93.1 KISS FM – Ask A Lawyer, Part 2

Male: You’re listening to Mike and Tricia Mornings, 93.1 KISS-FM.

Mike: It’s our new monthly feature, Ask A Lawyer, with special guests Michael Gopin starts today. Michael has an ebook that you can download off his website. Tell us about this ebook and what we can find out from it?

Michael: Yes, the ebook I think is a great source of information. Just general questions about what an insurance company is looking for? What do you need to do to prove your case? Different types of cases like slip and fall, car accidents, trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents. It’s a wealth of information. You can download it for free from our website at michaelgopin.com. And I think it’ll answer a lot of your simple questions about, you know, what’s really going on and what the insurance companies are thinking.

Mike: It’s a very informative website too. I mean, like you’ve got a lot of videos as well where you explain some of these things, you know, basic stuff that before you go talk to any lawyer you should probably educate yourself on.

Michael: Sure. I mean, I think that’s really important. We’re here to help and teach and have people learn what’s going on with their cases and what they can expect from a case.

Mike: Now are dog bites, are those kinds of cases common?

Michael: They are common. You definitely see them. And sometimes you run into issues there about insurance also. Typically, your homeowner’s insurance will cover dog bite issues but a lot of people don’t have homeowners insurance or they’re renting and so there’s no coverage but yes we’ve had some really severe dog bite cases and, you know, some pretty crazy scenarios as well. So yeah, those are…

Mike: Like even if my dog gets out of my yard or does it all have to take place on your property?

Michael: No, if your dog gets out of your yard then, you know, you’re responsible for your dog and you should have maybe been more careful in regards to keeping him in your yard. There’s what they call a one-bite rule, so if a dog has never bitten someone before, you’re not gonna be held liable but if they had bitten someone before, that changes the story completely and the dog owner may be liable for damages.

Mike: Even if the first bite was severe?

Michael: No, the first bite is different. So I mean, if you don’t have an idea that this dog has a propensity, you know, to bite people then you’re okay as the dog owner but if the dog has a history of biting and bites you, yes, you can be held responsible.

Mike: What about if it’s like workers coming onto your property?

Michael: Same thing, same rule.

Mike: Same thing.

Michael: So, I mean, we have, you know, dogs and we always make sure to lock them up when workers are coming just to, you know, to protect them, make sure nothing happens.

Tricia: And there’s a lot of things…I mean, think about it, living in El Paso, you know, people have housekeepers that they might not necessarily…they might be kind of an under the table kind of thing, you know, where you’re paying this person, they’re not necessarily your official employee, but if they get hurt in your house, you know, then you could liable.

Michael: That’s true. Any visitor that comes to your house that has an accident could be a potential liability for you. So, you know, it’s important if you are in a home that you, you know, properly protect yourself with proper insurance, so that’s always a good thing to have.

Tricia: Well, and then a lawyer, you know, people think to themselves, well, you know, I can’t afford it or whatever, but honestly, the insurance companies, they have lawyers and they’re designed to take care of the insurance company, not you.

Michael: They are professionals. This is their job. They do this all the time. They’re very experienced. They’re really knowledgeable. They know what, you know, your cases are worth. They know how to try to save themselves money because that’s the bottom line for them, you know, their profit margin.

Tricia: Right.

Mike: I noticed that the section where you can download the ebook, like if you’re not like into reading, if you’re like, ugh, reading would be hard…

Michael: Speak a book, right?

Mike: Yeah, you have that on there as well.

Michael: So they can read it to you, so make it as easy as possible.

Tricia: You are speaking Mike’s language, man. He’s like reading?

Mike: There’s a section there where you can download an audio copy of his ebook as well.

Tricia: Oh, my gosh.

Michael: We want to make it easy.

Mike: So once, you know, Mike and Tricia are off the air, you can listen to it in your car but not while Mike and Tricia are on the air. We will seek a lawyer for you.

Tricia: And don’t hold your phone while you’re doing that because you might get into a car accident.

Michael: That’s right, texting and driving is a no-no.

Tricia: And somebody might call Michael Gopin against you.

Mike: in which case, we know somebody. We have a guy.

Tricia: That’s right, we do.

Michael: I’m your guy.

Mike: All right, Mr. Gopin, anything else before… We got this great pumpkin giveaway to do here in a couple of minutes. Would you like to add anything?

Michael: Sure. Just El Paso, stay safe, and stay smart. You know, we’re dealing with this crazy pandemic here and our numbers in El Paso are getting out of control, so, you know, be smart, stay safe. And if you have any legal questions, please call us. We’d be happy to help.

Tricia: Nice.

Mike: And we’ll have him again next month so submit your question ahead of time by using the Submit Audio feature on the free 93.1 KISS-FM Mobile App. And when he’s in next time, we’ll address your situation. It’s Mike and Tricia Mornings on…

Michael J. Gopin

Michael J. Gopin has practiced law in El Paso since 1987. Even after more than 30 years, he still remembers his first jury case. It was two weeks after receiving his license, when he represented a person whose life had been forever changed after being blinded in a work-related incident...