Ten of the top personal injury attorneys in the United States will provide you with valuable insights and guide you through the hazardous steps of filing a claim, and shepherd you around the landmines when dealing with insurance companies.
About The Authors
Don first gained national attention when his exploits as a young defense attorney with the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps became the basis for the motion picture "A Few Good Men." Don has been fighting for seriously injured people throughout North Carolina since 1985, and Virginia since 1988, con-centrating on plaintiff personal injury law and civil litigation. Don is a highly recognized attorney who has tried more than 200 jury trials, including cases against Ford, Firestone, American Honda, Home Depot, and several national trucking companies. He represented clients whose cases became the foundation for a movie, The Paula Coughlin Story, and a book, The Mother of All Hooks - The Story of the US Navy's Tailhook Scandal. Don believes that people injured by the negligence of others often suffer serious physical, psychological, and financial damage. It is almost impossible to receive fair compensation without the help of a knowledgeable, caring lawyer who is experienced in personal injury law. When people ask why he likes being a lawyer, he responds, "I get the opportunity to help somebody every day. What could be better than that?."
Donald Marcari, Esq.
Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban
Chesapeake, Virginia
Doug Zanes is a no-nonsense attorney with a soft side. He entered into personal injury law to bring justice to those in need. "Bad accidents happen and there's nothing anyone can do to change that," he says. "I take pride in the fact that we are willing to start that fight for our clients so that they are completely compensated, and we are willing to take that fight to the end for them." "We're not like most law firms. Our clients are family to us. We're never too busy to assist them and their families, long after their cases are done." Zanes Law has represented thousands of clients and recovered tens of millions of dollars. He is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum - less than 1% of U.S. lawyers are admitted to this group, which is limited to those who have won settlements exceeding $1 million.
Douglas R. Zanes, Esq.
Zanes Law
Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona
Howard is President and Founder of the Mishkind Law Firm Co., L.P.A. His practice is concentrated primarily in the area of personal injury litigation, consisting of the representation of injured patients and their families in medical malpractice, legal malpractice, and catastrophic injuries arising out of motor vehicle collisions. He has been managing medical malpractice and personal injury claims for decades. He never forgets, however, that each of his clients is facing these issues for the first time. He understands how difficult it is to cope with the personal and financial losses caused by negligence. He takes the time to listen to his client's concerns, explain his or her legal options, and get any questions answered. With Howard, it's personal. His clients are not just cases to him but people who have been harmed through no fault of their own. He has been representing the people in Ohio for over 30 years.
Howard D. Mishkind, Esq.
Mishkind Law Firm Co., L.P.A.
Cleveland, Ohio
Jonathan S. Safran is a founding member and a shareholder in the firm of Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C. He is a 1983 graduate of Indiana University at Bloomington School of Law. He has been practicing personal injury law in Milwaukee for more than twenty-five years. He is committed to helping clients put their lives back together after a serious accident. He seeks justice and a fair settlement for each client and understands the importance of staying in touch with each victim and communicating the progress of one's claim as it goes through the claims and legal processes. He is actively involved in civic organizations, serving on national and local boards of the Arthritis Foundation, the Board of the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee, Camp Matawa, and the Mequon-Thiensville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Jonathan S. Safran, Esq.
Samster, Konkel & Safran, S.C.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Zack is dedicated to taking your business personally. He will always "fight the good fight" and is truly an advocate for injury victims everywhere. He is committed to providing his clients with competent and zealous representation, and he understands the hardship his clients experience as a result of an accident and injury. Furthermore, he is dedicated to your well-being and it is his goal to make you whole, both physically and financially. He received his law degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan. He is a member of the Florida Bar Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers. He started his own law firm in 1998 and has been serving the residents of Florida in personal injury cases ever since.
Zackary Melkonian, Esq.
Melkonian, P.A.
