2009 October Archive

Taking a Team Approach to Personal Injury Lawsuits

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 30, 2009

Personal injury claims involving car accidents in Glendale, Arizona can be costly and time consuming. But the attorneys are Breyer Law Offices know how to skillfully handle your personal injury case through years of experience, legal expertise, and a team approach to dealing with each case.

Some attorneys in Glendale take a different approach to personal injury cases. For instance, they might manage all aspects of your case from start to finish. To you, this probably sounds like a like a convenient and efficient approach to your claim, but in actuality, this approach can hurt your case.

Most top attorneys in Glendale only handle the aspects of the case that they are most qualified for. This includes things like forming a strong argument, conducting legal research and a complicated analysis of the case, and coordinating the team as a whole. These are tasks that a skilled lawyer can and should handle. However, there are many other tasks and duties that are important to a personal injury case that the actual lawyer should delegate to someone on his or her staff. Otherwise, the lawyer will get stuck taking care of the minor details of the case and be unable to see the big picture. They will be unable to do it all – and do it well, which will, in turn, hurt your case.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are some personal injury attorneys here in Glendale who don’t like to get involved with any aspects of a case. In these kinds of law firms, paralegals and other support staff members may be assigned tasks that they are not trained to perform. In fact, we’ve even talked to people who have said they’ve never even spoken to or met with the personal injury attorney they hired, only paralegals or support staff. They don’t even know whether or not an actual lawyer even looked at their case. In these kinds of law firms, attorneys just pass off cases to people who are not trained to handle them – another approach that could hurt your chances of winning your case.

At Breyer Law Offices, we take what we like to call a “team approach” to personal injury cases. Each person is assigned tasks that they are best qualified to handle. So, in other words, our lawyers actually do all the legal work and you can rest assured that a skilled Glendale personal injury lawyer is in fact involved with your case. Our paralegals and support staff will manage other critical details in the case that they have been trained to handle. As a result, our clients get the absolute best representation possible to help ensure that they receive the compensation they deserve. In fact, we’ve handled thousands of personal injury cases over the years.

Our law offices are headed up by the husband-wife team of Mark and Alexis Breyer, both of whom have years of experience in personal injury law. Mark is even a certified specialist in Arizona wrongful death and personal injury cases. Only about 2% of the personal injury attorneys in the state receive this special certification. In addition to the Breyers, our office also includes a team of expert paralegals and support staff who work together seamlessly to ensure each case is handled most efficiently.

If you’d like to schedule a free, no obligation consultation to discuss your case, please contact Breyer Law Offices at 480-753-4534.

Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer Rated Superb - Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 29, 2009

Phoenix Personal Injury lawyer Mark Breyer has been rated by AVVO as a perfect 10 out of 10. AVVO has rated a very small percentage of personal injury attorneys throughout the United States as a perfect 10 rating. AVVO is one of the nation’s top lawyer rating service. Lawyers are rated throughout the United States based on several important factors. Such factors include professional endorsements, client review and feedback, professional conduct, industry recognition and a lawyer’s experience. Being rated 10 out of 10 with such a small percentage of attorneys receiving this superb ranking is a great honor.

Read here for more details about Phoenix Personal Injury lawyer rated superb - Phoenix Personal Injury Lawyer.

Arizona Seatbelt Law & How it Can Impact Your Personal Injury Claim

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 29, 2009

To many people, seatbelt laws are plain and simple. Most citizens know that in the State of Arizona, you are required by law to wear a seatbelt while driving. Not following the law can result in a traffic ticket being issued. Enough said in most cases. But when failure to wear a seatbelt becomes a factor in a personal injury claim, things get a little bit more complicated.

Why Should I Wear a Seatbelt?
Let’s talk about the obvious first. You should always wear your seatbelt. Period. We’ve heard people say that they have a friend or relative who was involved in an accident and says the only reason they are alive is because they were NOT wearing their seatbelt. But we question the accuracy of this kind of statement. Typically, when someone hears this, it comes from a doctor in an emergency room who was not at the scene of the collision, or body shop workers who are not accident reconstruction experts. In other words, these comments are coming from people who are NOT true experts in determining the damages and injuries that resulted from not wearing a seatbelt.

That being said, we do know that there are some cases where people are actually injured more because they were wearing a seatbelt. Seatbelts don’t help every time or save lives in every single accident. But these cases are few and far between – and to suggest that that is a good reason not to wear a seatbelt is just plain silly.

Also, some people argue that wearing a seatbelt is a choice and it’s up to each individual to make that choice and take the risk of suffering a serious injury. At Breyer Law Offices, our experienced Arizona auto accident lawyers have seen many people who have suffered horrible injuries or have had family members killed in car accidents. In some cases, the person injured or killed wasn’t wearing their seatbelt and the tragedy could have been prevented if they’d just strapped themselves in.

The reality of the situation is that seatbelts save lives more often than not. They save lives every hour of every day in Arizona and throughout the country. Wearing a seatbelt is the safe and smart thing to do for many reasons.

