Q. Tell us about yourself and your practice.
A . I attended law school at Indiana University School of Law, Indianapolis. I graduated in May 2002 and moved to Nevada to take the bar exam. I have been practicing law in Nevada, since January 2003. I originally worked for a firm focusing on insurance, defense and some personal injury plaintiff work as well. In December 2007, I went out on my own and started McConnell Law Group Ltd., which is now d/b/a Family Law Centers. My areas of practice include personal injury plaintiff, family law and general civil litigation. You can also see my biography on my website at www.familylawcenters.com. I have spoken at approximately 4 seminars locally, regarding collection work and personal injury litigation. I am a member of the Nevada State Bar American Bar Association, Clark County Bar Association and American Inns of Court.
Q. If a mom asked you to tell us what does personal injury mean what would you say?
A. I would tell the mom that a personal injury occurs when you are injured, due to the negligence or fault of another person. For example, if you are in an auto accident wherein you sustain injuries and the reason for the accident was due to the other party’ s failure to yield, then you would have a personal injury action.
Q. People have accidents every day. What separates a simple accident from one where a person should seek your firm’ s assistance?
A. A simple accident can usually be handled by contacting the insurance company directly. If you feel, as if you are getting the run-around, then it would be best to retain my firm for assistance to help secure your rights.
Q. Do you offer free initial consultations?
A. For personal injury actions we do offer free ½ hour consultations. If the consultation requires advice for family law, then we do charge a fee to avoid " conflicting out" of a case.
Q. How soon should one file a lawsuit?
A. A person has two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. However, the longer you wait to take action the facts become more fuzzy. With that being said, it would depend upon your injuries and treatment. If you are going to need six weeks of physical therapy or other treatment, then you may want to wait to take action when you are done treating. However, if you are going to have long term injuries or pain as a result of the accident, then it would be best to begin the action as soon as possible.
Q. What should you be doing if faced with a claim?
A. Generally speaking you will want to take pictures of the accident and injuries, if possible. This will help document the injuries and what occurred. However, keep in mind that documents are discoverable, so if you keep a journal/diary of the incident, this will most likely have to be provided to the other side. You will then want to seek immediate medical attention, with your primary physician or Emergency Room if necessary. At that point you will need to follow your doctor’ s orders. You should avoid giving any written or recorded statement to the insurance company, without seeking legal advice as this can be used against you at the trial or for settlement purposes.
Q. Is there a minimum or maximum amount that can be recovered?
A. There is no minimum or maximum amount. It will depend upon the limits of the insurance policy and the amount of medical bills incurred by the injured party.
Q. What sorts of damages are covered under Las Vegas Personal Injury Law?
A. Medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of income and future damages should the injured party be required to undergo continual medical treatment or surgery in the future.
Q. Do all cases need to go to court?
A. No, as most cases do settle out of court. It will depend upon the facts of the case and the amount of money being requested.
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