Police Brutality Lawsuit Loans

Police Brutality Lawsuits – An Overview

It’s hard to turn on the news nowadays and not hear a story about a police officer overstepping his reach. Some officers assault people out of fear for their own safety, others do it in a case of bad judgment, and still, others are simply abusing their power. Whatever the reason, in most cases the injured plaintiff has a valid lawsuit. If you are in need of financial help, Uplift can provide police brutality lawsuit loans while you await settlement.

The news stories also illustrate that these cases have something else in common: they can take forever to settle. Fighting a public entity like a police force can take time and money. Oftentimes plaintiffs do not have the cash to keep them afloat while their case proceeds. Fortunately, that’s where companies like Uplift Legal Funding can help.

National Statistics

In 2019 police were responsible for the deaths of 1,098 individuals. Throughout the entire year of 2019, there were only 27 days where police did not kill someone.

Certain populations are disproportionately more likely to be killed by police than others. According to recent data, in 2019 24% of all people who were murdered by police were African Americans. However, African Americans only make up 13% of the population.

A recent study has shown that police brutality and crime rates are not linked. There are several states that have extremely high violence rates that have low police brutality rates. Likewise, there are states where violent crimes are at an all-time low however police brutality is high.

Lack of penalties for police officers

Generally, for police brutality cases, there are no criminal penalties charged. Therefore in order to seek some form of compensation, they have to go through civil law. This is because more police departments are self-insured. Meaning, if you do go through with a civil lawsuit, you will have to go after the city.

In recent times, police officers have been held accountable for their actions more. This is because there are cell phones everywhere and police officers are required to wear body cams. However, as reported earlier in this article only 1 out of every 99 police officers are prosecuted for their actions.

Recent events

In 2020 there has been a massive uproar over police brutality in America. It disproportionately affects African Americans. As such there have been multiple protests all around the world to end the violence. It has become the world’s largest civil rights protest in history.

Protests began on May 26, 2020, and have continued into June 2020 as well. These protests have been met with police brutality but as well as police officers who agree with what the movement is trying to accomplish.

The Protests have received mixed interpretations from the media. Current president Donald Trump has not had a definitive statement about the protests.

The protest began when a man, George Floyd was arrested. During the arrest, an officer kneeled on his neck while he repeatedly yelled “I can’t breathe”. After nearly 9 minutes of kneeling on his neck, Floyd died. As a direct result of this and the death of Eric Garner, who was killed when he was held in a choke-hold for too long, many police departments have banned the use of chokeholds.

Similarly, people are calling for justice for Breonna Taylor, a black woman who was shot to death by police when they entered her house assuming she and her partner were dangerous and opened fire, killing her.

On June 15th, 2020, the UN held a press conference to address police brutality in the United States. Other countries such as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden have all held demonstrations and conferences in order to address the race issues in America.

As of June 15th, 2020 the supreme court has refused to address legal doctrine that shields police officers from brutality claims.

For the first time in 20 years, the New Jersey attorney general updated the use of force rule for police officers. Some departments, such as the Dallas police department introduced laws such as, one of which requires that police intervene if they see another cop using excessive force.

For a more in-depth description of all of the major recent events, you can visit this page.

Recent police brutality lawsuits

While there have been multiple police brutality lawsuits, as stated earlier they typically do not end in a conviction. However, when going after a civil lawsuit, the plaintiffs tend to receive rather large settlements.

Below we have listed some recent police brutality lawsuits and their ultimate outcomes:

• Lamar Anthony Smith v. Jason Stockley – Smith allegedly took part in a drug transaction. Stockley shot into Smith’s SUV with his personal AK47 5 times. In the end, the state failed to prove that Stockley did not shoot Smith in an act of self-defense and Stockley was acquitted of all charges
• Terence Crutcher v Betty Shelby – Crutcher’s SUV stalled in the middle of the highway. Crutcher left his vehicle with his arms in the air and officer Shelby stated she feared for her life and shot him. She was acquitted of all charges
• Alton Sterling – while being pinned down outside of a convenience store, Sterling was shot in the back by officers. The civil case is still pending and will go to trial in 2021.
• Sandra Bland – Bland was found dead in her cell three days after the arrest. No charges were filed against any of the county employees. Sandra Bland’s family settled the wrongful death lawsuit for $1.9 million.

You can read about more police trials and their verdicts by visiting here.

Large verdicts

Criminal charges are only filed against 1 in every 100 police officers. However, statistics show that officers shoot a minimum of 1,000 individuals per year. If you have been a victim of police brutality, then the only form of justice you may receive might be in a civil lawsuit. Police brutality personal injury cases have received large settlements. This is particularly true if the victim was killed as a result of the interaction.

Below we list some of the police brutality personal injury cases that have large settlements.

• Tamir Rice – A 12-year-old boy who was fatally shot mere seconds after police officers arrived on the scene. He was playing with an air pistol at the time. The city of Cleveland paid a civil settlement of $6 million.
• Michael Brown – an 18-year-old who was fatally shot after an altercation with police officers. Michael Brown’s family ultimately settled with the city of Ferguson for $1.5 million.
• Eric Garner – a 43-year-old man who was placed in a choke-hold after police allegedly found him illegally selling cigarettes. He had asthma and died later that day. The city settled Garner’s case for $5.9 million dollars.

Get pre-approved legal funds for your police brutality lawsuit

The good news is companies like Uplift Legal Funding can help plaintiffs fight the good fight. The type of information that lawsuit loan companies need varies in this type of case, but in general, here is the information they would obtain from a lawyer to review:

• Liability information that proves the plaintiff was innocent (this could be a videotape, newspaper articles, police report, or witness statements)
• Medical records showing the physical injury
• A complaint if the lawsuit was filed
• It’s helpful to see insurance information but it’s not necessary if the attorney does not have it yet

This information, along with your application, is all you need to get started. Are you unsure if you are far enough along to apply? Call Uplift today at (800) 385-3660.

Does Uplift fund people with former convictions?

Yes, Uplift does grant funding to individuals who have been incarcerated. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule.

We understand that your police brutality case is particularly emotionally and mentally draining which is why we will work as fast as we can to get you the lawsuit loan you need.

What is the pre-settlement funding range for police brutality cases?

The amount of funding your police brutality case qualifies you for depends on your case value.

Unlike lawsuits like motor vehicle cases, there aren’t templates to determine how much a case is worth. There are many factors at play.

Were there physical injuries or just emotional ones? Did anyone film the incident? Did the plaintiff do anything to make the situation worse? Was the plaintiff doing anything illegal? Were there witnesses? Was the assault racially motivated?

Case values range all over. In some cases, a plaintiff might think they were wronged when really they were posing a threat to the officer who was doing his duty. Many times, however, the plaintiff is found innocent.

They can be awarded anywhere from tens of thousands to almost in the tens of millions, like in the case of William Jennings. It all depends on the factors listed above.

Is Uplift the Right Company for Me?

Every company offers something they excel at. Uplift prides itself on its customer service. We won’t treat you like a deal for us to close. We’ll try to help you get past your awful incident and get you the police brutality lawsuit loans you deserve.

Our underwriters are experts in police brutality so you don’t need to worry about your legal funding company taking forever going back and forth with your attorney. We know speed is very important, so we often get answers to our clients within two days.

The Uplift team looks forward to working with you. Apply online or give us a call at (800) 385-3660.