WHAT IS A PATIENT NAVIGATOR

Patient Navigators are specially trained healthcare workers who provide services and support for the ill and aging. This concept was originally created to assist with the poor, uninsured, and those with low literacy levels. It is my understanding that it then developed to assist those suffering from cancer. Now Patient Navigators can help anyone.

Patient Navigators help people "navigate" the maze of doctor's visits, diagnostic testing, visits to the hospital, outpatient centers, insurance and payment issues, and other components of healthcare. For example, a patient navigator may coordinate your doctors' visits, maintain telephone contact between you and your physicians, arrange for transportation and assist with insurance paperwork. Patient Navigators are former nurses, social workers, or community health workers.

Admittedly, I only recently learned of this service. However, it makes sense: conceivably millions of people are not adept at all of the issues one faces in today's healthcare world. For example, one may be undaunted at arranging his or her medical appointments, but becomes easily flustered dealing with insurance or Medicare paperwork. Another individual may be in a nursing home and needs transportation. Yet many others do not know what to ask their doctor during a visit and even become embarrassed, feeling that they are taking up too much time of their physician.

If you feel that this type of service can help you, but do not know where to turn, I would simply Google the phrase "Patient Navigator" to learn more. I also became aware of a particular website which may be helpful: http://www.patientnavigator.com/. While I cannot vouch for this website, it may be a good place to start.

Attorney Doug Stoehr is interested in healthcare problems and is concerned about individuals who become injured through no fault of their own. Contact our office if you should have any questions or concerns.

Attorney Doug Stoehr

What is a problem with tort reform in the medical malpractice arena? Part II

In an op-ed in the New York Daily News (12/5), New York State Bar Association President Michael Getnick wrote, "Lawyers and lawsuits have been attacked politically for years, but in reality, civil lawsuits shine a spotlight on wrongdoing, call the offenders to account, deter future misbehavior and provide justice for people who have been hurt. Repeated studies have shown that approximately 100,000 people die each year due to medical malpractice in our nation's hospitals." Getnick argues, "Anyone who wants to reduce the number of lawsuits should focus on reducing the type of negligent behavior that harms people and causes them to sue".

Attorney Douglas V. Stoehr seeks justice for our injured clients, not political correctness according to some insurance companies idea of that concept. In doing so, we professionally and diligently represent honest individuals in their unfortunate injury claims resulting from the careless acts of others. When you come to us for help, you can expect integrity on our part, respect and dedication to your cause.

What is a problem with tort reform in the medical malpractice arena?

In a December 6 article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, it was reported that "Next month, the Missouri Supreme Court will hear arguments" in a case challenging the state's cap on jury damage awards. "There and in Illinois' highest court, judges ultimately will rule on an issue that pits doctors and businesses against lawyers and advocates for victims." Medical malpractice attorneys say that the state's $350,000 cap is "bad for consumers...because it means that people...will have a hard time finding a lawyer willing to take their cases".
-Placing caps on jury damage awards merely injures the victim a second time.
-Attorney Douglas V. Stoehr believes that the best way to control medical malpractice is to develop medical practices that reduce or prevent medical errors and malpractice that carelessly cost tens of thousands of lives each year.

Pain Management Resources

Recently I posted a blog about suffering from chronic pain. I have located some pain management resources which I would like to share with you. These are pain advocacy and support groups. They are as follows:

American Diabetes Association - www.diabetes.org

American Fibromyalgia Syndrome Association - www.afsafund.org

American Geriatrics Society - www.americangeriatricssociety.org

American RSDHope - www.RSDHope.org

American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics - www.aslme.org

Amputee Coalition of America - www.amputee-coalition.org

Arthritis Foundation - www.arthritis.org

Association of Oncology Social Work - www.aosw.org

Band Against MS-Clay Walker - www.bandagainstms.org

Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities - www.c-c-d.org

Dia de la Mujer Latina, Inc. - www.diadelmujerlatina.org

Disability Advocates of America - www.disability-advocate.com

Disabled American Veterans - www.dav.org

Ehler-Danlos National Foundation (connective tissue disorder) - www.ednf.org

For Grace - www.forgrace.org

Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. - www.lupus.org

Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America - www.myasthenia.org

National Fibromyalgia Association - www.fmaware.org

National Association of Area Agencies on Aging - www.n4a.org

National Headache Association - www.headaches.org

The National Migraine Association - www.migraines.org

National Multiple Sclerosis Society - www.nationalmssociety.org

National Organization for Rare Disorders - www.rarediseases.org

National Palliative Care Research Center - www.nprc.org

National Stroke Association - www.stroke.org

National Womens Health Resource Center - www.healthywomen;org

Patient Advocate Foundation - www.patientadvocate.org

Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association - www.rsds.org

Sickle Cell Disease - www.sicklecelldisease.org

United States Bone and Joint Decade - www.usbjd.org


At Stoehr & Smith, LLC, we are interested in issues regarding pain and pain management. Feel free to contact our office if you would like to discuss any pain problem brought about because of an accident or injury.