What Can I Do if I Suspect Elder Abuse?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 28, 2009

Clearly, not every single red flag or sign of nursing home abuse listed above is going to necessarily mean that there is neglect and abuse going on. That’s why it’s so important to try and do some investigative work to try and uncover the causes of the signs. This is a vital step in not only protecting your loved one, but also in ensuring that no other individual is abused or neglected in the nursing home.

When investigating, be sure to visit your family member or friend on a regular basis to ensure they are receiving proper medical care. Ask them questions about their care and treatment at the nursing home. If you do suspect abuse, whether at a nursing home in Mesa, a private facility, from an at-home nurse, or in a hospital, you have the right to take legal action to protect your loved one and to help them win compensation for medical bills, therapy, and any pain and suffering they endured.

As nursing home abuse attorneys in Phoenix experienced with the Arizona Adult Protective Services Act, we can help you and your loved one with any legal and related issues involving elder abuse. While not every injury needs to result in a lawsuit, we are happy to provide you with the information and answers you require to make the best decision for you and your loved one. Please contact our offices at 480-753-4534 to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.

If I Admit to Not Wearing a Seatbelt When I Suffered an Injury Caused by a Negligent Driver, Can I Still File a Personal Injury Claim in Arizona?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 27, 2009

The easy answer is yes, you can still file a personal injury claim in Arizona, even if you weren’t wearing a seatbelt. However, that being said, once you do decide to file a personal injury lawsuit, the at fault driver and their insurance company will most likely hire expert witnesses to see if there is any evidence proving that if you had been wearing your seatbelt, you wouldn’t have been injured or as badly injured. If they can prove that your injuries would have been less severe, then that means they will be able to pay you less in compensation.

So, what does that mean for you. Let’s say you were in a serious accident that resulted in your leg being broken and a two-day hospital stay. Since you were wearing your seatbelt, the at fault driver will have to pay full compensation. However, say the same exact accident resulted in a broken leg and brain injuries and you were NOT wearing your seatbelt. Then the at fault driver only has to pay for the broken leg as long as they can prove that the brain injuries resulted from you not wearing a seatbelt.

Are There Any Good Legal Reasons for Not Wearing a Seatbelt?
Yes, there are. We’ve actually seen some cases where a passenger didn’t have access to a good working seatbelt and sustained injuries in a car accident. Though these situations are rare, failure to wear a seatbelt can be excused under the law. On the practical side of the matter, jury members are much more likely to be forgiving and favorable to the plaintiff if, say for example, they were riding in a friend’s car and that car didn’t have a working seatbelt. So the injured victim didn’t choose to not wear a seatbelt, there simply wasn’t one available for them.

If you’ve been injured in a car accident in Mesa and you weren’t wearing your seatbelt, please call the experienced Mesa car accident attorneys at Breyer Law Offices today. We are always available to answer your questions about a possible personal injury claim. Contact us today for more information and to schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation.

How Can I Tell if My Loved One is Being Abused in a Mesa Nursing Home?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 26, 2009

Instances of elder abuse and neglect in nursing homes in Mesa and throughout the United States continue to be a problem. People who have been productive members of society for many decades – who deserve to be treated with care and respect – are treated horribly and made to suffer untold abuses at the hands of their caregivers, the very people who are paid to protect them.

If you suspect elder abuse at a nursing home facility or assisted living facility, it’s critically important that you investigate further and possibly even take legal action. The very first priority of any nursing home abuse lawsuit in Mesa is to make sure that the person being abused is properly cared for, protected, and they are compensated for their physical injuries and pain and suffering. However, once that goal is achieved, another important aspect of these kinds of abuse lawsuits is that they hold the responsible parties accountable, oftentimes forcing negligent nursing homes to either shut down or change their ways. Therefore, besides protecting the abused individual, elder abuse lawsuits also help to protect others who live in these nursing home facilities.

What is Nursing Home Abuse in Arizona?
There are many different kinds of nursing home abuse or neglect. Sometimes, it comes down to not ensuring the safety of someone who isn’t very steady on their feet and has an increased likelihood of falling. When measures are not taking to protect a patient or a resident, then this is considered nursing home neglect.

Sometimes, though, neglect goes beyond just making simple mistakes and is taken to the next level of actual abuse. This kind of abuse includes actions such as hitting, slapping, restraining, shoving, and intentionally under-medicating or over-medicating. As a result of this abuse, elderly people might suffer from broken bones, cuts, swelling of the extremities, bruises, and other physical injuries at the very hands of the people who are supposed to be taking care of them.

If you believe that a loved one has been a victim of nursing home abuse, please contact the skilled personal injury attorneys at Breyer Law Offices, P.C. We can help.

Are You a Discount Personal Injury Attorney? Can I Get a Reduced Percentage of the Contingency Fee?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 23, 2009

Here at Breyer Law Offices, we take a lot of pride in what we do. We have spent many years building an excellent reputation and a solid track record of success. While we have no problem with other lawyers offering discount services – and we would never criticize them for doing so – we are not discount lawyers here. Think about it. Would you ask a brain surgeon if he or she would discount their prices? The answer is no, of course. You understand the value of the services they provide. Likewise, there is a lot of value in the services we provide. We feel that by offering contingency based fees, we are able to give clients access to excellent representation that they would not otherwise be able to afford.

