Practice Areas
Immigration
U.S. citizenship status is obtained by birth, by naturalization, or by right of blood. In the United States, federal immigration law and procedure determines how individuals from other countries hoping to move to the U.S. can obtain immigrant and non-immigrant status. Immigration law issues include admission of aliens to the U.S., deportation, citizenship and naturalization, and asylum. Lawful permanent resident status (green cards) is also an aspect of the U.S. immigration law.
Naturalization is the rigorous process that an immigrant must follow in order to become a U.S. citizen – applicants for naturalization must fill out complex paperwork and successfully complete tests conducted by the USCIS (U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services). There are several categories in which an immigrant's eligibility to apply for naturalization may be established, but most applicants become eligible by maintaining permanent residency for the past 5 years. Additionally, the USCIS provides a "lottery" for immigration status to an alien who has marginal immigration needs. The application process is a complex one and typically requires the assistance of an experienced immigration attorney. If you or family members have immigration-related questions or need assistance in navigating through the long and involved process, it is essential that you contact a skilled Van Nuys immigration attorney, such as the ones at Meserkhani & Bagramian LLP. They are committed to helping their clients through the process to becoming lawful United States citizens.
Another common immigration issue is dealing with deportation. An individual from another country can be deported if they illegally entered the United States, if they entered with an expired visa, or if they entered the U.S. with fraudulent documents. Additionally, an individual may face deportation for aiding others to enter the U.S. illegally, for participating in activities that jeopardize national security, or for engaging in a fraudulent marriage. Deportation may also be ordered if the individual has been convicted of two or more separate crimes involving moral turpitude or convicted of crimes against the government, as well as for violating any other U.S. immigration or other law. Immigration law is ever-changing and the dedicated staff at Meserkhani & Bagramian LLP combine state-of-the-art technology with highly-skill advocates to insure that the rights of immigrants and potential immigrants are maintained.
At Meserkhani & Bagramian LLP we represent clients before the USCIS, Immigration Courts, Board of Immigration Appeals “BIA” and the Ninth Circuit Court of appeals in all stages of their cases. These representations may be for immigration through family or employer sponsorship, naturalization, asylum or defense in removal proceedings, or appeals before the BIA and the appeals court.
Personal Injury
In California, personal injury cases are those cases in which the plaintiff has been injured by the defendant's negligent or harmful wrongful act, and that injury causes economic and/or non-economic loss. Ordinarily, the three elements that the injured plaintiff must establish in order to recover compensation for negligence are the injury, the defendant's negligent act that caused the injury, and damages. In other personal injury cases, it is the defendant's intentional act that causes injury. Battery is an example of an intentional injury. In those cases, the plaintiff must establish that the defendant's intentional act injured the plaintiff or damaged the plaintiff's property or reputation.
Personal injury includes physical and emotional injuries caused to a person, and may extend to injuries to the person's property and reputation. Physical injury may result from a motor vehicle accident, an accident at industrial or construction sites, a slip and fall on the property of another, a defective product or medical malpractice. Injuries may include back injury, amputation, brain damage, birth injury, broken bones, burns, catastrophic injuries, loss of senses, paralysis, and loss of memory. Pain and suffering caused by the injuries also may be recoverable in a personal injury lawsuit.
Wrongful Death
When one's negligent act or harmful wrongful act causes the death of another person, it is called "wrongful death." Four groups of surviving heirs may bring a wrongful death action. The first group includes the deceased's spouse, children, and surviving children of deceased children. Depending on the facts and circumstances of the case, the surviving heirs may file a suit for wrongful death either jointly or separately. The second group of potential plaintiffs consists of parents, brothers and sisters, children of deceased brothers and sisters, grandparents, and the grandparents' lineal descendants. If there are no members of the first group, the second group may file the case. The second group of claimants must establish their dependency on the deceased person at the time of his/her death in order to recover benefits. The presumed spouse, children of the presumed spouse, stepchildren, and parents of the deceased fall into the third category of potential claimants. The fourth group of eligible plaintiffs involves minors that were dependent on the deceased and that resided at the deceased's home for the 180 days preceding the deceased's death.
In a wrongful death case, the plaintiff may be entitled to recover the deceased's medical expenses, burial costs, lost income, economic loss, and emotional suffering. Dependents that were financially dependent on the deceased when he died are entitled to recover compensation as well. Wrongful death claims often involve intense emotional issues and sensitive matters, and they must be handled with care. The compassionate and caring staff at Meserkhani & Bagramian, LLP, can help guide decedents' families through the complex and often emotionally charged issues involved in wrongful death claims.
