In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder Jack Zinda discusses ways to maximize the value of your cases.

Discussed in this Episode:

• Put enough resources on the case
• Photo evidence
• Images from the medical records
• Master the medical terminology
• Slow down the timeline
• You have to tell the client’s story

Put Enough Resources on the Case

How do you tell the story if you don’t put the work in? Prioritizing time to understand nuances in the case can pay big dividends rather than rushing through things.

Photo Evidence

We humans are visual creatures, and because of that, a good photo can make a world of difference than just testimony or medical records.

Images from the Medical Records

When you get medical records, you also get MRI, CAT scans, etc. As we said above, photo evidence is crucial when swaying a jury’s opinion on the accident.

Master the Medical Terminology

The defense will often try to downplay a diagnosis by labeling it something it isn’t. If you don’t have the knowledge to understand what that means, you might get blindsided and receive a smaller outcome.

Slow Down the Timeline

To explain the suffering that your client faced or is still facing, it can be essential to get down to the minutia. If the accident ended in death, explain the pain and suffering that the person would have felt during their last moments. For those with life-altering injuries, break down what their day-to-day looks like and give them.

You Have to Tell the Client’s Story

Make it as personal as possible. Who is affected by the loss of this person? What is the quality of life for those who miss or rely on their loved ones? Painting an accurate picture of what life looks like now will further humanize the situation and give the jury more to latch on to.

You can reach Jack at:

jack@zindalaw.com

512-246-2224

In this episode of The Effective Lawyer, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder Jack Zinda is joined by Associate Attorney Max Massey as they discuss Max’s unique journey from TV reporter to attorney.

Discussed in this Episode:

How being on television can help you in the courtroom
Max’s transition into law
Finding your motivation
How to excel as a reporter and lawyer
Advantages of being a professional before becoming a lawyer

How Being on Television Can Help You in the Courtroom

Max talks about the importance of being good at public speaking and how being a TV reporter helped him gain confidence. As a reporter, you often speak with people who are having some of the worst days of their lives. These experiences can help you understand how to talk with people empathetically and give you tools to explain their stories before ever entering a courtroom.

Sink or Swim

When starting out in any career with a public speaking element, sometimes it’s better to be put out there before you are 100% ready than to wait until the perfect moment and allow your nerves to get the better of you. Max and Jack both recount stories of times when they were thrown into situations and had to sink or swim.

Max’s Transition into Law

As Max’s television reporter career progressed, he often found himself wondering why they didn’t have someone on the team with a law degree. They would often have to find guest experts to weigh in on issues and Max thought that it would be easier if someone on the staff could be that expert. Eventually, he was faced with the choice between climbing the ladder to become an anchor or commit to law school.

Finding Your Motivation

Balancing school and a job can be overwhelming, so how did Max do it? Make a pre-itemized list, create a contract with yourself, and hold yourself accountable. Max excelled in school and was a standout on the negotiations team.

How to Excel as a Reporter and Lawyer: Simplicity

Max lays out how he simplifies the message he’s trying to convey. You may only have 60-90 seconds on the news to explain the story, so challenging yourself to simplify the story as much as possible while still getting the point across is an excellent practice.

Advantages of Being a Professional Before Becoming a Lawyer

Having a foundation of work professionalism is so important for the transition into law. It’s one thing to understand law, but the soft skills that are gained by being in a professional environment are invaluable.

You can reach Jack at:

jack@zindalaw.com
512-246-2224

Summary

In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder Jack Zinda goes over his 7 keys to a strong wrongful death case.

Discussed in this Episode:

• Identify who is an eligible client
• Conflict of interest
• Discuss settlement amount
• Identify sources of recovery
• Look at subrogation
• Release language
• Plan ahead

Identify Who is an Eligible Client

It’s really important to know who can and cannot be considered eligible to bring a case. These are almost always direct family members outside of siblings. This can differ from state to state, so always check this before moving forward.

Conflict of Interest

Establishing who you should represent and how to divide the funds is a crucial step in avoiding many of the headaches that come with these kinds of issues. You can often use common sense to figure out the best path forward, I.E., not representing both a stepmother and an adult child who doesn’t get along.

Discuss Settlement Amount

Before you get too far along in the process, it’s important to have the dollar amount set. Once there’s real money on the table, it can be much more difficult to have these conversations.

Identify Sources of Recovery

Don’t trust the insurance company, business, or anyone involved with the defense regarding insurance policies. Oftentimes, you’ll need to pry to get them to reveal sources of recovery that they wouldn’t have done on their own.

Look at Subrogation

Representing the client incorrectly (like how “Paul” represented the estate instead of an individual person) can completely change how and where the money is distributed. Look at the downstream effects and try to imagine what the outcome could be.

Release Language

Make sure to tie everything up in regards to who can make a claim to the money on the off chance that an unknown parent, child, or family member who was previously undisclosed makes themselves known.

Plan Ahead

It might sound obvious, but doing your due diligence before you begin your case will make all of the difference in the outcome. Utilize any and all information you have access to, including other lawyers.

You can reach Jack at:

jack@zindalaw.com

512-246-2224