The Plaintiff Summary page allows you to view and record the details of the plaintiffs in the case. This includes plaintiffs not represented by your firm, and other parties in the case who act on behalf of plaintiffs but are not themselves named as plaintiffs or otherwise parties in the case (such as parents, guardians, etc.). You may also view and record the details of plaintiff-centric SOLs on this page, though those are primarily managed on the Critical Deadlines case page.

The Structure of This Page

Note: The Add Plaintiff SOL button and Plaintiff Statutes Of Limitation table are both associated with an individual row of the Plaintiff's table, and only appear if the row is set to display subtables. For that reason, whether these tables appear in your Plaintiff Summary page, and wherein the Plaintiff's table they appear will depend on which row, if any, of the Plaintiff's table is set to display subtables. See Subtables and the Open/Closed Column.

Open

1. Add Plaintiff button: Used to add a new plaintiff who is represented by your firm to the case file.

2. Plaintiffs table: Contains the details of the plaintiffs represented by your firm and allows various actions to be performed on them.

3. Add Plaintiff SOL button: Used to add a new plaintiff-centric SOLs to the case file.

4. Plaintiff Statutes of Limitation table: Contains the details of plaintiff-centric statutes of limitation for a particular plaintiff and allows various actions to be performed on them.

5. Add Other Plaintiff: Used to add a plaintiff not represented by your firm to the case file.

6. Other Plaintiffs table: Contains the details of plaintiffs not represented by your firm and allows various actions to be performed on them.

7. Add Non-Party Contacts: Used to add a new individual connected to the case but not named as a plaintiff or other party to the case file.

8. Non-Party Contacts table: Contains the details of non-party individuals and allows various actions to be performed on them.

Plaintiffs Table

The Plaintiff's table is where the details of plaintiffs your firm represents are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual plaintiff. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Plaintiffs table contains the following columns:

1. [column with no title]: A plus sign in this column indicates that additional information is available for the row in which the plus sign is located (in this instance, information about plaintiffs' statutes of limitations applicable to that plaintiff). Clicking on the plus sign opens the Plaintiff Statutes of Limitation subtable for that defendant. The plus sign then turns into a negative sign which, when clicked, closes the subtable.

2. Name: The name, date of birth, and age of the plaintiff.

3. Role: The plaintiff's role in the case.

4. Phone Number: The plaintiff's primary phone number.

5. Primary: Whether the plaintiff is the primary plaintiff and/or your firm's primary contact in the case.

6. Doc: The number of documents associated with the plaintiffs and a link to the documents in the Documents case page.

7. Group: The plaintiff group to which the plaintiff belongs.

8. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; the right-click menu contains Edit, Edit contact card, and Delete.

Editing a Plaintiff

To edit a plaintiff:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the plaintiff you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for plaintiffs, with the existing information filled in.

3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Plaintiff Panel for details about the fields.

4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Plaintiff

To delete a plaintiff:

1. Make sure the plaintiff you wish to delete is not the primary plaintiff; if you attempt to delete the primary plaintiff, the SmartAdvocate system will display an error message instead of deleting the plaintiff. If the plaintiff you wish to delete is the primary plaintiff, you must edit another plaintiff and select that plaintiff as primary to remove the primary designation from the plaintiff you wish to delete.

2. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the plaintiff you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

3. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

4. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the plaintiff, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Plaintiff

To add a new plaintiff:

1. Click the Add Plaintiff button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for plaintiffs, blank except for defaults.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Plaintiff Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the plaintiff and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the plaintiff, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Removing a Plaintiff from the Case

You can remove a plaintiff from the case without deleting the plaintiff. This can prevent significant confusion and loss of data, since at the time of removal, there may be substantial information in the case file associated with the plaintiff, all of which will be deleted along with the plaintiff. Summarily deleting this data would potentially destroy important information, while leaving it as-is may give a mistaken impression about the plaintiff's continued involvement in the case. Removing the plaintiff from the case, as opposed to deleting the plaintiff, maintains the data but crosses out information to clearly indicate that the plaintiff is no longer involved. To remove a plaintiff from the case, simply edit the plaintiff and select the Remove From Case checkbox. You cannot remove the primary plaintiff from the case; you must first designate another plaintiff as the primary plaintiff.

