Section 5
The Role of the Attorney and Your
Legal Assistant
Role of Attorney
Rest assured that the lawyers of Carabin & Shaw will use
our best judgment obtained through years of study and
work to ensure your case is resolved in a reasonable manner according to
the facts of the case. At all times, we your lawyers are required to be open
and honest with you about your case in an ethical manner.
As your lawyers we will make assignments and oversee all of
the work performed on your case. Once your medical treatment is
completed and all finalized medical bills have been sent to us, and the
facts of your case have been reviewed, your lawyer will recommend a
strategy to be used in the settlement negotiation, or, possibly in
litigation. The lawyer prepares your demand portfolio which includes
copies of all medical bills, lost wages, and any other relevant
documents. It is then sent to the responsible person’s insurance company(s) along with our arguments demanding a fair and reasonable
amount of money. The settlement negotiations now begin with the
insurance company(s). Do not expect the insurance company to accept our
first offer for settlement. Offers will be exchanged several times
attempting to reach an acceptable "settlement value" of your case. Once
you agree to a settlement, your lawyer will complete the necessary
paperwork to process your settlement check. Please keep in mind this
process is quite complicated and will take some time. If the insurance
company(s) denies liability or does not provide an acceptable settlement
value for your case we will discuss other options with you.
You have the right to participate in making
the important decisions of your case, so your assigned lawyer will
personally contact you when a decision needing your contribution is
required. Please trust the advice of your lawyer on these major
decisions. Your lawyer’s years of experience and training will best
protect your interests. Your lawyer will never knowingly lead you to
make an unwise decision.
Role of legal assistant
After you signed the Employment Contract, we
assigned you a legal assistant. When you contact our office, your legal
assistant should be your first contact. Your legal assistant is the person,
other than your lawyer, who is always up-to-date on the specifics of
your case. Your legal assistant will be better able to help you than anyone
else. The lawyer assigned to your case is also fully informed on your
case progress, but he or she will usually be occupied most of the day,
either in court, at depositions, or in settlement conferences. If you
feel it is important to speak directly to your assigned lawyer, your
legal assistant will take a message and have your lawyer get back in touch
with you as soon as possible. If for some reason no one returns
your call, please email Mr. Shaw by clicking on the form to the right of
your screen.
If you call our office and no one is available to
help you immediately, rest assured you will receive a call back the same
day.
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