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Scott D. Righthand
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Scott D. Righthand
The Law Office of Scott Righthand, P.C.
465 California St.
Suite 300
San Francisco, CA 94104
Phone: (415) 544-0115 | Fax: (415) 957-9080
http://www.righthandfirm.com/
Make it Right!
Legal Topic
Personal Injury
Preferred New Clients
Injured clients involving auto accidents, truck accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, defective products, birth injury, malpractice, employment, or wrongful death cases.
Sub-Categories
Personal Injury
- Dangerous Property
- Wrongful Death
- Personal Injury Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Construction Site Injuries
- Jones Act
- Slip & Fall
- Sports Injuries
- Whiplash
- Felony Auto Accident
- Design Defects
- Manufacturing Defects
- False Charities
- Frauds, Scams, Hoaxes
- Identity Theft
- Pyramid Schemes
- Telemarketing
- Child abuse
- Dog Bites & Animal Attacks
- Police Misconduct
- Sexual Assault
- Airplanes
- Buildings
- Mass Transit - Bus, Train, Subway
- Ships & Boats
- Financial Malpractice
- Legal Malpractice
- Religious Malpractice
- Anesthesia Malpractice
- Birth Injuries and Defects
- Elder and Nursing Home Abuse
- Emergency Room Errors
- HMO Managed Case
- Medication Malpractice
- Optometry Malpractice
- Prescription/Drug Malpractice
- Psychiatric Malpractice
- Surgical Errors
- Wrong Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis
- Nursing Home Negligence
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Asbestos Mesothelioma
- Chemicals & Cosmetics
- Dangerous Drugs & Products
- Hazardous Waste
- Medical Products & Devices
- Pesticides
- Radiation & Electromagnetic Energy
- Tobacco
- Toxic Mold
- Amputation
- Birth Injury
- Burn Injury
- Head/Brain Injury
- Paralysis
Bar Admissions
CA, Nov 1979
Bar Number: 87635
Other Court Admissions
All California Courts. I have also been admitted for specific cases in Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, and New York.
Association Memberships
California Bar Association, Consumer Attorneys of California, San Francisco Bar Association, San Francisco Trial Attorneys.
Continuing Education
I am constantly attending seminars, have written articles, judged Moot Court and Negotiation competitions.
Papers and Publications
Yes. I was an author of an update to Government Tort Liability Practice, based on a previous edition by Arvo Van Alstyne, and authored "Medical Malpractice, In the Trenches", CAOC Forum Magazine.
Example Cases
Late night trucking accident on Interstate 80 near Sandy, Utah. Defendant's truck failed to access the truck stop, instead pulling over on the shoulder only to be rear ended by a second truck. My client was asleep in the sleeper, ejected and seriously injured. The case settled just before trial inclusive of a structured settlement paying out millions of dollars to the client.
Single vehicle accident resulting in quadriplegia. Failure to install barriers on I-15. Settlement was $4,750,000.
Birth injury action for failure to timely perform a cesarean section causing hypoxic brain damage to the infant. The concluded for a value of $3,500,000.
Longs Pharmacy provided the wrong dosage of medication to an older woman who suffered a fall and injuries as a consequence of the overdose. Result: $110,000.
I represented a woman who suffered fractures and a degloving injury when run over on her bicycle by a truck. Result: $1,500,000.
Education
Degree:
J.D.
School:
U.C. Hastings College of the Law
City:
San Francisco
State:
CA
Year:
1979
Honors:
Hastings Constitutional Law Journal
Degree:
B.A., English and Psychology
School:
University of Colorado
City:
Boulder
State:
CO
Year:
1975
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
California
Firm Focus and History
The office was established in 1992. I had previously worked for 10 years with Bostwick and Tehin, a firm specializing in similar cases. I left that office as a partner to open my own law firm. My vision was to select the cases and clients that I could best assist and to provide those clients with the best representation they could hire, from beginning to case conclusion.
My office provides quality representation for people who are injured. I work on a contingency fee basis and get paid only when I recover money for you by way of settlement or judgment. Typically I represent seriously injured people who want first-class representation from the attorney they hire.
My office focuses on the more serious injuries including those leading to surgeries and disabilities, brain injuries, paralysis injuries, injuries from birth trauma or hypoxia, injuries from auto, truck and motorcycle accidents, highway design cases, bicycle accidents, airplane crashes, helicopter crashes, wrongful termination and employment related torts (but not workers compensation), and all types of medical malpractice.