The Add/Edit Plaintiff Panel

The Add/Edit Plaintiff Panel allows you to fill in the details of a plaintiff that your firm represents. The panel is different when adding a new plaintiff than it is when editing an existing plaintiff. When adding a new plaintiff, the contents of the Add New Contact panel are included in the Add Plaintiff Panel, in order to add the plaintiff as a new contact. However, the Contact Type Details section is replaced with the Sub Category and Contact Comments fields from the Contact Card. Any new contact created through this panel is automatically marked Active and assigned the type General. Some other fields are also present only when adding or only when editing, or are in different locations in the panel. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage.

The Edit Plaintiff panel contains the following fields:

Open

1. Plaintiff Name: The name of the plaintiff.

2. Plaintiff Role: The plaintiff's role in the case.

3. Order/Grouping: The plaintiff group to which this plaintiff is assigned.

4. Primary Plaintiff [or Is Primary]: Whether the plaintiff is the primary plaintiff in the case. This field is labeled Primary Plaintiff when editing an existing plaintiff, and Is Primary when adding a new plaintiff. Only one plaintiff may be marked as primary; selecting a new primary plaintiff will remove the primary designation from the current primary plaintiff.

5. Client: Whether this plaintiff is a client of your firm.

6. Remove From Case: Whether the plaintiff has been removed from the case. This field does not appear when adding a new plaintiff. If this field is selected, all text in this row will be crossed out and the plaintiff will not appear in the Plaintiff area of the Case Summary page.

7. Primary Contact: Whether the plaintiff is your firm's primary contact in the case. At most one plaintiff may be marked as the primary contact; selecting a new primary contact will remove the primary contact designation from the current primary contact.

8. Plaintiff Missing: Whether the plaintiff is missing.

9. Comments: Any comments about the plaintiff

The Add Plaintiff panel contains the following fields:

1. Plaintiff Role: The plaintiff's role in the case.

2. Primary Plaintiff: Whether the plaintiff is the primary plaintiff in the case.

3. Primary Contact: Whether the plaintiff is your firm's primary contact in the case. At most one plaintiff may be marked as the primary contact; selecting a new primary contact will remove the primary contact designation from the current primary contact.

4. Client: This checkbox currently has no functionality in SmartAdvocate, but may be utilized in a future release.

5. Copy Address: Whether to copy the address from another plaintiff in the same case.

6. Order/Grouping: The plaintiff group to which the plaintiff belongs.

7. Plaintiff Missing: Whether the plaintiff is missing.

8. The Name, Gender, and Employer section of this contact card.

9. The Address section of this contact card.

10. The Miscellaneous Details section of this contact card.

11. The Phone Number section of this contact card.

12. The Plaintiff Sub Category and Comment section of this contact card.

13. Comments: Any comments about the plaintiff.

Plaintiff Statutes Of Limitation Subtable

The Plaintiff Statutes Of Limitation table contains the details of statutes of limitations that govern actions taken by a particular plaintiff. It contains the same information as the Plaintiff Statutes of Limitation Table in the Critical Deadlines case page, but only for a single plaintiff. The Plaintiff Statutes Of Limitation table is a subtable of the Plaintiffs Table, which means that each row of the Plaintiffs table has an individual Plaintiff Statutes Of Limitation subtable associated with it, which is specific to the plaintiff in that row; open a row of the Plaintiffs table using the plus / minus sign icon to reveal the associated Plaintiff Statutes Of Limitation subtable. Each row of the subtable represents an individual statute of limitations. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Plaintiff Statutes Of Limitation table contains the following columns:

1. SOL Type: The SOL type.

2. SOL Date: The deadline of the SOL.

3. Date Complied: The date of compliance with the SOL.

4. Comments: Any comments about the statute of limitations.

5. [column with no title]: Right-click icon; the right-click menu contains Edit and Delete

Editing a Plaintiff SOL

To edit a plaintiff-centric statute of limitations:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the SOL you wish to edit, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

2. Click the Edit option in the menu. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for plaintiff-centric statutes of limitations, with the existing information filled in.

3. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Plaintiff SOL Panel for details about the fields.

4. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Plaintiff SOL

To delete a plaintiff-centric statute of limitations:

1. Click the right-click icon in the untitled column of the row representing the SOL you wish to delete, or right-click anywhere in that row. This will bring up a menu of options.

2. Click the Delete option in the menu. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

3. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the SOL, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Plaintiff SOL

To add a new plaintiff-centric statute of limitations:

1. Click the Add Plaintiff SOL button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for plaintiff-centric statutes of limitations, blank except for defaults.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Plaintiff SOL Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the SOL and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the SOL, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Plaintiff SOL Panel

The Add/Edit Plaintiff SOL Panel allows you to fill in the details of a plaintiff-centric statute of limitations. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Plaintiff Name: The plaintiff to whom the statute of limitations applies.

2. SOL Type: The SOL type (including its length).

3. From Date [any date]: : The date from which the SOL begins to be counted.

4. Pick From Date: Provides various dates from the case that could be the From Date for purposes of calculating the SOL. Clicking on one of the dates inserts that date into the From Date field.

5. SOL Date: The deadline of the SOL.

6. Date Complied: The date of compliance with the SOL.

7. Comments: Any comments about the statute of limitations.

Other Plaintiffs Table

The Other Plaintiffs table is where the details of plaintiffs not represented by your firm are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual plaintiff. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Other Plaintiffs table contains the following columns:

1. Plaintiff: The name of the plaintiff.

2. Plaintiff Role: The plaintiff's role in the case.

3. Law Firm: The law firm representing the plaintiff.

4. Attorney: The attorney representing the plaintiff.

5. Action: Action icon; the menu contains Edit and Delete.

Editing an Other Plaintiff

To edit a plaintiff not represented by your firm:

1. Click the Edit icon in the Action column of the row representing the plaintiff you wish to edit. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for other plaintiffs, with the existing information filled in.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Other Plaintiff Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting an Other Plaintiff

To delete a plaintiff not represented by your firm:

1. Click the Delete icon in the Action column of the row representing the plaintiff you wish to delete. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

2. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the plaintiff, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding an Other Plaintiff

To add a new plaintiff not represented by your firm:

1. Click the Add Other Plaintiff button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for other plaintiffs, completely blank.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Other Plaintiff Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the plaintiff and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the plaintiff, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Other Plaintiff Panel

The Add/Edit Other Plaintiff Panel allows you to fill in the details of a plaintiff not represented by your firm. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Other Plaintiff Name: The name of the plaintiff.

2. Other Plaintiff Role: The plaintiff's role in the case.

3. Law Firm: The law firm representing the plaintiff.

4. Attorney The attorney representing the plaintiff.

Non-Party Contacts Table

The Non-Party Contacts table is where the details of individuals in the case who act on behalf of a plaintiff, but are not themselves named in the case, are stored. Each row of the table represents an individual Non-Party Contacts. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Non-Party Contacts table contains the following columns:

1. Non-Party Contacts: The name of the Non-Party Contacts.

2. Plaintiff: The plaintiff on whose behalf the Non-Party Contacts is acting.

3. Comment: Any comments about the Non-Party Contacts.

4. Action: Action icon; the menu contains Edit and Delete.

Editing a Non-Party Contacts

To edit a Non-Party Contacts:

1. Click the Edit icon in the Action column of the row representing the party you wish to edit. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for non-plaintiff parties, with the existing information filled in.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Non-Party Contacts

To delete a Non-Party Contacts:

1. Click the Delete icon in the Action column of the row representing the party you wish to delete. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

2. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the party, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Non-Party Contacts

To add a new Non-Party Contacts:

1. Click the Add Non-Party Contacts button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for non-plaintiff parties, completely blank.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the party and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the party, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts Panel

The Add/Edit Non-Party Contacts Panel allows you to fill in the details of a Non-Party Contacts. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Non-Party Contacts: The name of the Non-Party Contacts.