We are proud of the work we do and we truly fight hard on behalf of our clients to win them the best results possible. We don’t sell our clients short. We are open, honest, dedicated, and experienced. That’s why we’re able to deliver great results for so many of our clients.

If you are looking for the best possible personal injury attorney in Mesa, we urge you to give us a call. We only get paid if we are able to recover compensation for you. And we truly earn our fee through hard work, dedication, and legal expertise.

Call the personal injury attorneys at Breyer Law Offices today to schedule a free, no obligation consultation to review your case. At this point, we can answer any questions you may have, determine if there is a legitimate case, and talk about the next steps moving forward.

How Do Contingency Fees Work?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 22, 2009

If you have hundreds of thousands of dollars, then you’re probably not too worried about whether your lawyer’s fees are contingency based or not. But if you don’t have that kind of money to spend on a top Mesa personal injury lawyer, then you could benefit greatly from contingency fees.

With a typical fee agreement, you would have to pay the lawyer an hourly rate for their legal services. This not only includes the time the actual lawyer spends working on your case and formulating arguments, but also the time their paralegals, support staff, and expert witnesses (such as investigators and accident reconstructionists) put into your case. This can add up quickly. In fact, a complicated Mesa personal injury case could take thousands of hours of a lawyer and his or her staff’s time. So, realistically speaking, even if someone was seriously injured by the blatant negligence of another person, say in a drunk driving case, the victim would probably never be able to afford to retain the best lawyer to represent them without contingency fees.

Here at Breyer Law Offices, we only work with clients on a contingency fee basis. Even though we are a considered one of Mesa’s top personal injury attorneys and we’ve won cases for thousands of clients, we’ve still never had a client have to pay us out of their own pocket. Every dollar we’ve ever earned has come out of either a settlement that we have negotiated or out of a successful verdict that a jury has rendered.

How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Mesa Car Accident Attorney?

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 21, 2009

Hiring a Mesa personal injury lawyer is much different from hiring other types of professionals you typically work with. In most scenarios, you have to pay a lot of money upfront in order to hire the best possible company or professional for your needs. For example, if you want to hire a top-notch accountant, you have to spend a lot of money upfront in order to secure their services. Likewise, when you go to the doctor, you have to pay that professional out-of-pocket upfront (even if it’s just a co-pay) in order to utilize their services. The same holds true for most other kinds of professionals.

However, at Breyer Law Offices, even as top personal injury attorneys here in Mesa, we are still hired on a contingency basis. Unlike hiring other professionals, when you work with our personal injury attorneys, you don’t have to worry about any upfront fees or costs.

What’s a Contingency Fee?
A contingency fee is a fee that is payable only if the outcome is successful. That means you are able to retain the best personal injury attorney in Mesa, without having to pay any expenses out of your own pocket for legal representation.

If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by another individual’s negligence, you may be able to hold them legally responsible for your physical pain and emotional grief. With the legal assistance of our skilled personal injury attorneys at Breyer Law Offices, P.C., you may also be able to receive compensation to help pay for loss of wages, medical bills, physical therapy, and much more. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Dealing With Insurance Companies After a Car Accident (Part Two)

By Personal Injury Lawyer on October 20, 2009

In our last blog post, we began our discussion of why you should not file a claim with your insurance company before speaking to an attorney. The bottom line is that it can be dangerous to trust your insurance company. They are most concerned with their bottom line. While many people believe that if they tell the truth everything will work out fine, this is simply not the case. The problem with this line of reasoning is that you really have no idea if you’re insurance company is telling you the truth. You are assuming they will be honest and upfront with you. From experience, we know that this is not always the case.

Don’t get us wrong, though. We’re not trying to suggest that all insurance companies are evil. And we are certainly not suggesting that every victim of a car accident in Mesa is going to be taken of advantage of by their insurance company. This is obviously not true. However, the reality of the situation is that the representatives at insurance companies have a job to do. And that job involves trying to settle car accident cases for as little money as possible.

For example, an insurance company who regularly pays out more on cases is not going to get promoted over co-workers who pay out less. Even in cases where victims are deserving of more compensation, insurance adjusters are rewarded by paying out less and increasing company profits. As a result, it can be argued that insurance companies aren’t concerned with fairly analyzing car accident cases, but rather looking for a way to minimize the amount of money to be paid out. And if you speak with your insurance company before consulting with a lawyer, you may be giving them the ammunition they need to do just that.

Now, we’ve also seen instances where somebody at an insurance company is dishonest. Not only do they have an incentive to minimize the amount of compensation paid out to car accident victims, but they are also willing to do whatever it takes to achieve that end. The truth of the matter is that your own honesty will not protect you from these kinds of people. Furthermore, by hiring a trained personal injury attorney, you won’t even have to deal with such issues. An attorney will handle it for you. For a free consultation of your personal injury or auto accident case, contact Breyer Law Offices, P.C. today.