What Happens After You Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer? Step-by-Step With David Greene
Chelsey Sayasane: Today David Greene is going to walk us through a typical personal injury case and give you a behind the scenes look into how they are handled start to finish. David, thanks for being here.
David Greene: Absolutely.
Chelsey Sayasane: Yeah, so let’s say someone walks into your office, they have some pain stemming from an injury. What can they expect?
David Greene: Well, number one, you’re going to be greeted with a smile, you’re going to feel very comfortable, it’s not going to be stuffy. We’re just normal guys and girls that have a job and we want to sit down with you and interview and hear kind of what happened, hear your story, going to give you something to drink because it’s been so hot outside, and just talk to you about what happened. It never costs you anything to get your story and get some free advice, because it can make a huge difference.
Chelsey Sayasane: Sure, yeah. And speaking about the cost, if they decide to proceed with you guys and hire you guys, is there a fee attached to that?
David Greene: One of the great things about how we operate, in most other personal injury law firms, like ours, we only charge a fee if we win for you. So there’s really no risk to sit down and talk to us. Come in and tell us your story. If you had a slip and fall or trip and fall, industrial accident, any type of car accident, dog bite, whatever, if you’ve been injured, come in, sit down, get the advice that you need so you can make an informed decision on what you want to do.
Chelsey Sayasane: Sure. And after that initial meeting with you guys, what happens after that?
David Greene: Well, if you decide to hire us, then basically what happens, there’s a simple one-page contract, it’s very simple, it’s on a contingency basis, which like we said, we only get paid if we win. We go to work for you: we order all your medical records, we can even guide you for your medical treatment, do an investigation of what actually happened, and then talk to the insurance company. What’s very important, it’s kind of scary when you have an insurance company or an adjuster that calls you that knows all the rules, and you’ve never talked to them, so you think, “What should I tell them? What should I not tell them?” They seem very nice, and they all are good people, but they’re doing their job. They’re working for their side. You really need to level the playing field by getting someone that understands the rules that can level it for you and make sure that they’re being fair.
Chelsey Sayasane: Sure. And after that insurance company has received the demand, you guys would really be the spokesperson, that middle man for us?
David Greene: Well, that’s right, you don’t have to talk to the insurance company ever again if you hire a lawyer, or you hire the lawyer from Greene & Phillips. We talk to them, we deal with them on a regular basis, very likely we’ve dealt with those adjusters before, we’ve had cases against them, we’ve tried cases against them. So it really, you may have one adjuster, we have 50 cases with that adjuster or more. But it’s important to understand, we know the rules. It’s sort of like, you know, in your own job, you know what you’re supposed to do in your job, but if you haven’t been into this world, it’s a little different, a little bit scary. That’s why it’s important to go ahead and get a personal injury lawyer involved. And one of the big things is basically we add value to the case, and we certainly add more than we cost, and that’s what people worry about. They think, “I’m going to hire a lawyer, well, I don’t want to give up part of my money.” Well, it’s money that you wouldn’t have gotten.
Chelsey Sayasane: Sure. All right, well, something to remember. Now, once that case has been settled, I’m sure this is different for every single case, people are probably wondering, how long does it take to get that check? How long does it take?
David Greene: That’s, and it’s important, yes, all of us want to know how long does it take. Generally we say 90 to 120 days from the time that anything actually happens. Now, based on if the case is a quick resolution based on the facts, if the case has to be filed, it does take some time to work through the discovery process, take depositions, and actually go to trial. But really, honestly, maybe 10 percent of our cases actually go to trial. We probably have a large amount, and we have a huge amount of cases actually go to trial, but so many of them settle. Right? So ninety percent chance your case is going to settle. If it settles, 90 to 120 days, or quicker, depending on being able to pay back those medical bills and how quickly the providers get back with us.
Chelsey Sayasane: Ah, so a few things to keep in mind. If you are ever in this unfortunate situation, David, if someone wants to go ahead and contact you guys, they’ve had some kind of accident or injury in the last couple of weeks or days, how can they do that?
David Greene: It’s very simple, you go to greenphillips.com, you can come by 51 North Florida Street here in Mobile, or the Forbes Building in Downtown Birmingham, go see Ben Warren up there. You can always walk in, you never need an appointment.
Chelsey Sayasane: All right, David, thanks for joining us today.
David Greene: Absolutely.
