It has not always been recognized this way, but we as human beings have certain rights, regardless of age, sex, gender or race, that no one should be able to take away from us. Modern society has seen in increase in the awareness and acceptance of these inalienable rights, thank goodness, but we do still have a long way to go to ensure that this is an absolute truth for every man, woman and child on this planet. And one profession attempts to see that through, as the real-life, non-vigilante version of Batman: the civil rights lawyer.
What does a civil rights lawyer do?
When a person or business feels that they have been wronged in a way that infringes on their personal rights, the first course of action would probably be seeking legal advice. If the dispute cannot be settled with a simple discussion, a civil rights lawyer may be contacted in order for the next legal actions to be taken. Civil rights law covers a wide spectrum of rights, from deliberate indifference, which falls somewhere between negligence and intention to inflict harm, to police misconduct, a topic that we are sadly all too familiar with these days, in the light of incidents involving Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and far too many more than anyone should have to list. There shouldn’t even be a list.
Reasons to need a civil rights lawyer
Unfortunately, there are a lot of ways a person’s rights can be infringed upon. Several people seek legal help after using a defective product that causes harm. In this case the injured individual may choose to seek a liability lawsuit. In other liability cases, medical errors caused by doctors or otherwise occurring in hospitals and medical offices add up to around 100,000 deaths every year, according to the Institute of Medicine. Other cases involve women standing up for rights that were fought for — and won — generations ago, that still don’t seem to be completely understood by some behind-the-times men. Still others seek civil rights council when they find themselves wrongly accused of a crime. Even when civil rights cases are settled before going to trial, as 95% to 96% of cases involving personal injury are, the help of the right attorney will move things along much more smoothly and efficiently.
So whether you find yourself injured as the result of another person or company, you feel you are being treated unfairly based on the way you were born (be it race, gender or otherwise), or you risk losing your freedom to prison for something you didn’t do, finding a lawyer specializing in your civil rights should be your first concern.