There are two places most people are unfamiliar with and hope not to visit: a funeral home and a lawyer's office. Like most, I was able to avoid both my entire life until one day my teenage daughter was in a car accident. I was quickly caught up in the apparatus of both a funeral home and a lawyers office with knowledge of neither. It was one of those sad life experiences that moves you from the daily routine of the happy picket fence existence to the harsher realities of life. Suddenly I was planning a funeral and looking to a lawyer for advice and direction. Neither experience was a good one.

It is difficult for most humans to provide comfort and concern when those among us suffer tragedies. Our difficulties are our own, and we must continue along our path alone, climbing over the obstacles, and pushing along in the moments with support by those few who have suffered before us. Most do not know what to say, so they say stupid things, or nothing at all.

You would think funeral directors could do better, but then the caricature of the black suit and solemn face are probably the only way they deal with death each day. As for lawyers, a certain warmth is often lacking, professional coldness allows them distance from involvement. Its just a job to many of them.

 They say that good things come out of the bad. I found that this experience led me to a different way of thinking, and to a new approach to life. My son Jeremy was also influenced greatly, and after watching his parents suffer and change over the death of his sister, went on to be who he is today. I changed careers and became a funeral director, while my husband found himself helping Jeremy lay out a new law practice. We all felt that truly helping people and providing that intimate support that gives comfort and support for whatever situation, was important. 

Yes, customer service, that is the key. It comes in all forms. When  you the customer faces the necessity of using the services of a funeral home or a lawyer, look for the warmth, the personal  attention, and the value you receive. Value is expressed as warmth, that quiet attention to every concern you have, and the assurances that you will be taken care of completely.  You should not sit in a waiting room wondering how long your wait will be, you should not wonder why you cannot talk to your lawyer on the phone, you should not wait endlessly for a phone call as to the status of your case. You should never feel frustrated, or wonder why on earth you went to see your lawyer in the first place. If your lawyer's office looks like a funeral home, inside and out, you should probably go elsewhere.

Come in and see Jeremy, no matter what your problem. He will greet you at the door and welcome you with the warmth that he wishes he could receive when faced with life's problems. He knows
that in the moment you have many questions, and he will resolve your situation to the best of his ability. Having suffered the death of his sister and his father, he knows the pain of living and the
importance of treating others as he wants to be treated. I have worked for him for more than fifteen years, part time and full time, and encourage everyone to come see a man who works  alone with great care for each person and the situation they find themselves in. Even the simplest of problems can leave us rattled,but you will feel confident that he will handle any unpleasant situation. I am proud to be the mother of such a fine man.