Tampa, Florida
Steve is dedicated to producing results that help clients rebuild their lives and secure their futures in the wake of an injury or accident. His experience, combined with his knowledge of the insurance industry, help clients understand their legal rights and make sound decisions about pursuing settlement or going to trial. A partner at Nowlan & Mouat LLP, Steve received his law degree from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota. As a Board Certified Civil Trial Specialist, Steve focuses his practice on personal injury, both plaintiff and defense. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin, State Bar of Minnesota, the American Bar Association, the Rock County Bar Association and the Civil Trial Counsel of Wisconsin. A board certified civil trial specialist, Steve was named one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers in Wisconsin by the American Trial Lawyers Association and is one of 80 Wisconsin lawyers invited to membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates. Steve is consistently recognized as a Wisconsin Super Lawyer by Super Lawyers magazine.
Steven T. Caya, Esq.
Nowlan & Mouat
Janesville, Wisconsin
Isaac Thorp has been recognized as one of America's premier trial attorneys by state and national trial organizations. He has served as a legal commentator on the Oprah Winfrey Show, New York Magazine and WRAL-TV. Isaac continues a family tradition of fighting for the underdog. His father was widely recognized as one of the country's leading plaintiff attorneys and his great-grandfather was a judge. Isaac is co-author of Thorp's North Carolina Trial Practice Forms in its seventh edition. Thorp's Forms is a staple in law firms throughout North Carolina, and is Thomson-West's best-selling North Carolina legal resource guide.
Isaac L. Thorp, Esq.
Thorp Law
Raleigh, North Carolina
Joseph is well aware that a financial award will never begin to make up for the pain and suffering that you have endured. However, receiving the remuneration for which you may be eligible can help you to know that justice has been served, and it can enable you to recoup the monetary damages you have lost. He is the attorney you want at your side who has the experience and legal knowledge to aggressively advocate on your behalf to get the results you deserve. Joseph has also served as trial counsel to other personal injury law firms who have trusted in his experience and insight in both personal injury and medical malpractice cases. He has tried cases to verdict in New York State Courts, United States Federal Court, and New York State Court of Claims. He has practiced in the fields of personal injury and medical malpractice for 24 years. He is a member of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association, a member of the Bronx County Bar Association and has served on the Board of Directors of Bronx Legal Services.
Joseph G. Macaluso, Esq.
Macaluso & Fafinski, P.C.
Bronx, New York
In Peter, you'll have an advocate who will stand up for your rights in the face of tough opposition from insurance companies. Peter is a former Assistant District Attorney, college/university level law instructor, and a member of the Massachusetts Academy of Trial Attorneys and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. He has 25 years personal injury case experience, consistently achieving superior results for his clients. Peter concentrates exclusively on personal injury and wrongful death claims and litigation, with a special emphasis on cases that present complex issues in terms of the proof of liability or the severity of the injuries involved. In any accident case, you can't overstate the importance of counsel who combines fast action with a thorough examination of the details and nuances of your claim to protect your long-range interests. His ability to work effectively with experts such as accident reconstruction engineers as well as medical doctors on the technical aspects of a severe injury case is a distinguishing characteristic of his practice.
Peter Ventura, Esq.
The Anouge Law Firm
Ocoee, Florida
Fred is a founding partner in the law firm of Schenk, Boncher & Rypma. His primary focus is litigation. In particular, he has extensive experience in personal injury and wrongful death cases. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1973. He is active in many charitable organizations and currently serves as legal counsel for the Michigan State Jurisdiction of the Knights of Columbus. He has an uncommon concern for people who have been injured by the negligence, carelessness, and recklessness of others. His compassion when working with people who have been injured in an accident is one reason he has so many satisfied and loyal clients. He also has an insurance defense background which allows him to make an accurate assessment of the case and anticipate the strategies that insurance companies will use against his clients. As a successful trial lawyer, if the insurance company is not willing to provide a fair settlement, he is prepared to go to trial to get what's just for his clients.
Frederick J. Boncher, Esq.