Attorney Doug Stoehr

WARNING: SOCIAL NETWORKING CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOUR CLAIM

IN EARLY OCTOBER of this year, CareerBuilder.com published an article written by Editor Kate Lorenz entitled "Warning: Social Networking Can Be Harmful to Your Job Search". This article started out with the following anecdote and statistics pertaining to careless social networking posts:

That cute, affable guy who brags of his drunken exploits on FaceBook.com may be meeting a lot of other partiers online, but he's probably not getting added to the "friends" lists of many corporate recruiters. A recent study by the executive search firm ExecuNet found that 77 percent of recruiters run searches of candidates on the Web to screen applicants; 35 percent of these same recruiters say they've eliminated a candidate based on the information they uncovered.

This same warning applies as seriously and with as potentially dangerous consequences to personal injury claims. Over the course of the last few years, numerous insurance adjusters to whom I have spoken have come up with information on individuals involved in some capacity on injury claims (usually parties or witnesses) that I would have never expected them to know in the past and which has prompted me to ask "HOW IN THE WORLD DO YOU KNOW THAT?". Increasingly I discover that they have found out information that discredits someone's story or potentially lessens their credibility from public posts that are found on social networks such as My Space, Facebook, Twitter and the numerous other sites where we can be lulled into a false sense of privacy or security. I am now CONVINCED that most if not all insurance companies are scanning social network posts in order to see whether there might be something available to use in discrediting (often times unfairly) someone who is asserting a personal injury claim. NOW is the recommended time to recognize that everything placed on these social networking sites is really PUBLIC.

EVEN IF you try to protect your sites from what my kids call "creepers" (those persons trying to look into your site content for the purpose of either being nosey or to possibly use the content against you) by setting the security on private so that only your "friends" can see everything, please remember that any so-called friend can use what you have made private to turn it into something public for the world to see. Therefore, for example, innocent comments made on a social network by someone who has been injured that pertain to involvement or participation in physical endeavors, even if you are innocently watching, can be taken out of context and used to give rise to questions about whether the speaker has in fact been injured to the extent claimed or whether their injuries really prevent them from doing what they are actually unable to do. I believe that most injured people would prefer to put a positive spin on things and let on to their acquaintances that they are doing better than how they are actually doing. It is human nature for most people to not want to be perceived as a whiner, so one with a "tough it out attitude" might instead err on overstating what they are able to do or not accurately detailing all of what they are not able to do. I am not being critical of a "tough it out attitude"; instead I am only waiving a big warning about how this attitude can get an injured victim in trouble if he publishes an overly favorable account of his condition on a social network post.

BEST PRACTICE: keep the facts of your claim and your medical condition off of the internet and out of social network posts. KEEP YOUR INJURY CLAIM PRIVATE AMONG ONLY YOU AND YOUR DOCTORS, ATTORNEY AND TRUSTED LOVED ONES....no one else. Too much can be twisted and distorted too easily when it comes to the use of social networking posts, thereby making social networking about your personal injury claim or about your endeavors during the pendency of your personal injury claim as dangerous as the indiscriminate job searcher who posts things that are most distasteful to future employers.

At Stoehr & Smith, LLC, it is our pledge to protect your privacy WHILE PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS WHEN REPRESENTING YOU IN A PERSONAL INJURY CLAIM, so as to work toward concluding your claim in A MOST FAVORABLE MANNER that gives credit to the truth and accuracy of the consequences of your injuries and damages!

Attorney Nat Smith natsmith@stoehrsmithlaw.com

What can I say to the therapist or nurse if my case is in litigation?

When you treat for your accident-related injuries the nurse at your doctor's office will often meet with you before you see the physician or physician assistant. Typically the nurse is acquiring updated information from you regarding your limitations and restrictions and pain level from the injury. The same is also true for the physical therapist. In fact, you are probably seeing the therapist 2-3 times per week if this is what your doctor has prescribed. It is easy to become friendly with the nurse and, in particular, the physical therapist. After all, they chose careers in the healthcare field so that we can assume that they do care about your medical condition.



