Mitchell Personal Injury Lawyer
30 Years of Personal Injury Experience
Jim Even has been successfully practicing personal injury law for two and a half decades. Over the years, his firm has assisted hundreds of clients to secure fair compensation and justice in their cases. He has recovered millions of dollars in jury verdicts and settlements. He personally resolves his cases and does not pass them off to paralegals or associated lawyers. You can have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that an experienced attorney is working on your case. Additionally, as a proven Mitchell personal injury attorney, he gives you an advantage that many lawyers are not able to provide. For 6 years he worked as a representative for insurance companies. He defended injury and workers' compensation cases and for 1 year worked as staff counsel for Aetna Insurance Company. Since that time, he has fought for and recovered fair settlements for those injured in a range of types of incidents, including all vehicle accidents including auto accidents as well as product liability and premises liability claims.
While he takes pride in his experience and the results achieved for clients, what is important now is what these factors can mean for you and your loved ones. He knows exactly how insurers operate in order to deny a claim or reduce the settlement paid to the injured victim. He has extensive knowledge and insight in exactly how personal injury lawsuits are defended. When it comes to taking on insurance companies and their lawyers, you want representation that has this level of experience.
In any personal injury case, the most important element will be proving who was at fault or negligent. In our state, the degree of responsibility will also be an important component in determining the damages that will be awarded in your case. Negligence is the legal term used to define the activities or inaction of an individual that results in another being injured. Legally, it must be demonstrated that the responsible party had a duty towards the injured person to act in a way that would not bring him or her harm. If a person is found to be negligent, it refers to conduct that is less than what a reasonable individual would do to prevent predictable risk of harm to another person.
Injured in an automobile, truck, motorcycle or bus accident?
A common instance of negligence is drunk driving accidents which result in severe burns, broken bones, brain injuries and other types of harm. The intoxicated driver had a responsibility towards others to drive in a safe manner. This individual had a reasonable expectation that if they drank too much they would not be able to operate their vehicle safely. Even though this person knew the risks involved, they decided to drink and drive and are, therefore, legally liable.
While this example may seem straightforward, many cases are not so obvious. Additionally, personal injury claims and litigation are commonly contested. Opposition attorneys employ a variety of legal tactics to try to achieve a lower settlement, or none at all. Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and attorneys who work only for them. Their job is to protect the business interests of their employers and they are highly skilled at doing so. It is vital that your rights to compensation and damages are safeguarded as well.
If you have been in an auto, motorcycle, bus, pedestrian, truck or construction accident, Attorney Even strives to demonstrate that the responsible party had a duty of care towards you that was violated. This can be especially important for residents of Mitchell who work in the manufacturing or construction industries. He also works hard to show that this breach of duty brought about verifiable damages. His firm does this by analyzing the physical evidence of your accident, medical reports, witness statements, data from law enforcement, physician records and other applicable information. His actions are all targeted towards demonstrating who was responsible for your injuries. Without proof of negligence, no personal injury case will succeed.
In South Dakota, personal injury law demands that a judge or jury will review any responsibility you had for the accident and subsequent injuries. If you are found to be, for example, 30% at fault in the accident, the damages you are allowed to collect will be reduced by that percentage. This makes it vital that you are represented by an attorney who is committed to doing the work necessary to show what factually took place in your accident. It is also crucial that your attorney be skilled at persuasively arguing your case to a judge or jury. Whether it is through practiced settlement negotiations with insurers or presenting convincing arguments at trial, Attorney Even has a track record of success.
If another's negligence has caused you serious injury, contact the firm for proven legal representation.