until the client returned to school and was retested for and received a new IEP. It was also agreed upon that the client would be placed in a different school—safe from those who assaulted and taunted him.
Saving a home from foreclosure
Our client’s home was foreclosed and sold at a sheriff’s sale for approximately $68,000. She contacted our office, and we agreed to represent her because there appeared to be problems with the origination of her mortgage. In fact, the client’s mortgage payment was more than her monthly income when the mortgage was approved.
Ultimately, we represented her in a case and alleged fraud, misrepresentation and other claims. The judge ordered the client to pay monthly escrow until the case was resolved. In the end, a settlement was reached that allowed the client to buy back her home for $4,500, which she was able to fund completely from the escrow money she had paid while the case was pending.
Now, our client owns her home free and clear of any mortgage.
Access to cancer treatment attained
Fighting cancer is difficult enough when one has access to quality treatments. Without proper medical care, a desperate situation can result, and that’s precisely the state in which we found our client. He had been diagnosed with colon cancer, but his hospital and oncologist refused to perform surgery and provide chemotherapy treatments because he lacked medical insurance. He had been denied assistance from the Department of Human Services (DHS) and by a special state review.
We contacted a DHS caseworker, as well as the special review team, providing new and material medical records. As a result, the client was approved by DHS and the review team without the need of a hearing. He was awarded retroactive medical assistance insurance benefits. And, best of all, he was able to receive potentially lifesaving surgery and chemotherapy treatments without having to wait for a hearing, which could have taken from 12 to 18 months—a life-threatening duration for a cancer patient without care.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
The Legal Aid and Defender Association, Inc. is generously funded by the U. S. Department of Justice Office of Violence Against Women, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, the City of Detroit, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Oakland County Bar Foundation, the Ford Fund, and private donations.
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