Schenk Boncher & Rypma
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Contributing Author
Richard E Spalding
Host & Founder
Business Leader Spotlight Show
Ramseur, NC
As the host for the Business Leader Spotlight Show, I have had the opportunity to interview leading experts in various fields. In today's connected society, most people turn to the internet to get the majority of their information. Unfortunately, it has become difficult to distinguish good information from bad, because everyone can share anything online, whether it is true or false. The Business Leader Spotlight Show's goal is to be a central place where you can get valuable, accurate information about the topics we cover in the show. We try to accomplish this by interviewing the best of the best - standouts in their respective areas of expertise.
When we decided to publish a book on personal injury, we set out to identify the legal leaders on that subject and interview them to get their insights on the major issues relating to personal injury accidents. Unfortunately, it's impossible to get all the information one would want to know in a twenty minute interview. Today, we have over 5,000 minutes of expert advice from the best legal minds in the area of personal injury and wrongful death.
We wanted the best-of-the-best personal injury attorneys collaborating on this book, so we asked the best ten out of more than 250 personal injury attorneys we interviewed to share with you their insights into what you should know before you settle your accident claim. I personally believe that this is the most powerful and enlightening book ever written on the subject. It is not just one lawyer's insights on personal injury accidents, but ten of the top personal injury attorneys in the United States, from different regions of the country, sharing with you the fruit of their years of experience.
It is our hope that reading this book has two outcomes for you: first, that you understand the process and the pitfalls that can be part of any personal injury or wrongful death claim; and second, armed with this knowledge, you are able to proceed with your claim in a way that not only allows you to achieve your goals, but to come out of the process with a sense that you are ready to begin a new chapter of your life.
In our interviews, one thing became crystal clear: most people don't want to sue other people because they don't want to hurt them financially or feel that it's not the Christian thing to do. It's important to understand that personal injury attorneys look to insurance policies to pay for your damages. These policies have been paid for by the defendant as protection in the event that another person is harmed. The injured party has a right to receive the insurance money as compensation for his or her injuries that were caused by the defendant's negligence.
This is why insurance companies are always involved in the claims process. The problem is that most people who are involved in an accident don't realize that insurance companies have no incentive to be fair or to fully compensate you for your injuries. By its very nature, a personal injury claim is adversarial between the injured party and the insurance company.
Unfortunately, personal injury claims against an insurance company can be viewed as a David-and-Goliath situation. As Goliath, well-funded insurance companies have well-trained insurance adjusters, in-house council, attorneys they hire outside the company, and expert witnesses. Their purpose is to either to find ways to deny your claim or find ways to minimize their liability and pay you as little as possible. The only way for you, as David, to level the playing field and be compensated fairly for your injuries is to hire an attorney who specializes in personal injury law.
Personal injury attorneys specialize in this area of the law and deal with insurance companies and their adjusters every day; therefore, personal injury attorneys know the tactics used by these companies and their agents. They can keep you safe from making unknown blunders that could have a detrimental effect on your case. For example, in some states you must deal with contributory negligence, which means that if you are one-percent at fault for the accident, you cannot recover any damages. You might make an innocent statement to the insurance adjuster (one who is trained to ask leading questions) that could jeopardize your claim against the at-fault driver in an automobile accident.
You will discover that the claim process is fraught with hidden landmines. Throughout this book, the top personal injury attorneys in the country share their knowledge with you. You will learn what many of the landmines are and how to avoid them. The information contained in this book could mean the difference between getting $5,000 versus $100,000 for your injuries.
You will learn about:
Why you should hire a personal injury lawyer
What a personal injury lawyer does
What the landmines that you can face in a personal injury case are
What subrogation rights are and how they can affect your payout
What can happen if the other driver doesn't have insurance
Why accidents involving a truck are different from those involving an automobile
...and so much more.
In the larger scheme of things, a personal injury attorney plays a critical role in society. They force manufacturers to keep our products safer and make people take responsibility by making them accountable for their actions. Without personal injury attorneys, we would live in a far more dangerous society.
As we compiled this book, one thing became crystal clear about the personal lawyers included here: the amount of money they make from your injury is not their goal. They understand that this is a highly emotional time in your life, and they see their role as someone who can compassionately take you by the hand and guide you through the claims process in a way to best achieve your goals.
Richard E Spalding
Host & Founder - Business Leader Spotlight Show
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