Legal Aid Provides Support For A Veteran

John came to Legal Aid SMC after he was threatened with eviction by his landlord. John returned home from active duty with a Post-Traumatic Brain Injury and the symptoms he lives with included increased agitation and extreme anxiety, which means he often raises his voice without meaning to and can seem erratic or threatening to strangers. Unfortunately, his neighbors don’t know him very well and reached out to their landlord to complain about his behavior. 

An attorney at Legal Aid SMC discussed the case with John and explained his legal options. After further research and talking with John’s doctor, the attorney discovered that the timing of John’s symptoms was tied to a change in his medication. As a tenant with a disability in California, John had a legal right to reasonable accommodation from his landlord; in John’s case, all he wanted was a second chance to show he was a safe neighbor. With help from his lawyer, John got his second chance to show he was a good tenant and keep his home.

To protect client confidentiality, all client names have been changed.