When you are facing a catastrophic injury or the loss of someone you love, every law firm wants you to believe it is the right firm for your case. Some call themselves leaders. Some promise aggressive representation. Some point to large verdicts without telling you whether those verdicts survived an appeal.
Here is what law firms may not tell you: There is a profound difference between claiming to be the best and having a record that proves what you have accomplished.
A Verdict Is Not the End of the Story
Winning a large verdict is significant. But when that verdict is appealed, the case faces another level of scrutiny. The legal arguments, evidence and trial record must be strong enough to withstand a challenge before the Wyoming Supreme Court.
The Fitzgerald Law Firm holds the Wyoming Supreme Court records for the largest personal injury and wrongful death verdicts upheld on appeal in Wyoming.
Those are not advertising claims. They are documented court records.
Jim Fitzgerald has served as trial counsel in nearly half of Wyoming’s million-dollar verdicts. He holds the record for both the largest personal injury verdict and the largest wrongful death verdict ever upheld on appeal in the state.
Not Every Personal Injury Lawyer Is a Trial Lawyer
A lawyer can advertise personal injury services without having substantial courtroom experience. Some cases may be passed to other attorneys. Some firms may avoid trial altogether.
Others may promote verdicts without explaining what happened after those verdicts were challenged.Before choosing a lawyer, ask:
- How many cases like mine has the lawyer personally handled?
- How many cases has the lawyer actually taken to trial?
- What verdicts has the lawyer obtained?
- Were those verdicts appealed, and did they hold up?
- Does the lawyer hold meaningful professional certifications?
- Will the lawyer I hire personally handle my case?
- Can the firm support its claims with specific, documented results?
Experience is Earned
Jim Fitzgerald has practiced law since 1975. He did not inherit his experience or create it through advertising. He earned it through decades of preparation, courtroom trials, appeals and representation of people facing devastating injuries and losses.
Board certification must also be earned through demonstrated experience, examination and rigorous professional review. It is another distinction that clients should understand when comparing attorneys.
When a family has been changed forever, polished promises are not enough. You deserve to know who has stood in the courtroom, who has handled the pressure of trial and appeal, and whose results are written into Wyoming’s legal record.
Law firms can tell you how they want to be perceived. Their record tells you what they have actually done.