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My LTC status changed to "mailed" today, so I'm pretty stoked about receiving that in the next couple days. However, something that's stayed on my mind was the whole "you need pre-paid legal services" bit that my instructor tried to sell me on. I know there are threads discussing it and I don't think I want to go that route, but I do have some questions about the facts they presented.

The dude said that if you shoot someone, no matter what the circumstances are, you are going to be arrested and booked and your case will go before the grand jury. Even if it's open and shut, the grand jury has to rule, and you'll still end up spending many thousands of dollars to defend yourself through that process. Is this really true, or is there grey area depending on the circumstances?

Something else he said is that there is the potential to be sued for medical bills and other crap; I thought we were somewhat protected from that here in Texas. Is that truly something to be concerned with?

Does Renter's Insurance tend to cover shootings? Would it be wise to bump up the medical coverage on my renter's policy from $5,000 to something a little more meaningful if there's a small chance I might one day have to shoot an intruder?

I have enough savings not to have to worry about sudden expenses like those, so in my case, I don't think the expense of a pre-paid legal service is justified by the extremely small risk that I would ever actually have to shoot somebody. Still, I'd like to understand a little more about what happens if it ever actually does come to that.

Thanks for having a great forum!

Yes i believe in it, i also have it, but its cheap to me if it ever turns bad. As a ltc holder, you are expected to have the training basics to handle yourself.imo if i ever need to draw ,let alone shoot, then i have failed. As far as being civily sued, heck yes you can be sued, even if not charged. As far as renters insurance..... some have no gun clauses. Check yours. Just my 2 cents..... get at least the gun portion, if offered.....

bigge wrote:Yes i believe in it, i also have it, but its cheap to me if it ever turns bad. As a ltc holder, you are expected to have the training basics to handle yourself.imo if i ever need to draw ,let alone shoot, then i have failed. As far as being civily sued, heck yes you can be sued, even if not charged. As far as renters insurance..... some have no gun clauses. Check yours. Just my 2 cents..... get at least the gun portion, if offered.....

I'm not sure I agree with that. The people who went to church in Charleston, SC were doing nothing wrong when a disturbed individual came in and started shooting people. Bad things can happen even when you do everything right. One would hope that we never have to use our self defense firearms outside of some target practice. That certainly is my hope. But to say that drawing a gun or having to fire is a failure on the part of the LTC holder, I feel is wrong.

Agreed. Reread and see where your coming from... buti think you know where i was going. (Been up way way to long today !!)

Until a prepaid presents any evidence that they have actually provided the promised services to anyone, paying them is a suckers bet.
The only person I know of on this forum that had a bunch of legal fees associated with his legally carried firearm was "handdog" (think I got that right). Someone noticed his firearm through an accidental exposure and he was arrested. He got everything cleared up but had significant legal fees IIRC.
However, since he did not "use" his weapon which is a requirement for the prepaid services to kick in, none of his legal fees would have been covered by prepaid.
Another problem with the prepaid services is in order for them to defend you the use of your weapon must be "legal". You would not be arrested unless you were being charged with using your weapon "illegally". By definition this would prevent you access to your prepaid services.

There is nothing that says you will automatically be arrested, or that your case will go to a grand jury. You may be asked to come in for questioning, but you will have the right to have an attorney present. Each case is different, and depends on a lot of factors. Where did the shooting take place? How many witnesses are there, and are their versions consistent? Does the physical evidence match what you said happened? It is up to the investigating officer(s) on whether or not to make an arrest. It is then up to the prosecutors to decide if they want to seek an indictment, and present it to a grand jury.

Pre-paid legal groups spread the gospel, that if you are involved in a shooting, no matter the circumstances, you will be "hauled away", jailed, and prosecuted. That helps them sell their service. But, if you notice the news reports of people defending themselves, especially in their own homes, they are very seldom arrested, and are usually only asked to give a statement. If after the case has been investigated, and their are no extenuating circumstances, no further action is taken against the shooter. JMHO

Steven6702 wrote:My LTC status changed to "mailed" today, so I'm pretty stoked about receiving that in the next couple days. However, something that's stayed on my mind was the whole "you need pre-paid legal services" bit that my instructor tried to sell me on. I know there are threads discussing it and I don't think I want to go that route, but I do have some questions about the facts they presented.