Despite the above, you must be careful how you choose your words. For example, you were hurt in an automobile accident 5 months ago. Recently you experienced a weekend of less pain than typical. However, you know that you are far from being healed. Yet the therapist asks you on Monday morning about your weekend. You said that you felt better with less pain, merely being forthright and trying to keep a positive attitude. However, the therapist records in your notes "Patient improved, less pain, reports that his weekend went well. Will continue with modalities. Expect full improvement." Obviously you did say you were feeling better but you were only making a comparison of the past weekend to the previous five months. You certainly did not mean to imply that all was better with your injury. However, someone reading this note could certainly infer this, especially a claims adjuster or insurance defense attorney.



Here are some tips if you are treating regularly for your accident-related injuries:



1. Always be HONEST. Never exaggerate any complaints of pain yet do not minimize your complaints, either. For example, if you say something such as "Oh, I guess I am doing better," this will be interpreted to mean that you are literally improving. In reality, you may be hurting more than ever but you do not want to be a complainer. Go ahead and complain but, just do not exaggerate.

2. Be careful of developing a friendship with your therapist or nurse. This may cause you to become too comfortable with what you say. For example, you may casually say that you watched the football game on Sunday with some friends and had a couple of beers. However, it is likely that your medical record will state "Patient reports no change in her condition. Drank beer over the weekend." Although there may be nothing wrong with enjoying a brew, do you really want this in your medical records?

3. The goal of the healthcare professional is to help you improve. This is admirable, we want this from our healthcare professionals. However, an overzealous healthcare professional may use any opportunity to increase his batting average. Thus, unless you truly are improving and have no doubt that you will be 100%, do not give anyone ammunition to state in your records you are healed if this is not accurate.

Simply put, it may be better to state "I see some improvement but not enough" or "I still hurt a lot but the last couple of days seem somewhat better," if this is actually the case. Remember, your words will be recorded literally and, at times, stated inaccurately. Thus, like all of life's situations, be careful what you say and how you say it. If you are careful, you will not have to worry about something being taken out of its proper context. Attorney Doug Stoehr

Who is the most important person in health care reform: YOU!

You should not be surprised that YOU are the most important person in the debate on health care reform. However, I am also one of the most important persons, along with my neighbors, the persons with whom I work, the students in my children's schools and their parents, teachers and professors, the individuals who go to work to earn a living, the people who cannot work, the brave persons who fight for our country abroad and the people who should be appreciated for protecting us and providing services to us in our home towns. We are all the persons who could due to one quick and unexpected mishap or as a result of illness become patients requiring medical care from medical providers whom we hope are skilled, concerned, experienced and unimpaired in any manner. While the insurance companies and other big business interests, and those that represent them such as the Chamber of Commerce and other interest groups are definitely voices in the debate, they seem to be focused more on profits than people. We need to let our legislators know that WE are the most important persons in the debate on health care reform; many of them do not seem to understand that truth. Please click on the purple link to watch the following video of Congressman Bruce Brawley of Iowa as he discusses "the most critical aspect of true medical health care reform" which is STANDING UP FOR PATIENTS!
At Stoehr and Smith,LLC. we can provide free advice and help if you believe that a family member or acquaintance has been the victim of carelessness or negligence while a patient in a nursing home facility; please feel free to give us a CALL today.
Attorney Nat Smith

Helping the Chronically Ill Patient

Many of us know someone who suffers from chronic pain. Chronic pain can be the result of a serious work-related injury, an automobile accident, or simply the aging process. For example, you may have a loved one who presently resides in a nursing home.

Although I am relatively young (51) I know the affects of chronic pain. I am a chronic pain sufferer. Unfortunately, this means that a part of my life is consumed by a medication schedule, visits to the doctor, therapy or another surgery.

Therefore, if you know someone who suffers from chronic pain, please improve your relationship by communicating better and being patient. Here are some ways to better understand the chronically ill patient:

1. When you take a moment to ask the sufferer how she is doing, find out how she is doing emotionally, not just physically. This makes the sufferer feel that you really do care. Somehow it makes the day more bearable.

2. Remember what it is like to suffer pain for a few days, even one day. Then think about the person who you know that suffers each and every day, if only for part of the day.

