How Atticus Employees Help Their Families Get Benefits: Shri's Story

At Atticus, our golden rule is simple: we’ll never connect a client with a lawyer we wouldn’t trust with our own family member or loved one—and we truly mean it.

Below is a story from a series featuring Atticus employees who’ve helped a loved one apply for disability benefits.

Shri Apte

In 2023, Shri Apte, VP of Finance at Atticus, received a phone call that changed his life. His sister was struck by a car while crossing the street to catch the bus to work in San Francisco. She was thrown onto the windshield—and then off it. When she came to, her head was bleeding, and she didn’t know where she was.

Apte and his parents rushed to the hospital. “It was very scary in the moment,” he said. “But afterward, once we found out she was going to be okay, it was just like, ‘Okay—this is something we have to deal with now.’”

Thankfully, Apte knew where to turn. Atticus connected his family with a local personal injury law firm—an introduction that made a real difference. “You want to make sure you have someone making sure that you’re done right by, you know?” And the law firm did exactly that. When an early settlement offer came in, the attorney advised Apte’s sister not to accept it. Her medical bills were still being covered by insurance, and the amount on the table was simply too low. Apte agreed: “This firm knows what they’re doing. Wait until there’s an offer your lawyer is actually excited about.”

Still, the year-and-a-half waiting period wasn’t easy. In the months that followed, Apte’s sister dealt with lingering neurological issues, including recurring migraines and a loss of her sense of smell—something that still hasn’t fully returned. The biggest setback was not being able to exercise for six months, a devastating doctor’s order for an avid runner.

When the winning settlement came through, it was a relief for the whole family. “We're glad this is over and that she got compensated for what she had to go through,” says Apte. His sister used some of the money for a vacation and set some aside for a house. “It's a nest egg that's putting her on a solid footing for the rest of her life.”

"It’s made me more appreciative of the time I spend with my family and the work we get to do here. "

She’s now doing well health-wise, and to celebrate her recovery, she completed a half-marathon last year and continues to run. For Apte, his sister’s injury changed how he thinks about the work he does at Atticus, but it also reframed how he lives his life every day. 

“You're reminded of everyone's fragility. After that, we started seeing our parents more, and there were these minor knock-on effects—you just become more conscious of life and how it can change," he says. "It’s made me more appreciative of the time I spend with my family and the work we get to do here. Helping other people help their families is a great way for us to further our mission.”