PACT’s “In Their Own Words” Returns with Story of California Woman Who Lost Nearly 60% of Her Settlement
Second installment features Evelyn Vasquez de Navarrette, whose lawyers took out a $70,000 loan in her name without her consent
Washington, D.C. – Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT), a national organization dedicated to standing up for plaintiffs, victims, and consumers and ensuring access to a fair and transparent legal system, today released the second episode of its video series, “In Their Own Words.”
The latest installment features Evelyn Vasquez de Navarrette of Stockton, California, who says the personal injury attorneys she trusted to help her after a serious fall exploited her case for their own financial gain — leaving her with less than half of her own settlement.
Navarrette’s ordeal began when she tripped on a curled floor mat at a big box retailer near her California home, suffering injuries to her face, arms, knees, and hand. Months after the accident, she learned she had also lost her sense of smell — a permanent disability that has upended her daily life for more than seven years.
After hiring a Los Angeles-based law firm to pursue her case, Navarrette says she discovered in late 2024 that her attorneys had taken out a $70,000 cash advance from a third-party finance company — under her name, without her knowledge or consent — to cover their own fees. When she demanded answers about where the money went, she says the firm dropped her case entirely.
“My lawyers took the advance without me knowing for more than $70,000 and kept the money,” Navarrette says in the video. “When I asked them how they spent the money, my lawyers let me go.”
After signing with a second law firm, Navarrette’s case ultimately settled for $375,000. But between repaying the advance taken by her first firm, attorney fees, and specialist costs, $225,000 of that settlement went to lawyers and their financial partners. Navarrette was left with $150,000 — nearly 60% of her settlement gone — and received it months after signing her final paperwork.
“In Their Own Words: Evelyn Vasquez de Navarrette” can be viewed HERE.
PACT Executive Director Lauren Zelt said Navarrette’s experience exposes a practice that leaves vulnerable victims worse off than those paid to help them.
“Evelyn did everything right — she sought legal help after a serious injury and trusted her attorneys to fight for her,” said Zelt. “Instead, she was saddled with a secret loan she never agreed to, steered towards specific doctors, and ultimately pressured into a settlement that left her lawyers richer than she was. Her story is exactly why PACT exists.”
“I lost all my faith for any kind of lawyer,” Navarrette says. “We live in a country where no one is above the law. We have a right.”
“In Their Own Words” is part of PACT’s broader effort to elevate the experiences of consumers and families who say they were harmed by unethical legal practices and abuses within the civil justice system. The series follows PACT’s documentary Behind the Settlement: What Really Happens After You Hire a Billboard Lawyer and joins several ongoing video series on PACT’s YouTube channel dedicated to educating consumers about lawsuit abuse.
PACT is inviting consumers who believe they have experienced misconduct or abuse during the legal process to share their experiences at YourInjuryStory.com, where visitors can watch additional testimonials and submit their own stories.
About Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT):
Protecting American Consumers Together (PACT) is a national consumer advocacy organization dedicated to exposing lawsuit abuse, promoting transparency, and advancing commonsense legal reforms that protect consumers, lower costs, and strengthen America’s civil justice system.