The dude said that if you shoot someone, no matter what the circumstances are, you are going to be arrested and booked and your case will go before the grand jury. Even if it's open and shut, the grand jury has to rule, and you'll still end up spending many thousands of dollars to defend yourself through that process. Is this really true, or is there grey area depending on the circumstances?

Something else he said is that there is the potential to be sued for medical bills and other crap; I thought we were somewhat protected from that here in Texas. Is that truly something to be concerned with?

Does Renter's Insurance tend to cover shootings? Would it be wise to bump up the medical coverage on my renter's policy from $5,000 to something a little more meaningful if there's a small chance I might one day have to shoot an intruder?

I have enough savings not to have to worry about sudden expenses like those, so in my case, I don't think the expense of a pre-paid legal service is justified by the extremely small risk that I would ever actually have to shoot somebody. Still, I'd like to understand a little more about what happens if it ever actually does come to that.

Thanks for having a great forum!

This is why I detest these guys, they rely on FUD and outright lies to promote their product. Currently One of these schemes are undergoing a class action suit that should be able to shut them down.

Shooting someone doesn't automatically trigger a grand jury hearing. A grand Jury hearing is at the prosecutor's discretion. It's different if someone gets killed. If a shooting results in someone actually getting killed, then a grand jury investigation will be mandated.

Typically these are not a big deal in a clear cut self-defense situation. An attorney's role at this point will be limited. It's not a full trial, and his role will be pretty much of an advisory nature.

It's my understanding that in most of these when it is clear cut self-defense, there will be no arrest, The police will want to interview you, and at this point it would be a good idea to get a hold of a lawyer.

We should all have a bit of money set aside for emergencies. A good investment for legal self defense would be to attend one of Charles Cotton's Deadly force semminars. Remember that if someone has to resort to lying to convince you to buy something it's probably a rip off

Unscrupulous prepaid legal service salesmen take the worst case scenario and make it sound like it is common and normal procedure in all cases. Some insurance agents do the same. Unfortunately, for various reasons, many fall for it.

Spend some time evaluating their contract, references from people that have actually used the service and the odds of needing their representation before you spend your hard earned money on it. You may find it worthwhile or you may not. It's an individual decision.

What happens when you shoot someone?

Hopefully your family is unhurt and an evil, compromised soul survives to meet swift and accurate justice.

Clouds gather that won't ever clear and the hearse in every funeral you see will appear to have room for you.

As a sidelight there is legal and financial jeopardy.

I don't speak from personal experience, at least not yet, a situation I hope continues.

On the other hand, I don't practice merely because it's fun. In this world, peace is a fine goal that may require precise firepower. Everything can change between one heartbeat and the next, or from one heartbeat to eternity.

Stay safe.

Steven6702 wrote:My LTC status changed to "mailed" today, so I'm pretty stoked about receiving that in the next couple days. However, something that's stayed on my mind was the whole "you need pre-paid legal services" bit that my instructor tried to sell me on. I know there are threads discussing it and I don't think I want to go that route, but I do have some questions about the facts they presented.

The dude said that if you shoot someone, no matter what the circumstances are, you are going to be arrested and booked and your case will go before the grand jury. Even if it's open and shut, the grand jury has to rule, and you'll still end up spending many thousands of dollars to defend yourself through that process. Is this really true, or is there grey area depending on the circumstances?

Something else he said is that there is the potential to be sued for medical bills and other crap; I thought we were somewhat protected from that here in Texas. Is that truly something to be concerned with?

Does Renter's Insurance tend to cover shootings? Would it be wise to bump up the medical coverage on my renter's policy from $5,000 to something a little more meaningful if there's a small chance I might one day have to shoot an intruder?

I have enough savings not to have to worry about sudden expenses like those, so in my case, I don't think the expense of a pre-paid legal service is justified by the extremely small risk that I would ever actually have to shoot somebody. Still, I'd like to understand a little more about what happens if it ever actually does come to that.

Thanks for having a great forum!

All of the above can happen if you shoot someone PLUS that someone might shoot you back.

Usually, they bleed...

AndyC wrote:

What happens when you shoot someone?

Your ears buzz a bit and he falls down if you do it right.

Plus, you make a hole in him, and he starts leaking.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

AndyC wrote:

What happens when you shoot someone?

Your ears buzz a bit and he falls down if you do it right.

Plus, you make a hole in him, and he starts leaking.

Hopefully not on the carpet