Frequently Asked Questions

Under the contingent fee contract we offer our clients, we advance the complete costs of the litigation and are reimbursed only upon completion of your case. If we obtain no recovery for you, you owe us nothing in fees.

You should bring all records associated with your case that are in your possession, including medical records, police reports, incident reports, medical bills, photographs, and the like. This will allow us to give you a prompt initial evaluation of your case.

This answer depends upon the unique facts of each particular case. Some cases can be settled early on, others require several years of extensive litigation and sometimes a trial to obtain a fair result. We at Reese & Reese are committed to obtaining a fair, reasonable recovery for each client we represent.

No lawyer can honestly determine the value of your case from an initial phone conversation or conference. The value of a claim is dependent upon a variety of factors, including the extent of liability by the wrongdoer(s), the significance of the harm caused, and the gravity and permanency of the injuries or damages suffered. We at Reese & Reese draw upon 135 years of collective experience in handling lawsuits and claims in evaluating each client’s case.

Many cases settle well before trial, some settle just before trial, and others go through a full trial. At what stage your case resolves will be dependent upon a variety of circumstances, but rest assured, while the lawyers at Reese & Reese will give you the best advice on whether to settle or go to trial, the decision is always the client’s to make.

A lien is a right given to a third party, usually a hospital or health insurance carrier, to be reimbursed for medical or other benefits for which a recovery is made from the person responsible for the injury. This right is based upon state law, local ordinance, or your insurance policy. In some but not all cases, such liens may be reduced through negotiation by your lawyer.

This is the right a third party may possess to be reimbursed from any recovery you may receive, e.g., your health insurance carrier may have a right to a “lien” on the proceeds of a recovery. We are committed to maximizing your recovery and will work to minimize any reduction of your proceeds.

“Tort reform” is the name given to a political and legal movement by special interests including corporations, big business, insurance companies, HMOs, hospitals, and doctors to restrict your right of recovery from them should you suffer an injury or violation of your rights as a result of their negligence or misconduct.

Over the years, “tort reform” proponents have successfully lobbied legislatures and are currently lobbying the United States Congress to limit the amount of pain and suffering and punitive damages that can be awarded against them, to restrict the time period within which claims may be filed including wholly foreclosing certain product liability claims against airplane manufacturers, and to discourage claims for nursing home abuse by imposing limitations and restrictions on these actions. Their goal is to close the courthouse doors to plaintiffs by enforcing or requiring arbitration of claims. Such “tort reform” restrictions were passed with promises such as lower insurance rates, which never materialized and constitute an ongoing and unfair restriction of your rights in exchange for greater corporate profit and immunity from wrongdoing. At Reese & Reese we are actively working at every level to lobby for the rights of victims.