3. Remember the adage, do not criticize or be judgmental unless you have walked a mile in the other's shoes. If you keep this in mind and become patient, the sufferer really appreciates your interest and concern. However, be sincere. Those suffering with chronic pain can see through an insincere remark or gesture in a heartbeat.

4. Remember: The chronic sufferer did not choose to be in this position. The sufferer has been dealt a bad hand, so to speak. Chronic pain can be depressing, and at times, debilitating. At the very least, it is challenging. Therefore, take the time to better understand the condition or illness that the other suffers so you will better understand treatment options, therapies, and medications.

5. Speaking of medications, the chronically ill person is not an addict. Do not be judgmental or critical if the sufferer shares with you the types of medications she is taking. Remember, the medications, if properly prescribed, are helping the sufferer cope and get through the day.

6. Do not be embarrassed to ask, "Can I pray for you?" The sufferer will be very thankful for your offer, and it may be the first time someone has ever offered to pray for her.

Coping with chronic pain is very difficult. Do you best to understand, be patient, and learn more about the sufferer's condition. To learn more about the types of injuries for which we represent people at Stoehr & Smith, LLC, see our website at www.stoehrsmithlaw.com.

Attorney Doug Stoehr

PROTECT THOSE WHO CANNOT PROTECT THEMSELVES

Our children are our greatest treasures. Of course, the younger they are the more they are dependant upon us for most everything. While the caring of parents never really ends, it usually requires the most detail and attention during the tender years of birth through preschool. Children at very young ages develop quickly from a state of helplessness to one of great curiosity. Fingers, feet and heads seem to have a tendency to find themselves in awkward and sometimes risky places. If you are planning on starting a family or if you are a grandparent with young children heading back into your care, please take the time to protect your infants and children from the household hazards that are a danger to them. A good reference to start learning about childproofing or child protecting or to refresh your past knowledge is found in the brochure produced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission that you can reference by clicking on the following link: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/252.pdf

Don't take shortcuts and don't make the mistake of favoring your convenience over your child's safety. Play it safe and protect your greatest treasures!
Nat Smith

The most famous case in American History---it might be the McDonald's coffee spill case

The McDonald's coffee spill verdict caused quite a stir (no pun intended). The punitive damage verdict of almost $3,000,000, later reduced to $480,000, was fodder for the media and corporate america to distort the facts for the purpose of attacking our civil justice system. This case was used and continues to be used for a political agenda to prevent access to the court system and immunize corporations from civil liability. A new movie in production will expose the motivations of those big business and insurance interests who manipulated the media using the McDonald's coffee spill case. For now, you can watch a three minute trailer for a preview of the feature documentary film "HOT COFFEE: Is Justice being Served?" at the film producers blog at http://hotcoffeethemovie.com/trailer/ Please take a look at the trailer for some brief illumination of the types of unfair manuevering that big business and insurance interests will perform in order to protect their own interests and consequently harm your individual rights and access to the courts.

Do you want to know the real facts of the McDonald's coffee case? For now, please take a look at the fact sheet compiled by the American Association for Justice (formerly known as the American Trial Lawyers Association) as found set forth below. Otherwise, keep you eye out for the eventual release of "HOT COFFEE: Is Justice being Served?".

My point today is that we can't allow ourselves to believe and be mislead by the prevalent attacks on the civil justice system and Plaintiff -victims that we read and hear through the media. We need to step back and investigate to make certain that the facts which form the basis of any campaign against the civil justice system are true and accurate. We owe that to ourselves in order to do our best to make sure that justice is not being attacked by fiction but instead is being preserved by truth.

FYI: Here are the real facts of the McDonald's coffee case:

