I take 3-4 weeks of vacation every year. It tends to not actually be disconnected vacation because I usually bring my phone and work comp but at least I get away. Going outside the country was the best thing though. Didn't actually pay much attention to work emails for the first time in like 8 years and it was glorious.
I doubt I'll work a full week through the end of summer. I've brought in a ton of money these first few months, so nobody will say a word.
I think those thoughts were sort of creeping into his head which is why he said he needed someone else to do it
We have been doing a reduced schedule option for at least 20 years. Partnership used to be up or out the door, but that’s a stupid way to practice. We went to a reduced schedule option at the same time we created non-equity “partners.” There are tons of men and women who are great attorneys who don’t want to be here full time. As long as they are comfortable with the reduced pay, we have a reduced option. We generally don’t hire anyone at a reduced schedule. Once you come up as an associate and prove that you’re good, we just don’t force you to take an in-house job or otherwise leave if you want to get off the treadmill.
I answer emails and take client calls on every vacation. 100% of my work comes from my clients. When they call, I answer, because I don’t want them to call someone else. It’s not bad at all. I spend maybe a half hour each morning and evening answering emails. I take maybe one or two calls on a 7 day vacation.
There always seems to be a bill in Texas that wants to cap plaintiffs medical bills at some sort of Medicare rate if that ever passes PI in Texas is over
its going to be terrible but lol at worrying about chiropractors going out of business all those scumbags are driving Ferraris because of PIP
Isn't there a case pending at TXSC concerning capping non-economic damages at whatever the economic damages are? I think Florida is fucked because meatball Ron is doing this to campaign. But, I trust Texas won't allow it to go too far. The arbitration in lieu of jury trial ideas most certainly won't survive even the crazy SCOTUS we have now.
An incident report was finally produced that references two written statements taken on the date of the subject incident which they refuse to produce. It was taken by a security guard. Not even an insurance company employee/agent. On the date of the incident before litigation could have ever been comprehended. And having a security guard generate an incident report appears to be their SOP for whenever there is any sort of incident/scuffle at the shipyard. I don't see how this gets deemed to be work product or deemed to be created in anticipation of litigation. But the 5th Circuit def is insurance/employer friendly.
I’m not in FJA but only because I’m in our local justice association and am already in ABOTA. Don’t feel like paying another steep membership fee right now.
Adjuster who just gave you a "top offer" that was so pitiful it was downright disrespectful: "Ok well will you send me a copy of the complaint once it is filed?" Hell no I won't!
We as a profession need to agree to disbar anyone who tries to pull the "Give me your bottom line and I'll go get it" only to then try to make you negotiate off that bottom line like it was a normal counter offer move. It's obvious as hell and only wastes time. Like I'm not giving you my bottom line when your most recent offer is over 100k below where I need to be.
They ask you to send them a copy of the lawsuit so that they can notify their insured to expect a process server and to not freak out
You're absolutely correct. If you give a bottom line, most defendants/carriers will take that as a soft figure and assume you have a buffer zone below it. So no one gives a bottom line. Then because of the aforementioned process, instead of getting down to the reasonable number, the plaintiff's early offers are too high and the defendant/carrier acts offended/outraged at the unreasonable numbers/offers. All the while their offers are far below what is reasonable. The whole thing is really dumb. Having said all of that, in pre lit run of the mill MVA claims and sometimes in even low six figure litigated claims , I sometimes throw out my bottom line relatively early in the negotiations in an effort to skip the BS. Every mediator advises against it as the dog and pony show is necessary for carriers apparently.
Yup. The only people who get my bottom line are OCs I have a previous relationship with and we both know that number is for their ears only and they are going to go tell their client whatever they need to hear to eventually end up at the bottom line number and close the file. I just find it unbelievably annoying that there is a non-insignificant number of Defense attorney's whose first question in a settlement discussion is for my bottom line when they either have a shit offer or no offer on the table.
they offered 250k between the 3 plaintiffs in response to our stowers demand the lyft driver was unlicensed at the time of the wreck. trying to decide if i want to thank the adjuster for rejecting the stowers.
