by Marius Ged, on Oct 10, 2022 2:20:14 PM
Keep up with the latest personal injury law news and insights from the industry's trusted legal partner, Ged Lawyers. Here is an overview of what happened in the personal injury law field this month.
Industry Updates
1) South FL Jury Sides with Plaintiff Alleging Auto Accident Caused Chest, Shoulder, Spine Injuries
In January 3rd, 2019, Colleen Sullivan was involved in a head-on collision with a rental car that was being driven by Brandon Griffing in the city of West Palm beach. Sullivan claimed that she sustained her back, neck, breast, and shoulder injuries.
Following the collision, she sued Griffing, Discount Car Rental Inc., the vehicle owner, and Hampton Electronics LLC, the business Griffing’s car had rented.
Sullivan claimed that Griffing was negligent. She said that he disregarded a red signal that ought to have governed his exit into the intersection where they collided. Sullivan and her legal team negotiated a settlement with Griffing and Discount Car Rental, but Hampton Electronics did not answer the lawsuit, initiating default judgment.
After assessing the damages sustained by Sullivan as a result of the accident, the jury determined that her total damages equaled $565652.34, with the breakdown as follows:
- $78,333.34 past medical cost
- $105,000 future medical cost
- $80,000 past pain suffering
- $300,000 future pain suffering
Supreme Court Expands States' Ability to Recoup Future Medicaid Costs from Tort Recoveries
According to the most recent interpretation of the Medicaid Act by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 6, 2022, state Medicaid programs can now recover costs for future medical care. This includes medical care that has not yet been provided and may never be provided to Medicaid beneficiaries who obtain a recovery in a tort action.
This interpretation has heavy implications for Medicaid beneficiaries and personal injury attorneys negotiating client settlements because Medicaid State Plans may recoup costs from a claim, forcing personal injury victims and attorneys to factor in the anticipated costs in their negotiations.
The interpretation came after the litigation of Gallardo v. Marstiller. Gianinna Gallardo had been hit by a truck in 2008, which rendered her into a vegetative state. Ms. Gallardo was awarded an $800000 settlement, of which $35,367.52 was for past medical expenses. The Medicaid Act requires states to pay for beneficiaries’ medical costs and then make efforts to recoup the costs from the relevant third parties.
The court determined that according to the Medicaid Act, Florida’s Medicaid program can recoup past and future expenses. In Gallardo’s case, this is more than $300,000, according to a recent article by Holland & Knight.
Growing Your Practice
1) How to Establish Your Law Firm as a Thought Leader
To drive business to your law firm, you not only need to provide excellent legal services. You also need to be a respected thought leader in the field. According to this article by Smokeball, here are ways to establish your law firm as a thought leader:
1) Strong Branding
The first step before creating a brand for your business is establishing your firm’s mission. When that’s done, you can now go ahead to brand your firm around the ideas related to that mission.
Your website should state that mission clearly and reinforce the ideas through the content you feature. Your social media messaging should also be consistent with your website. There is a plethora of social media channels. To choose the best one for your firm, pick one that your ideal clients are most likely to hand out.
In addition to online presence, do not forget to create a strong offline presence too. You can do this by attending conferences and networking events, among others. While you’re here, focus on getting in front of the room by speaking on panels and giving workshops.
2) Buck Conventional Wisdom
Thought leaders are referred to as such because they have innovative ideas that question conventional wisdom. For your personal injury law firm to be considered a thought leader, you should be willing to make bold statements and adopt new perspectives. Below are some ways to be an innovative thinker:
- Seek advice from people and institutions that have the expertise you desire
- Listen to everyone in your sphere of influence when trying to get a new perspective
- Keep your emotions in check, especially when dealing with opposition
2) Four Client-Pleasing Benefits of Ged Lawyers' Client Portal
Lawyers need a reliable, transparent partner to recover underpaid and unpaid personal injury protection claims. Ged Lawyers is pushing the envelope in this regard through our easy-to-navigate client portal.
The client portal features four main client-pleasing benefits as follows:
- You get a full walkthrough with one of Ged Lawyers' attorneys. When you partner with our firm, we schedule a call to train you on how to set up passwords, log in, and how to navigate through the software. We’ll also answer any questions that you may have.
- You can monitor the progress of your claims all in one place. You can see progression details for each case from your medical provider contacts, including when the claim was recovered, patient details, benefits recovered, and the case’s current status, among others.
- You can export all your financial summary reports in several formats, including PDFs and spreadsheets
- We store your referral contact’s data safely with top-tier security protocols compliant with HIPAA
Partner With Ged Lawyers to Unlock More Revenue for Your Injury Law Firm
Having been practicing personal injury law for over 25 years, we know that personal injury lawyers face heavy document loads and also how resource-intensive litigating personal injury claims are.
By working with us, your personal injury law firm can unlock more revenue for your firm as we’ve perfected a rapid and transparent system with an exceptional payout rate.
Contact us today via our website or call us directly at (561) 924-1838 to learn more.
