Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question: How long have you operated your own office?

Answer: I have owned and operated my own law office since 1984. My office is only a few blocks north of the 91 freeway in central Riverside.

Question: How do you get paid?

Answer: I work on a contingency fee basis such that I am paid from the settlement and the client does not pay any money out of their own pocket towards my fee. In over 90% of all cases, I advance the Court costs and litigation expenses on behalf of my clients and I am reimbursed at the time that the case settles.

Question: Do you work with healthcare providers for the client to treat on a lien basis?

Answer: Yes. In my nearly three decades of practice I have cultivated an excellent working relationship with dozens of healthcare providers in the Riverside area who will treat clients on a lien basis when there is no source of med pay or health insurance. The lien protects the provider’s right to be paid from the settlement and allows the client the freedom to receive proper medical care without having to pay for it out-of-pocket.

Question: What is your settlement success rate?

Answer: Approximately 85% of my cases settle within 4-6 weeks of getting my client’s medical records following the conclusion of their medical care. I put a tremendous amount of effort into the settlement demand package sent to the insurance company and always seek to avoid an unnecessary litigation which can slow down the recovery to the client. However, I do not hesitate to litigate a case when it is appropriate.

Question: Who will actually handle my case?

Answer: I will. I love the practice of law and prefer practicing law rather than managing an office. I do not have a large staff with whom clients are forced to deal. I speak to the clients myself when they call my office rather than have a secretary handle their questions. I do all of the legal work myself including all negotiations and Court appearances with the goal that each client’s case gets the best individual result possible.

Question: What is the advantage of using your firm rather than one of the larger firms with larger staffs?

Answer: Many of the larger firms have staffs of paralegal and law clerks who actually handle the client files on a day to day basis. It is my personal goal that each client achieve a maximum recovery. I handle every aspect of the file myself and utilize my 30+ years of experience to give each client every advantage in resolving the matter successfully with an optimal result. My office does not rely upon a high volume of cases to generate revenue. Rather, I handle each case so that each individual client can feel assured that they received the best result possible.

Question: What kind of results do you achieve for your clients?

Answer: My office generates approximately $1,000,000 per year in settlements for my clients. In March, 2003, I obtained a $1,566,424 jury verdict for a personal injury client who was on a bicycle struck by a pickup truck (Sholes vs. Network Pharmaceuticals, Inc.). In 1998, I obtained a $9 Million Dollar Judgment for two of my clients (Sanchez vs. Herrly). While every case is judged on its own merits, I enjoy the challenge of extracting monies from billion dollar insurance companies to benefit my clients for having been the victim of someone’s negligence.

Question: What can a client expect from you?

Answer: From the moment that the client walks in the door, my energy is focused to provide assertive and aggressive representation which obtains the best recovery possible in each case. There are some insurance adjusters in Southern California with whom I have been dealing for more than a decade who can tell you how much I value a fair and prompt settlement of each claim that I handle. My integrity and pride will let me do no less. The phrase, “GET THE EXTRA ATTENTION THAT YOU DESERVE” is not a mere slogan but my way of doing business with each client.