Privacy Policy – National Injured Senior Law Center

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

At the National Injured Senior Law Center, which is part of the Law Offices of Steven H. Heisler, your trust and privacy are our number one concern. We understand that as a senior citizen, you – along with your family, caretakers, and advocates – entrust us with not just your legal matters, but also your personal information. The following Privacy Policy describes how we gather and utilize your information when you visit our site, contact our attorneys, or engage in other services. We hope you will find this information clear and transparent while providing you with necessary details about our privacy practices, your rights, and how we protect your information in accordance with applicable laws. By using this website or our services, you agree to the practices described below.

The National Injured Senior Law Center

The National Injured Senior Law Center (NISLC) is a legal advocacy group serving seniors who have been injured by negligence, abuse, or other wrongful acts. Located in Baltimore City, Maryland, and serving clients across the USA, we provide caring, knowledgeable, and experienced representation to help seek justice and recovery for deserving seniors and their families. We offer FREE consultations, NO risk case evaluations, and fee arrangements based on contingency (fees are NOT payable unless we obtain a recovery on your behalf). As a client-centric law center, we prioritize protecting your privacy throughout every phase of your relationship with NISLC.

Scope of This Policy

This privacy policy covers all personal information that is collected through our website located at www.injuredseniorhotline.com, through our Senior Injury Hotline at 877-228-4878, alternately at 855-463-2306, at our office location at 1011 N Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202, via online form(s), via email(s), and/or any other communication initiated with and addressed to the National Injured Senior Law Center. This applies to all personal information of clients, prospective clients, family members, caregivers or advocates, website visitors, and other consumers. This privacy policy does not apply to third-party websites and/or services to which we have links from our website.

Information We Collect

We gather information in order to deliver quality legal services and assistance to our injured senior clients and their families. Information we gather may include:

Information About You: such as your name, address, telephone number, email address, date of birth, and other information.
Information About Your Case: such as your medical treatment records, insurance information, reports of incidents, employment history (if applicable), and communications with the firm about your case.
Information About Your Use of our Website: such as Internet Protocol address, the browser type you use, the device you use, the pages you access and time you spend visiting our site, and the sites you visit from our website.
Information Provided by You: such as your senior injury hotline calls to our office, your emails to us, your online contact form requests, and correspondence between you and our firm.

We will collect information directly from you, through our website, over the telephone (through our senior injury hotline), through written correspondence with you, and, with your consent, from third parties such as medical care providers, insurance companies, and other lawyers.

How We Use Your Information

Your information is used only for the delivery of legal services, case evaluation, and client support, which includes:

Evaluating the circumstances of your case and determining our ability to assist you
Communicating with you with respect to your case, our services, or other relevant legal information
Preparing legal documents, pleadings, correspondence, and other materials
Conducting research and investigation relative to your case and legal matters
Meeting our legal-related and ethical obligations and regulatory requirements
Enhancing and administering our website, educational materials, and client experience

We do not use your information in other ways for marketing purposes, or share it beyond what is necessary to provide services, meet legal obligations, or with your prior express consent.

The Legal Basis for Our Data Processing

We process your personal data only if we have the legal basis to do so. In this context, there are the following:

Your consent (given by you, e.g., when you provide information through our website, hotline, or other means of communication)
Performance of a contract (e.g., providing you with legal services and/or consultation)
Compliance with a legal obligation (e.g., keeping records or performing reporting obligations, if applicable)
Legitimate interests (e.g., improvement of client service, ensuring security of our website, protecting the rights, property, and safety of our clients, etc.)

We do not sell your personal information or otherwise use it for any purpose unrelated to the representation of you without your explicit consent.

How We Share and Disclose Information

We respect the privacy of information that you choose to disclose to us. We will share your personal information we possess only in the following circumstances:

With parties to your legal matter who require personal information related to your legal matter – such as courts, insurers, healthcare providers, or expert witnesses – and with your consent
With our personnel and with attorneys, consultants, or other advisors employed by us to help us provide legal services
With vendors who assist with technology, communications, marketing distribution, administrative support, and other business needs relating to the Firm’s operations, subject to their confidentiality agreements with us
To comply with the law (e.g., in response to a court order or in response to other legal process)
We may use or disclose your personal information to the extent reasonably necessary to protect our rights or property, or the rights or property of clients or others.

We do not share your information for marketing purposes or market research or for the independent use of unaffiliated third parties.