There is a lot of hype about the McDonalds' scalding coffee case. No one is in favor of frivolous cases of outlandish results; however, it is important to understand some points that were not reported in most of the stories about the case. McDonalds coffee was not only hot, it was scalding -- capable of almost instantaneous destruction of skin, flesh and muscle. Here's the whole story. Stella Liebeck of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was in the passenger seat of her grandson's car when she was severely burned by McDonalds' coffee inFebruary 1992. Liebeck, 79 at the time, ordered coffee that was served in a styrofoam cup at the drivethrough window of a local McDonalds.After receiving the order, the grandson pulled his car forward and stopped momentarily so that Liebeck could add cream and sugar to her coffee. (Critics of civil justice, who have pounced on this case, often charge that Liebeck was driving the car or that the vehicle was in motion when she spilled the coffee; neither is true.) Liebeck placed the cup between her knees and attempted to remove the plastic lid from the cup. As she removed the lid, the entire contents of the cup spilledinto her lap.
The sweatpants Liebeck was wearing absorbed the coffee and held it next to her skin. A vascular surgeon determined that Liebeck suffered full thickness burns (or third-degree burns) over 6 percent of her body,including her inner thighs, perineum, buttocks, and genital and groin areas. She was hospitalized for eight days, during which time she underwent skin grafting. Liebeck, who also underwent debridement treatments, sought to settle her claim for $20,000, but McDonalds refused.During discovery, McDonalds produced documents showing more than 700claims by people burned by its coffee between 1982 and 1992. Some claims involved third-degree burns substantially similar to Liebecks. Thish istory documented McDonalds' knowledge about the extent and nature ofthis hazard. McDonalds also said during discovery that, based on a consultantsadvice, it held its coffee at between 180 and 190 degrees fahrenheit to maintain optimum taste. He admitted that he had not evaluated the safety ramifications at this temperature. Other establishments sellcoffee at substantially lower temperatures, and coffee served at home isgenerally 135 to 140 degrees.Further, McDonalds' quality assurance manager testified that the company actively enforces a requirement that coffee be held in the pot at 185 degrees, plus or minus five degrees. He also testified that a burn hazard exists with any food substance served at 140 degrees or above, and that McDonalds coffee, at the temperature at which it was poured into styrofoam cups, was not fit for consumption because it would burn the mouth and throat. The quality assurance manager admitted that burns would occur, but testified that McDonalds had no intention of reducing the "holding temperature" of its coffee.Plaintiffs' expert, a scholar in thermodynamics applied to human skinburns, testified that liquids, at 180 degrees, will cause a fullthickness burn to human skin in two to seven seconds. Other testimony showed that as the temperature decreases toward 155 degrees, the extent of the burn relative to that temperature decreases exponentially. Thus, if Liebeck's spill had involved coffee at 155 degrees, the liquid would have cooled and given her time to avoid a serious burn.McDonalds asserted that customers buy coffee on their way to work orhome, intending to consume it there. However, the companys own research showed that customers intend to consume the coffee immediately while driving. McDonalds also argued that consumers know coffee is hot and that its customers want it that way. The company admitted its customers were unaware that they could suffer third degree burns from the coffee andthat a statement on the side of the cup was not a "warning" but a"reminder" since the location of the writing would not warn customers of the hazard.The jury awarded Liebeck $200,000 in compensatory damages. This amountwas reduced to $160,000 because the jury found Liebeck 20 percent at fault in the spill. The jury also awarded Liebeck $2.7 million inpunitive damages, which equals about two days of McDonalds' coffeesales. Post-verdict investigation found that the temperature of coffee at the local Albuquerque McDonalds had dropped to 158 degrees fahrenheit. The trial court subsequently reduced the punitive award to $480,000 --or three times compensatory damages -- even though the judge calledMcDonalds' conduct reckless, callous and willful.No one will ever know the final ending to this case.The parties eventually entered into a secret settlement which has neverbeen revealed to the public, despite the fact that this was a public case, litigated in public and subjected to extensive media reporting. Such secret settlements, after public trials, should not be condoned.-----excerpted from ATLA fact sheet. © 1995,

Nat Smith

Are you prepared for an accident?

My college age daughter called recently and said that she had just been tapped into by another car. She got the offending driver's name and address, but no insurance info. After I "calmly" explained why she needed to to do more, it struck me that most people are probably unaware of what they should do when involved in an accident. I would suggest that you print the list below and keep in your glove box.

1. Call the police in any instance if there is bodily injury, severe damage to your car, or the other driver refuses to show you their driver's license and insurance card, or is uninsured.

2. Definitely call the police and your insurance company if involved in a hit-and-run or if you are forced off the road by a vehicle or animal.

3.Keep an inexpensive camera in your car; a cell phone with a camera will do. Just remember to take the photos.

4.Secure the name and phone number of any witnesses, if possible.

5. Obviously exchange contact info with the other driver if no police investigation. Again, have the other driver show you their insurance card and driver's license. If they refuse, call the police.

6. Stress and adrenaline usually kick in. Thus, while you may not feel that you are injured, do not refuse medical treatment at the scene if available. Go to the emergency room if anything feels wrong. Do not be surprised if you do not perceive any injuries while at the scene but you experience pain once you get home or the next few days.