2. Plaintiff: The plaintiff on whose behalf the Non-Party Contacts is acting.

3. Comment: Any comments about the Non-Party Contacts.

Counter Claims Table

The Counter Claims table is where the details of Counter Claims that have been filed in the case. Each row of the table represents an CounterClaim. See Tables for general information about table structure and usage, including all buttons and other tools in this table that are not mentioned below.

Columns in the Table

The Counter Claims table contains the following columns:

1. CC Plaintiff: The name of the Counter Claim plaintiff.

2. Plaintiff Law Firm: The law firm that is representing the Counter Claim plaintiff.

3. Plaintiff Attorney: The attorney who is representing the Counter Claim plaintiff.

4. CC Defendant: The name of the Counter Claim defendant.

5. Defendant Law Firm: The law firm that is representing the Counter Claim defendant.

6. Defendant Attorney: The attorney who is representing the Counter Claim defendant.

7. Insurance Co.: The insurance company that covers the Counter Claim defendant.

8. Adjuster: The adjuster for the insurance company that covers the Counter Claim defendant.

9. Claim #: The claim number for the insurance company that covers the Counter Claim defendant.

10. Law Firm File #: The file number for the law firm that is representing the Counter Claim defendant.

11. Answer to CC Due: The date on which the answer is due from the Counter Claim defendant.

12. Action: Action icon; the menu contains Edit and Delete.

Editing a Counter Claim

To edit a Counter Claim:

1. Click the Edit icon in the Action column of the row representing the Counter Claim you wish to edit. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for Counter Claims, with the existing information filled in.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Counter Claims Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the changes and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the changes, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

Deleting a Counter Claim

To delete a Counter Claim:

1. Click the Delete icon in the Action column of the row representing the Counter Claim you wish to delete. This will bring up a confirmation message (to avoid accidental deletions).

2. Click the OK button in the message to confirm the deletion.

   • If you decide you do not wish to delete the Counter Claim, click Cancel instead of clicking OK to cancel the deletion. You can also click the black X at the upper right of the message to do the same thing.

   • Until you either confirm or cancel the deletion, you may not be able to visit any other tab in your browser.

Adding a Counter Claim

To add a new Counter Claim:

1. Click the Add Counter Claim button. This will bring up an Add/Edit panel for Counter Claims, completely blank.

2. Fill the fields in with your desired information. See The Add/Edit Counter Claims Panel for details about the fields.

3. Click Save to save the party and close the panel.

   • If you decide you do not wish to save the Counter Claim, click Cancel instead of clicking Save to undo the changes and close the panel. You can also click the white X at the upper right of the panel to do the same thing.

The Add/Edit Counter Claim Panel

The Add/Edit Counter Claims Panel allows you to fill in the details of a Counter Claim. See Add/Edit Panels for general information about panel structure and usage. This panel contains the following fields:

1. Plaintiff: The name of the Counter Claim plaintiff.

2. Law Firm: The name of the law firm representing the Counter Claim plaintiff on the Counter Claim.

3. Attorney: The name of the attorney representing the Counter Claim plaintiff on the Counter Claim.

4. Answer to CC Due: The date by which the answer to the Counter Claim is due.

5. Create Critical Deadline: Checkbox that determines whether to create a critical deadline from the date by which the answer to the Counter Claim is due. The box is checked by default once a date is entered in the Answer to CC Due field.

6. Defendant: The name of the Counter Claim defendant.

7. Law Firm: The name of the law firm representing the Counter Claim defendant on the Counter Claim.

8. Attorney: The name of the attorney representing the Counter Claim defendant on the Counter Claim.

9. Law Firm File #: The file number used by the law firm representing the Counter Claim defendant.

10. Insurance Co.: The name of the insurance company covering the Counter Claim defendant on the Counter Claim.

11. Adjuster: The name of the adjuster of the insurance company covering the Counter Claim defendant on the Counter Claim.

12. Claim #: The claim number of the insurance company covering the Counter Claim defendant on the Counter Claim.