Data Security: Our Measures to Protect Your Information

Security of Your Information
The security of your information is a top priority. We have physical, technical, and administrative safeguards in place to protect your information from loss, theft, destruction, or unauthorized access, disclosure, or alteration of your personal or private information. These safeguards include:

Secure servers and/or data storage with encrypted files
Restricted access to client files and case notes
Secure email and other forms of communication
Staff training and monitoring of their compliance with privacy and data protection policies
Periodic security reviews, updates, and upgrades of our systems

While no safeguard provides for 100% security of personal data, we are constantly upgrading our safeguards to protect your information.

Data Retention and Deletion of Personal Information

We store personal and case-related information only as long as necessary to support the stated purposes in this privacy policy, meet our legal and ethical obligations, and resolve disputes. Our policy is to retain legal files for a minimum period established by state and federal laws – usually seven years after your case is fully resolved – unless longer storage is mandated or permitted by law.

We will delete or destroy the information when it is no longer needed to fulfill its purpose using industry-standard procedures. Please contact us if you wish to have your personal information deleted, and we will consider your request in light of applicable law and professional responsibilities.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable laws in your territory, you may have certain rights in respect to the personal data we hold about you. These rights may include the following:

The right to request access to and a copy of the personal data we hold about you
The right to request correction of your personal data where it is inaccurate or incomplete
The right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain legal obligations
The right to request restriction of processing of your personal data
The right to object to processing of your personal data
The right to withdraw any consent given in relation to the processing of your personal data, where that processing is based on your consent
The right to data portability in certain limited circumstances

If you wish to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact details below, and we will respond promptly and in accordance with applicable law.

How to Contact Us about Privacy

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

National Injured Senior Law Center (A Division of the Law Offices of Steven H. Heisler)
1011 N Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Senior Injury Hotline: 877-228-4878
Alternate Phone: (855) 463-2306
Office Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

You may also submit privacy-related questions or requests for your personal information through our website online contact form available on our website at Contact Us.

Cookies and Other Trackers

Our site utilizes cookies, web beacons, and other similar web tracking technologies to provide you with a better browsing experience, track your activity on our site, and improve our products and services. Cookies are small text files that we place on your computer. For example, we may use cookies in order to:

Recognize repeat users
Store preferences for the site
Track site traffic and patterns
Assist with site security

You can usually disable cookies through the browser settings on your computer. Note that disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain site functionality. We do not use cookies for third-party ad serving or to track you on other non-affiliated websites. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.

Links to Third-Party Websites

We may link to third-party websites, such as government websites or other senior-related resources and communities, from this website. We do not control, and are not responsible for, the privacy practices of any third-party websites. For this reason, we recommend that you review the privacy policy page of any external websites before submitting any personally identifiable information. These practices are not covered by the National Injured Senior Law Center Privacy Policy.

Children’s Privacy

This service is not intended for children under 18 and we do not knowingly collect information about children under 18. If we obtain actual knowledge that we collected personal information from a child under 18, we will delete it. If you believe that a child under 18 submitted personal information to us, please contact us immediately.

International Visitors and Data Transfer

Although the National Injured Senior Law Center is located in the United States, the services on our website may be reached by those outside of the United States. By providing information to us or otherwise utilizing our services, you authorize us to collect, transfer, store, and process your information within the United States. We use reasonable efforts to provide you with an appropriate level of privacy protections to the extent required by this policy, regardless of where you reside.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

The Privacy Policy may be revised from time to time due to modifications or changes to our practices as a result of evolving technologies, business requirements, or legal or regulatory changes. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on our website and revising the date at the top of the page when such notice is provided. You are encouraged to view this policy periodically to stay current with our information handling practice. Your continued use of the website or services after changes are made to the policy will be deemed your acceptance of the policy as written at that time.

Confidentiality and Attorney-Client Privilege

As a law center, we are subject to numerous professional and legal requirements to safeguard the confidentiality of any information you share with us. Many communications between you as our client, and our attorney and staff, may be protected by the attorney-client privilege from disclosure to third parties (such as other family members) without your express permission, with only certain court-ordered exceptions. We always strive to take every available measure to ensure the confidentiality and security of your legal issues.

Accommodations and Alternative Formats

Our privacy policy is designed to be easily accessible and understandable. Should you require this information in a different format, such as large print or audio, please reach out to us via our hotline or office. We are committed to assisting seniors and individuals with disabilities to the best of our ability.