7. Check your car(s) NOW to make sure that you have your own insurance and registration info handy. Do not assume that you have a pen and paper in the car, place it there NOW.

Attorney Doug Stoehr

Insurance tip for the week

We receive calls about automobile accidents. Our staff is instructed to ask whether the caller has full or limited tort. Frequently the caller says: "Yes, I have "full coverage", meaning collision and comprehensive. This has nothing to do with the full tort option. Briefly, limited tort allows a policyholder to save money (usually no more than 15 %) but lose the legal right to make a claim for injuries unless the injury is "serious". Unfortunately the Pennsylvania courts and insurance companies interpret "serious" to be chronic, if not permanent. Thus, if you elect limited tort, you trade slight savings for fair compensation of your injuries.
TIP: discuss this thoroughly with your agent. Do not assume that the agent will cover this in detail and, remember, the agent works for the insurance company, not you. If you already have limited tort, it is not too late to change. Merely call your agent and ask that a form be sent to you. Call us if you have any questions. we are here to help even if you do not have an injury claim right now. Remember, our attorneys used to work for the "other side". Let Stoehr & Smith work for you now. Attorney Doug Stoehr

Winter is just around the bend....maybe tonight

Heading out for work this morning in the chilly rain after hearing weather forecasts of potential evening snow fall throughout north central Pennsylvania prompts real time thoughts of winter's arrival. When winter arrives, safety concerns abound for which we need to be prepared. Without careful planning and prevention, the winter brings hazards that can catch us off guard and vulnerable to injury. Ice, snow and cold result in road hazards, pedestrian hazards, home hazards and work hazards. Now is the time to learn or refresh our knowledge of ways in which we can protect ourselves to prevent most of the hazards of winter from getting the best of us.

Here are some great internet resources that you can read in order to get ready for what will quickly be upon us- the beautiful, but sometimes treacherous months of winter:

www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/pdf/cold_guide.pdf
and
http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/guide.asp
U.S. Department of Health And Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/guides/winterstorms.html
U.S. Department of Labor

www.kidsource.com/safety/winter.safety.cold.html
Kidsource Online

http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/decwintertips.cfm
American Academy of Pediatrics

These resources discuss winter safety for young and old, at home and away, and at work and at play. Please prepare NOW so that you increase your chances of making it through the winter safely. While we are here at Stoehr & Smith, LLC, to help you when home, work, on the road and on foot accidents cause harm to you and your family, we would first prefer that your safety is protected as much as possible throughout the upcoming winter months.

Wishing you warm and safe travels!

Nat Smith

REASONS TO HIRE A LOCAL ATTORNEY

People will often ask, “Should I hire a local attorney?” There’s a temptation to hire an attorney based on advertising, even though that lawyer may be based in a distant city.
We strongly believe that hiring a local attorney is almost always better – IF there is a good local attorney experienced with your type of case.

Why do we think this? The most immediate reasons are as follows:

-We are much more convenient to meet/more accessible.
-We know the local judges and lawyers.
-We are familiar with local court personnel and the quirks of getting things done in local courts.
-We know the insurance adjusters who handle cases in your area.
-We are familiar with area doctors and their medical staff – from whom cooperation is critically important.
-We know the local police and investigators who can be crucial to an accident investigation.
-We understand the local roads, the local bars and the local witnesses. They frequently have general background information that can assist us in understanding your case.
-We are NOT “in cahoots” with opposing counsel or insurance adjusters. We are in business to get as much money for our clients as possible. By doing so, we also benefit since we are paid on the basis of what we recover for you.

We feel our knowledge of local opponents (and their knowledge of us) helps us do BETTER for our clients. We know who can be trusted, and who shouldn’t be. In other words, the local knowledge HELPS.

We feel that accessibility to your attorney is the most important aspect of the connection that you should have with your attorney. Over the years, we have spoken with so many people who complain that they are never able to get in touch with their attorney. While you may not be able to contact your attorney at the moment each time you call his or her office, it is not unreasonable to expect that your attorney will attempt to respond to your call as immediately as when they are able to do so. It is also favorable at times to be able to see your attorney in person without having to wait for an out of town attorney to find a free day to travel to see you or to require that you travel a long distance to come to see them.

With all that said, we encourage you to stay local and contact STOEHR & SMITH, LLC., first when you or someone you know needs any of our available free legal advice and/or representation from a personal injury attorney.
Nat Smith

Welcome

Welcome to our new personal injury blog. Please visit our website for more information on Pennsylvania personal injury.