Locations
Services We Provide and the Counties We Serve
Evans Law Firm, Inc. is the premier California law firm representing the elderly in cases of elder abuse and neglect, nursing home abuse, securities fraud, and estate planning, among many other practice areas. Our lead attorney, Ingrid M. Evans, has extensive trial experience and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in damages for her clients through her passionate advocacy on behalf of some of the most vulnerable members of our society. Ms. Evans has been widely recognized for her contributions to the field of elder law, having been named a Northern California Super Lawyer eight years in a row.
Communities We Serve
We serve the entire state of California from our two offices in San Francisco and Los Angeles, including:
- Alameda County
- Alpine County
- Amador County
- Butte County
- Calaveras County
- Colusa County
- Contra Costa County
- Del Norte County
- El Dorado County
- Fresno County
- Glenn County
- Humboldt County
- Imperial County
- Inyo County
- Kern County
- Kings County
- Lake County
- Lassen County
- Los Angeles County
- Madera County
- Marin County
- Mariposa County
- Mendocino County
- Merced County
- Modoc County
- Mono County
- Monterey County
- Napa County
- Nevada County
- Orange County
- Placer County
- Plumas County
- Riverside County
- Sacramento County
- San Benito County
- San Bernardino County
- San Diego County
- San Francisco – City and County
- San Joaquin County
- San Luis Obispo County
- San Mateo County
- Santa Barbara County
- Santa Clara County
- Santa Cruz County
- Shasta County
- Sierra County
- Siskiyou County
- Solano County
- Sonoma County
- Stanislaus County
- Sutter County
- Tehama County
- Trinity County
- Tulare County
- Tuolumne County
- Ventura County
- Yolo County
- Yuba County
Practice Areas
Our attorneys have extensive experience in estate planning, personal injury law, class actions, whistleblower/false claims, and employment law, with a particular focus on representing the elderly.
Elder Abuse
Elder abuse is a broad range of behaviors that cause harm to the elderly and is generally comprised of three main types of abuse: physical elder abuse, financial elder abuse, and psychological elder abuse. Physical elder abuse encompasses abuse that causes physical harm to the victim, such as assault; battery; unreasonable use of physical or chemical restraints; deprivation of food, water, or sanitation; over- or under-medication; and sexual assault. Financial elder abuse is abuse that causes financial harm to the victim, and includes stealing; fraud; undue influence; life insurance scams; and securities fraud. Psychological elder abuse is an insidious form of abuse that causes the victim’s mental health to deteriorate over time, and include behaviors such as insulting, belittling, or threatening the victim; preventing the victim from seeing family and friends; lying to the victim; intentionally misplacing the victim’s personal belonging; and generally creating an oppressive atmosphere. Our attorneys have extensive experience pursuing legal action against those responsible for elder abuse and have a long track record of success in obtaining favorable outcomes for them.
Physical Elder Abuse
Physical elder abuse is arguably the most dangerous form of elder abuse, as it can accelerate or exacerbate its victims’ pre-existing physical health issues. Signs that someone you love is suffering from physical elder abuse can include:
- Bruises, cuts, and scrapes
- Broken bones
- Weight loss
- Bed sores
- Poor physical appearance
- Inadequate personal hygiene
- Unsanitary living conditions
Abuse of this nature is frequently associated with nursing homes, but anyone can be a perpetrator, including friends, family members, and home health staff. The primary vehicle through which we pursue legal action against those responsible for physical elder abuse is the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act, which grants a civil cause of action to victims of elder abuse. In addition to the ordinary damages available at law (medical costs, loss of consortium, pain and suffering, etc.), the Act also allows plaintiffs to recover attorneys’ fees and awards pain and suffering damages to the personal representative of a deceased plaintiff.
Financial Fraud
Financial fraud occurs where the perpetrator causes financial harm to the victim through lies, trickery, or misrepresentation. It is a particularly serious problem for elderly individuals who suffer from deteriorated mental states, as this often makes them more susceptible to manipulation. For those of limited means or who are living on fixed incomes, it can be financially devastating.
Life insurance fraud is of particular concern for the elderly, as they are often the target market for unscrupulous brokers. In many cases, a broker will purport to “sell” a fake insurance policy to a victim and pocket the proceeds. When this occurs, the victim may not realize that he or she has been the victim of life insurance fraud until it is too late, which, in the case of life insurance policies, is usually when the beneficiary needs the proceeds the most. It can also occur where a broker pressures the victim to purchase a life insurance product that is inappropriate for his or her situation, or, at the very least, failing to adequately inform the victim of the risks inherent in purchasing a life insurance product. Our attorneys have extensive experience investigating potential life insurance fraud, particularly with indexed universal life insurance policies, and have a long track record of success in obtaining favorable outcomes for its victims.
Annuity fraud is also common among the elderly. An annuity is a type of long-term investment that precludes withdrawals for at least 10-20 years in exchange for a rate of return. A common annuity fraud scheme involves selling annuities to seniors as “safe’ investments, when, in reality, they are not safe, as their prolonged waiting periods are often well beyond the purchaser’s life expectancy. Unscrupulous brokers often target the elderly with inappropriate annuity investments because doing so enables them to earn a commission from the sale with little chance of having to make an eventual payout. Our attorneys regularly pursue legal action against brokers, insurance companies, and banks that prey on the elderly through annuity fraud.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation with a Top Attorney in California
If you or someone you care about has been the victim of elder abuse or financial fraud, you may be entitled to pursue legal action against the responsible party. For more information, please contact the Evans Law Firm by calling us at 415-441-8669 or using our online form.
