For an individual, merely navigating litigation can be expensive, time consuming, and at times overwhelming. But when that individual is also unable to work, or cannot function normally because they have been disabled by an injury – like the loss of a limb in a railroad accident -- or is undergoing treatment for disease – like cancer from a toxic herbicide -- that explodes the level of stress on a person and their family.

Add to that, in recent years, the compounding effect of living in a pandemic, where children are attending school from home and courts are clogged and leaving the house, already a challenge, becomes a bigger one. I add this all up just in case you think you’ve had a bad day. And maybe you did.

There are companies in the "non-recourse settlement advancement" space that will provide financial support to claimants in litigation. This helps them with their regular daily expenses – plus medical costs – until their case settles or until they receive an award. But most of these companies, as you can imagine, are for-profit entities. As such, their fees can make their support unaffordable and can leave the plaintiff with a substantially diminished payout.

Our guest is going to describe a different approach taken by the non-profit foundation she oversees, one that is infinitely more understandable and affordable for claimants.

Erin Waas is Executive Director of The Milestone Foundation, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides financial assistance to people pursuing a personal injury lawsuit. Erin brings nearly two decades of experience working in the public sector and with nonprofits in fundraising and communications, most recently at the University at Buffalo, where she served as senior advancement writer. Prior to relocating to Buffalo, Erin spent the bulk of her career to-date in Boston, where she worked in stewardship at Harvard University and as a consultant for nonprofits of all sizes. Speaking of fundraising, and if you believe in the cause, consider supporting the Foundation with a donation today.

This podcast is the audio companion to the Journal on Emerging Issues in Litigation. The Journal is a collaborative project between HB Litigation Conferences and the Fastcase legal research family, which includes Full Court Press, Law Street Media, and Docket Alarm. The podcast itself is a joint effort between HB and our friends at Law Street Media. If you have comments or wish to participate in one our projects please drop me a note at Editor@LitigationConferences.com.

Alternative Financial Support for Plaintiffs During Litigation with Erin Waas