Academic English

Content Warning: This recording contains the sound of a car crash.

People sometimes find them in situations where they decide to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice or personal injury in an accident. What things would you look for in an attorney or law firm to help you through these difficult circumstances? When you find one, what advice on accident claims do you think is the most helpful?

1. Lawsuits are necessary to protect people’s rights.
2. Some people use lawsuits to get money unfairly.
3. Justice is the same in every country’s legal system.
4. It is important to have a lawyer in every lawsuit.
5. Lawsuits often take too long to resolve.
6. Public trials help make the justice system fairer.
7. People should always try to solve problems without going to court first.
8. The court system is too expensive for many people to use.
9. Judges should be completely independent from politics.
10. Lawsuits can improve laws and make society better.

“lie through one’s teeth” = lie so you don’t get in trouble
“The man lied through his teeth even though he was guilty of the crime.”

“rip someone off” = cheat someone
“I decided to hire a lawyer because the salesman ripped me off.”

Listen to the recording and answer the questions. (See transcript)

Here are some words and expressions that appear in the recording:

• settlement (noun): final decision or outcome
  – The lawyers reached a settlement in last week’s case.
• malpractice (noun): professional wrongdoing resulting in injury
  – The doctor performed the wrong operation and was sued for malpractice.
• discrimination (noun): unfair treatment
  – You should seek legal advice if you have ever been the victim of discrimination.
• assess (verb): evaluate
  – The doctors need to assess his condition before he can be released from the hospital.

Have you ever considered hiring a law firm to settle some form of dispute? If so, describe the situation and talk about why legal action through a lawyer was an option you considered. Are there other ways to resolve problems without going to court? If a family member owed you money but refused to pay you back, would you take the person to court? Why or why not?