Just sent a 7 second video clip to OC of my client's property damage. Watched it without sound. Then my paralegal informed me that at the end our client says "motherfucking bitch."
I really hate people some times. Got what is essentially an AOB case where a company comes in and fixes up a house after an insurance claim then waits for the carrier to pay out the claim to make their money. This company spent 20k out of pocket on the rebuild of the property and then whatever labor costs they have for dry out and mold remediation. (not much) Our office made a couple minor mistakes during the pre-suit process (before I even joined the firm) so we made the executive decision to cut our losses and get the claim resolved by sacrificicing our fee. Client is getting her full amount of money she spent while having to rent a townhome while her house was fixed and the rebuild company is going to make a 30k profit on the job. owner of the rebuild company just called and laid into our office because they didn't get enough profit and if they had to cut down so should the insured. We literally just walked away from 28k in fees to make sure a small mistake doesn't bite everyone in the ass and he's pissed off about making 100%+ profit on the job.
Guess who showed up to UMC today? he’s also been working cases all week with other attorneys at my firm so the vacation was pure bull shit. judge was not thrilled with him. Reserved ruling on striking the witnesses until trial. Wants him to explain in front of his carrier why his experts shouldn’t be stricken for violating an order he agreed to. 1k in sanctions. overall I’ll take it. At least I know the judge is aware of his bull shit.
Got referred a case in the Tuscaloosa area and I need to refer it out. Patient at Bruce Mental Health Facility in Tuscaloosa was attacked and killed a few weeks ago. Facility claims he was attacked by another patient and that he was pushed and hit his head on a table. But he had strangulation marks around his neck and lacerations to his face. Anyone in here in that area interested?
Have a case in a different state. 1 year scheduling order with trial. We did quite a bit of discovery; perhaps we could have done more depos. I file our first motion for continuance. I think it's going to get denied. Total crazy town.
What state? We have a venue here that will not continue anything. They tell you at the scheduling conference, but a lot of folks fuck around and find out.
An animal got in our attic and died at the office. Smells like ass in here. Waiting on the critter gitter to drag this thing away
cant get over how useless this fred loya lawyer is. drafted a motion to compel her clients deposition after us reaching out 10+ times for a date and her client not showing up to the first deposition. shes claiming she can't locate her client even though it was super easy for us to serve him like at some point i move to strike their pleading when they no show 3 depositions. they'll try to pull coverage, and then i subpoena their client/insured and ask if/when fred loya tried to contact him and he says never
"Could you please share whatever contact info you used to effect service on the defendant so I can attempt to actually get the deponent to the depo? " so i guess fred loya filed an answer and responded to written discovery requests without ever talking to their insured/him requesting a defense. definitely.
and 5 minutes later I actually think this matter got reassigned to another attorney here in our firm so I will no longer be the point of contact.
lol i can't get enough of this shit As you may recall, I was never the attorney of record on this case. I am merely here because the attorneys who have previously worked on this matter are no longer employed by this firm. So, before anyone continues to accuse me of unethical behavior in the defense of a client, know that none of these accusations hold any merit.
that's a direct quote meanwhile: On January 5, 2023, January 9, 2023, January 12, 2023, January 17, 2023, February 2, 2023, February 6, 2023, February 27, 2023, February 28, 2023, March 1, 2023, March 3, 2023, March 6, 2023, March 7, 2023, and March 8, 2023 I sent correspondence to Defense Counsel requesting deposition dates for their client before filing this Motion to Compel, but as of the filing of this Motion, the requested information has not been provided
I'd usually say file a motion to show authority/sanctions but that could create a coverage problem for you. Maybe notice the depo and subpoena the guy yourself if you know where he is?
You're probably right. So notice the depo and subpoena him. I'd have a process server ready to go asap so they can't quash the depo before you serve him. If you serve him and then they quash file a sanctions motion with the Court. That will look terrible.
Just trying to decide if I want to take another CNA, them blow off a compel, get their pleading struck, and then subpoena him and be like so did they ever try to contact you
I’d probably subpoena and depose him first to head off a coverage denial. Ask him if he was ever informed of the previous depositions, if he’d changed numbers or addresses since getting the policy, whether/whether they ever contacted him, etc.