Our Process
How We Handle Cases
Palermo Law is dedicated to providing the highest quality legal representation to our clients. Our success over the years as a personal injury law firm has been based on the personal attention that Steven Palermo and his staff give to every client. Keeping our clients informed on how their case is being handled is important to us. Below is a brief summary of what you can expect when you contact our law firm:
Initial Consultation
Once you call our office, we will set up a free consultation at one of our offices that is convenient for you. At that meeting, we will review the facts of your case to see if it is a good fit for our firm. After meeting with us, if you are interested in hiring our firm, we will conduct a brief intake which includes gathering the relevant information so that we may begin our investigation of your case.
Investigation
After hiring our firm we will immediately conduct a thorough investigation spearheaded by attorney Steven Palermo. The investigation includes gathering all evidence to support your case including, witness statements, accident reports, photographs, and medical records. Often, we will engage expert witnesses such as Accident Reconstructionists, Engineers, and Physicians to further support your case.
Claims
We will investigate all possible means of financial recovery from all responsible parties. Once identified, we will file a claim with each insurance carrier and obtain all relevant insurance information including policy limits. Usually, an insurance company will assign an adjuster to your case. That person will be the point of contact between the insurance carrier and us. Often the insurance adjuster will attempt to resolve the case during the claims process.
Litigation
Once the investigation is complete and the claim is filed with the insurance carrier, the next step is to litigate the case in court. Litigation includes filing a summons and complaint, exchanging discovery, and conducting depositions. Once those steps have been completed the case will be scheduled for trial.
Resolution
At some point in time, there will either be a settlement or a trial. If a settlement occurs, it can transpire in a number of different ways. First, it may be negotiated in a settlement conference. A settlement conference is either an in-person conversation or a telephone conversation directly with the adversary. Mediation is another possibility. It is a meeting with the adversary that is overseen by a mediator who is trained in helping resolve disputes. A trial occurs when the sides are unable to reach a settlement through negotiations.
We always keep you involved in the progress of your case. We reach out to you on a regular basis to give you updates on the status of your case and to see how you’re advancing in your recovery. We also schedule periodic appointments with you and the attorney to discuss case strategies and progress of your case. We always inform you of all developments in your case including settlement offers and get your input every step of the way. Further, you always make the final decision on whether to accept a settlement offer or proceed to trial on your case.