Posting this for a buddy of mine cause I know a few members will probably have some excellent advice.
My friend owns an apartment in CA that is rented out to a family with kids, and they have been renting there since before my friend bought the place. Recently one of the renters' kids (9 years) was playing around and rolled a bowling ball down a grade, right before a neighbor walked out from around the corner, and he was struck by the bowling ball, which badly broke his foot, requiring surgery and time off from work. The neighbors are suing for *STUPID* money, and they have listed my buddy (owner) as the primary defendant, with the tenants secondary.
Apparently the tenants and the neighbor have a history of "bad blood" between them. The suit claims that the HOA has sent complaints to the owner regarding his tenants in the past (on behalf of the neighbor), and that his lack of action constitutes negligence.
The owner has no insurance for anything like this, so he's out of pocket to defend himself. One ballpark quote he got from an attorney to defend him was a sizeable portion of his annual salary. The owner is aware of mediation and arbitration, but even a small percentage of the damages sought would ruin him, so these options seem bleak.
1. Does anyone have a feel for how strong the case against him is?
2. Does anyone have any good leads for cheap/free legal resources?
3. Can anyone give a referral to a good lawyer in SoCal with the right background to defend against this kind of suit?
4. What evidence would the owner need to present to maximize his odds of success?
This is a good guy who doesn't deserve something like this. Any help will be greatly appreciated. TIA!
My friend owns an apartment in CA that is rented out to a family with kids, and they have been renting there since before my friend bought the place. Recently one of the renters' kids (9 years) was playing around and rolled a bowling ball down a grade, right before a neighbor walked out from around the corner, and he was struck by the bowling ball, which badly broke his foot, requiring surgery and time off from work. The neighbors are suing for *STUPID* money, and they have listed my buddy (owner) as the primary defendant, with the tenants secondary.
Apparently the tenants and the neighbor have a history of "bad blood" between them. The suit claims that the HOA has sent complaints to the owner regarding his tenants in the past (on behalf of the neighbor), and that his lack of action constitutes negligence.
The owner has no insurance for anything like this, so he's out of pocket to defend himself. One ballpark quote he got from an attorney to defend him was a sizeable portion of his annual salary. The owner is aware of mediation and arbitration, but even a small percentage of the damages sought would ruin him, so these options seem bleak.
1. Does anyone have a feel for how strong the case against him is?
2. Does anyone have any good leads for cheap/free legal resources?
3. Can anyone give a referral to a good lawyer in SoCal with the right background to defend against this kind of suit?
4. What evidence would the owner need to present to maximize his odds of success?
This is a good guy who doesn't deserve something like this. Any help will be greatly appreciated. TIA!