Previous Employment Summary
At Bostwick and Tehin, I worked on just about every conceivable type of case including auto accidents, trucking accidents, all forms of medical malpractice, birth injury cases, failure to diagnose cases including meningitis, cancer and others, train, plane, motorcycle and bicycle accidents, employment related injuries, product failure, and many other injury cases.
Before Bostwick, I worked as an associate for another San Francisco firm, Furth, Fahrner and Wong. Most of my work there was in the area of antitrust, commercial and administrative law. I worked on MGM's takeover of Columbia Pictures, KICU's action for access to syndicated programming, and the Children's Advertising Cases, among others.
Activities and Awards
Super Lawyers 2007, 2008, 2009; The Best Lawyers in America 2009; Fellow Litigation Counsel of America, Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers 1999-2009; AV-Rated Martindale-Hubbell.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
Knowledge is important in all aspects of our lives, including this area. I encourage my clients to read and research in order to be better informed. I also encourage them to question what they read and discuss the information they deem important about their case with me. Often, there are complexities in the law or differences among experts on approaches to legal problems. There are generally reasons why people differ on legal issues and discussion elicits better understanding of the application of law in their case.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I am happy to review anything my client prepares in his or her case.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
In general, it is not my practice to assist clients who I do not represent.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I have always been interested in law and how it works to offer people a voice in achieving fairness. I wanted to use my knowledge to assist others in asserting their rights and obtaining justice in their lives. Many people are intimidated by the law, judges, courtrooms, lawyers and the legal process. I always recognized that the courtroom was central to achieving fairness in this country and still enjoy working with people to access the courtroom in order to balance the scales.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
I consider myself lucky to have lived a full life in many respects. I grew up in New York as the son of Russian immigrant parents who lived through the Great Depression and had a primary goal in their lives of doing what they could to make my life better than theirs. They instilled some basic values in me including a sense of justice and a sense of right and wrong. They also were always willing to lend a hand to anyone who rightfully needed it. I try to accept those cases that I believe are right and just, and provide honest, straightforward and effective representation to my clients.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I enjoy dealing with serious, real problems people face in their lives and take tremendous satisfaction in helping them through the difficult times. My experience early on with corporate clients was never as satisfying.
What do you like best about your career?
I would describe my career as a personal attempt to make things right for people who would otherwise have to suffer with an affront or an injustice through no fault of their own. There is an element of ‘Robin Hood' in what I do, although I would describe the activity as more re-distribution of wealth based upon fault.
Tell us about your law firm:
My legal assistant, Laura Gonzales, is both a paralegal and legal secretary. She has been with me more than 10 years and treats every client as if he or she were family. She is always pleasant, professional and effective. I share office space with a long time friend and excellent attorney who does commercial litigation and entertainment law work; he is one of many peers with whom I exchange ideas and information.
What are your strengths and style?
My strengths include 30 years of acquired knowledge of the business of law, including information about what makes insurance companies tick. I also have acquired a strong background in medicine that is helpful in all injury cases. Perhaps my biggest strength comes with building the foundational interpersonal relationships necessary to process cases from start to finish without unnecessary expense.
Personal Interests:
I have many. My family always comes first. After that, I am a baseball fan, and when you come to my office you will see black and white photographs of old New York teams and my Giants hero, Willie Mays. I try to stay fit and hike, run, work out and surf a little as well. Travel is also a hobby although now that my children are grown, most of my non-business travel is to see them. My son is a guitar player and songwriter with the Bob Hill Band, and my daughter sings jazz, and I am a fan of both.
Office Manager/Assistant
Laura Gonzales
Fax
(415) 957-9080
Office Hours
By cell phone during off hours; inquire by e-mail: scott@righthandlaw.net
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
In general, I work on a contingent fee basis. Accident cases or non malpractice cases are usually 33 1/3 percent before disclosure of experts, 40 percent after disclosure. I will discount fees on uncomplicated accident cases if new clients mention Nolo. Because of the cost, difficulty and time involved with complex accident cases, highway design cases, products liability cases or malpractice cases, the rates in those matters generally stand although I am always willing to discuss discounting them.
Hourly Rates
$400.
Free Initial Consultation?
Yes.
Typical Retainer
If I am concerned about liability in a malpractice case, I may ask for a retainer to solicit one or more expert opinions.
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Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
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