Your Choices and Opt-Out Rights

You control how we use your information. You may:

Unsubscribe from non-essential communications (like newsletters or alerts) by following the unsubscribe directions included in those non-essential electronic communications
Modify your settings in your browser to control cookies or other tracking tools
Contact our office at the contact points provided on the site if you would like to request the opportunity to review and update, or delete, your personal information

We will honor your preferences to the maximum extent provided by applicable law and our professional obligations.

How We Respond to Do Not Track Browser Signals

Some web browsers have a “Do Not Track” (DNT) setting that sends a special signal to websites you visit asking that they not track you. Our website does not currently respond to DNT signals because a uniform standard has not yet been adopted for interpreting them. However, we do not seek or track your browsing to third-party websites, or use your information for purposes of third-party advertising.

Data Breach Notification Procedures

In the unlikely event of a data breach that potentially affects the privacy or security of your personal information, we will initiate an investigation and remediation to contain and respond to the incident promptly. We will notify affected persons and applicable authorities as required by law, including providing information regarding the incident, remedial actions being taken, and safeguards to be followed.

Privacy and Clients in Special Circumstances

We understand that some of our clients might be incapacitated or may be represented by a family member or legal guardian or advocate. In those cases, we will take additional steps to validate the authority of the person representing them and make sure all appropriate privacy and confidentiality protocols are followed. We partner with families and caregivers to ensure that the interests and privacy of incapacitated or vulnerable seniors are protected.

HIPAA and Medical Information

Dealing with medical information is a common part of our work as attorneys representing injured elderly clients. Although we are not a “covered entity” in the sense of HIPAA, we treat all medical information carefully and with strict confidentiality using many HIPAA-like safeguards. We obtain, receive, and produce medical records only with your authority and for use in your legal representation.

Record Keeping and Professional Responsibilities

As attorneys and a law firm, we must comply with professional rules and record-keeping obligations imposed by state bars and other legal authorities. These rules can impose retention requirements for certain records. We balance our duties with your rights to privacy and will always advise you of your choices as to file retention and destruction upon request.

California and Other State Privacy Rights

If applicable state law gives you greater privacy rights to the categories of personal information we collect and share, and if you reside in California (or in another state that has similar privacy rights), you have specific rights with respect to information about you, including the right to request that we disclose the categories of personal information we collect and share about you. All applicable state privacy laws are followed, and applicable requests will be honored in accordance with those state privacy laws. Please contact us for details if you reside in a state with enhanced privacy rights.

No Sale of Personal Information

The National Injured Senior Law Center will not and does not sell its client information to third parties. We will only use client data for the purpose of the provision of legal services or as may be required by law. If our practices change in future, we will amend this policy and provide appropriate notice to those affected.

Social Media and Public Records

We may have a presence on social media sites in order to share educational content and updates. Any information you provide publicly through comment sections, public forums, or your social media pages and accounts is visible to others and not subject to this Privacy Policy. Therefore, we ask that you use caution and do not publicize sensitive, personal information in these public online forums.

Consent to Electronic Communication

By providing us with your email address or telephone number, you agree to us communicating with you electronically regarding your case or request. We will take all reasonable actions to respect your wishes regarding electronic communications, and you can withdraw this consent at any time by contacting us or responding to an opt-out mechanism included in our communications.

How to Make a Privacy Complaint

If you feel that your privacy rights have been infringed or that we have addressed either a request or complaint regarding privacy wrongly or in a manner unsatisfactory to you, you can lodge a complaint. Please, write us directly at 877-228-4878 or 1011 N Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202. In addition to our written response, in the event you are dissatisfied with our resolution, you may also contact the Maryland State Bar Association or your state’s bar counsel. We will assist such action by cooperating fully with any investigation and will handle all complaints in a prompt and fair manner.

Your Trust is Our Most Valuable Asset

At the National Injured Senior Law Center, we understand that trust is the cornerstone of our relationship with every injured elder client and family. As elder law attorneys, we can be trusted to represent and advocate for seniors like no other firm. Our lawyers work with you, in your time of vulnerability, and will safeguard your privacy, dignity, and legal interests every step of the way. If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your privacy rights, please call our Senior Injury Hotline at 877-228-4878 or our office at (855) 463-2304 or visit us at 1011 N Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21202. We look forward to helping you achieve both justice and peace of mind.