personal injury
Accidents happen every day and people get injured. Are you legally entitled to compensation from the person that injures you? In most cases, you are. Some cases are "small", totaling just a few hundred dollars in compensation. Others are large and can reach $100,000 and even into the millions of dollars for those who suffer catastrophic permanent injuries, or even death. Choosing the right lawyer can mean the difference of several thousands or hundred of thousands of dollars. We are trial lawyers and specialize in litigating civil cases. We have the experience and knowledge to handle even the most complex of cases.
In this area of personal injury law, we represent the injured victims. The most common personal injury cases are car accidents, medical malpractice, slip and fall, assault and battery, and products liability. By far, car accidents are the most common of these. We represent the injured victims in such cases. The person who is responsible for causing the accident and injury is usually represented by their own insurance company's lawyers. However, insurance companies do not represent the injured parties. You may choose to handle your case yourself and make your claim to settle directly with the insurance company outside of court. However, do you know what you are doing to assure that you get the best possible settlement? Often in smaller cases involving little injury, it is best to settle directly with the insurance company because an attorney can not significantly improve your compensation settlement. Keep in mind that personal injury lawyers get paid on a contingency fee basis. This means that they do not charge you on an hourly basis, but they collect a percentage of your proceeds if they can recovery money for you. This contingency fee amount typically starts at one third and goes up the further you go in the litigation process. Insurance companies never pay out large settlements early on in the case, even if liability and proof of injury is clear. You often have to file a lawsuit first before you start seeing larger settlement offers. Even then, you often have to go pretty far into the litigation process before insurance companies start making larger offers. However, insurance companies will not make large offers unless they feel there is a risk of a large loss if the case goes to trial. Therefore, it is critical that you find an attorney who knows this area of law and is not afraid to go to trial. If the insurance company knows that your attorney does not want to go to trail, then they will not offer you the settlement you deserve. It is these serious cases where it is critical to not only hire an attorney, but to be sure you hire the right attorney.
We are actively involved with the Association of Trial Lawyers of America ("ATLA"). This is the largest group of Trial Lawyers in the world. Edward Lau is the former head of the International Practice Section, the former head of the Section Leaders Council, a member of the Board of Governors, and was recognized by ATLA as one of the few Diplomats in Trial Advocacy. With this network of trial lawyers as a resource, our clients can rest assured that we have access to the best experts, technology, and resources available to Trial Lawyers. If we encounter a specific issue or area that requires a unique level of expertise, there will be someone in ATLA who has handled this area that we can consult or have join the case. Whether you have a case of medical malpractice, a simple slip and fall, or you were injured by a defective product, our firm has the ability and resources to give you the best possible representation.
