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“Are you hurt?”
“I don’t think so.”
Xander pulled over a dining chair and helped him into it. As they struggled to get him onto the chair, Lidia woke up.
“What are you doing?” She had to ask through the gritted teeth of her wired jaw.
“Go back to sleep, honey. Everything is fine,” Brett said.
Lidia shifted in her bed. “I need to get out of this bed. My back is hurting.”
Xander lowered the bed and scooped her out of her bed. He set her in her wheelchair. helping her get ready for the day.
Lidia was fortunate that the bathroom door was wide and he rolled her in. Using the facilities was not so easy for her, and she had to swallow her pride and let her brother help her. After she had finished, he prepared a basin of water and gave her privacy so she could wash. The first two weeks he had to do it. He looked away as he cleaned her until she said to stop being silly. He was glad she was able to do most of it herself now since he was a lot more embarrassed than she was.
After he had got her situated with her bath, he went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for the three of them. It took over an hour before they were both bathed, dressed and fed. He remembered the mail he had dropped on the floor and picked it up, leaving it on the kitchen counter. Lidia was back in her wheelchair reading the newspaper; Brett was working on one of his design jobs, and Xander went upstairs to shower.
When he came down, he picked up the thick envelope from the Los Angeles Police Department that had come in the mail. It turned out it was the accident report, and he went to the patio to read it. It was more than ten pages long, and when he finished, he knew that they had a case.
He started to tingle as his skills as an attorney kicked in. But first, he needed to have a discussion with Lidia and Brett. He wasn’t the one that had been injured, and maybe they weren’t interested in a long drawn out legal battle. From his viewpoint, they deserved something for their suffering. They had totaled their car, lost several graphics design jobs and a lot of their savings. In the blink of an eye, their income had fallen to zero. He was startled when his phone vibrated with a text from Ava.
How are you?
Sweetheart, I’m sorry I didn’t text you today. I got their accident report, and it looks like Lidia and Brett have a strong case. I sure could use your expertise. However, you would be too big a distraction with that gorgeous face of yours.
I definitely could help you, but maybe your gorgeous face would be the distraction. Love you.
I love you, too.
He went insideto discuss the case with the two of them. Lidia looked at him wide eyed while he explained what he read in the report. The tractor trailer driver had been legally drunk and was charged. The man worked for a large transport company that had deep pockets.
The pickup truck driver that had sandwiched them on the other side was also charged with DUI. His vehicle smelled of marijuana and a check of his truck turned up several joints and a small bag of pills which turned out to be Ecstasy. Xander told them that they could more than likely sue the transport company as well as the driver of the pickup truck.
Lidia and Brett both agreed that they wanted to pursue litigation. Xander told them that if he took the case, it would be a lot more cost effective.
“But you don’t have an active license to practice law in California or any other state. Your father said that you haven’t practiced in four years. Hasn’t your license expired?” Brett asked.
“I kept my license up to date and active in New York, but he doesn’t know that. In California, I can register to practice law temporarily. Or I can do all the research, and you can hire legal counsel to take it to court. If someone approached me with this report, I would take the case. There is plenty of meat here, and a good attorney should be able to get you a decent settlement. I’ll help you find someone.”
Lidia hugged Xander. She had been depressed about the financial situation the accident had created. They had just moved into their new home several months ago, and she was worried she would have to sell it.
Xander gathered up the report and found a pad and pen. He settled himself at the dining room table and began to take notes from the report. He was excited to get to work and help his sister and Brett recover some of what they had lost.