Sara Tanner​

​ There is good reason many people hate lawyers. Opinions you hear about lawyers from friends and media result from their personal experience with a lawyer or having been thrust into the legal system usually against their own choosing. Lawyer jokes aren’t prevalent because people hate lawyers who they think make too much money. Many lawyers are the same as you, struggling to pay student loans, keep their offices open, hold on to their jobs or advance, or just flat out just having a hard time financially. The jokes and negativity come from how lawyers handle themselves when dealing with their clients and others, not because they are successful. Success achieved through honesty and hard work should never be ridiculed or destroyed because of any form of jealousy or a sense of entitlement. However when success is achieved through deceptive or non caring means, such behavior can be fodder for such things as lawyer jokes.
                As with any profession, there are good and bad people in it. If you are unfortunate enough to be involved in the legal system whether it be in the criminal, family, or personal injury arena, the lawyers you deal with and who represent you or protect your interests will have an effect on you mentally whether you realize it or not. Our mental health is key to our physical well being so this is a matter not to be taken lightly by those who choose to become lawyers or work in the legal system. One reason I love my job is while I cannot change what happened to a person I represent, how I handle their case or situation will affect their mental health. If I do a good job, while I can’t change their injury or circumstance, their mental health will not suffer while going through what is likely a system that lacks justice or fairness. My best work has often been with people who suffer in serious situations, cant seem to catch a break as we go through the process, but who at the very end were the first ones to say thank you for being there and explaining things honestly. This is a positive result mentally for the person for whatever reason and it makes them come out of their situation much better than they would have had I not have done what many lawyers fail to do often without even thinking about it. As with the family lawyer who cant make your ex spouse love you or return all the money they stole as they walked out the door, or the criminal lawyer who represents someone who is innocent or overcharged, if we do things right as lawyers, a bad experience can be managed with a reduction in stress relative to the persons situation.
                While I have fortunately spent most of life helping and providing for others and being the strong person you can count on for support, I have personally been on the end of the legal system that my clients are in when they come to me. This includes being a victim of a crime, divorce, bitter child custody battles, the death of a loved one in a car accident, and many other things that have brought me into the legal system where I was not the lawyer but instead the client or perceived victim. I don’t mention this to talk about myself and what was done wrong to me, but to make my clients and those of you out there who are looking for legal representation now or maybe in the future to first ask themselves certain things before choosing a lawyer and deciding if through the course of a representation for your particular case whether that lawyer is or can be the right one for you. This is more important than you think and something I ask all people to think through as they consider our firm for legal representation.  The client needs to match with the lawyer and vise versa or the mental health of the client can be harmed which too often hurts the result.
                A lawyer has to be a counselor whether they want to or not. A lawyer who says he or she isn’t you’re your shrink is flat out wrong.  That does not mean they are there for regular sessions and on speed dial to talk daily about your issues, but it does mean they need to be available timely and talk to you in a way that makes you feel better than you did before you talked. You don’t need a degree in counseling to do this for a client. Your character, ability to show real compassion, and your legal and life experience are much more valuable to a client. Most lawyers don’t have it because they want to do as little as possible for the most amount of money or are so beat down from doing the same job and seeing the same situation day after day for years that they don’t realize or flat out don’t care that each client’s case is an individual one with its own unique issues. Those that aren’t like that and are real people,  when combined with their legal knowledge, make being a lawyer one of the most admirable professions on the planet. Aspiring to be this type of lawyer is why I became one and my  hope that my clients belief that I am that type of lawyer keeps me getting up and going to work with as much passion now as I did when I first started practicing 20 years ago.
I have found that being honest and direct with clients help them mentally to deal with the legal situation while providing clarity to allow it to resolve with the least expense and in the most efficient manner possible. A lawyer that wont timely return your call or email, gives you answers that make you worry more than when you did before you began the conversation, and seems to have no compassion for you, will affect your mental health and cause the situation you are in to be worse than it is and needs to be. Not every lawyer is capable of this and while it does not mean they are not understanding of the law and can be your advocate on some level, the very best lawyers can do all of this and do it well so the client walks away at the end impressed and proud to know that lawyer.
                For those of you who have been through the system, ask yourself how your lawyers handling of your matter affected you mentally. I am guessing if the lawyer was a teammate and a supporter who gave you timely responses and honest interaction, even if the result was still tough to deal with, you were as strong mentally as you could be throughout the process. If the lawyer was distant, non caring, and not someone who you felt comfortable talking to, in most situations you were harmed mentally by your lawyer beyond what you were dealing with legally. If your lawyers actions create added stress then something was wrong. For those of you who have been through the system I am guessing you relate perfectly to what I am saying even if you haven’t thought about it previously. It’s like a personal relationship as you know when things are just right.
                Being a lawyer and representing people in legal matters is no joke and one to be taken seriously. Our staff understands the mental aspect of the legal system and how it affects our clients. If you are in the need of a lawyer or thinking of referring a friend to one, ask yourself how you did mentally with your lawyer and look beyond their legal credentials. While it may look great or seem important that a lawyer went to a certain school, was nominated or given awards or ratings by his peers who often have no real idea how that lawyer relates to people on a day to day basis, it’s just as important to know how that lawyers clients felt mentally while interacting with this lawyer. Get these answers from those you talk to before making that call to get representation. If you are with the right lawyer, you will end up feeling strong and ready to battle the evil and injustice that exists in this world because you will find the mental strength you didn’t think you had to do what you need to do to see the process through. Even the mentally strongest people suffer when they are represented by the wrong lawyer. A lawyer who can bring strength out of people and get a result are those that should be at the top of everyone’s list when you find yourself, through often no choice of your own, in a legal system that is getting less and less friendly every day.   
Jeremy Tanner

                  Most accidents are not caused intentionally. When you get rear ended, typically it wasn’t done on purpose and it was just a mistake or someone not paying attention. While people often get mad when others hit them and we all have different opinions about what stupid is when it comes to driving, the terms for such behavior is negligence. When people are negligent and cause damages to others, their insurance company tries to pay for the damage caused and you deal with all the issues involved in getting your claim resolved.
                  However there is certain behavior that almost universally can be considered beyond negligent and would be considered reckless and willful or some other legal term that is not relevant for this blog entry. The best example is drunk driving. If you get hit by a person who is drunk and they cause damage to your person or property, in addition to their potential responsibility for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering etc, there is an additional claim that needs to be made for punitive damages.
                  Insurance policies in North Carolina cover punitive damages when an insured is drunk or does something else that makes it go beyond a simple rear end collision. An insurance company is not going to tell you about punitive damages and even if you are aware of it, they may not even consider it in the evaluation of your claim. The nature of your damages, the egregiousness of the other drivers behavior, and his past conduct, are just some of the factors that go in to evaluating your claim for potential punitive damages. Again punitive damages is not designed for bad driving or stupid omissions while on the road, but only for the worst kind of conduct that is fairly defined in our States case law.
                  If you are involved in an accident and the person who hit you was drunk or did something that your common sense says goes beyond simple negligence, call Tanner and Romary for a free consultation about your rights and learn what insurance companies do in these situations.

-Jeremy Tanner

                  When you are involved in an automobile accident and it is not your fault, how your claim will be handled depends on which company insures the person that hit you. One tactic used by many companies, most notably Nationwide and Progressive, in addition to all their other responsibilities they must do to resolve the claim favorably for their company, adjusters are required to make contact fairly quickly with the injured person to assess what happened and size up how bad the person was hurt.
                  While certain duties of an adjuster when it comes to handling a claim seems like common sense, where it gets tricky is when the adjuster shows up at your house with a smile, after putting pressure on you to meet with them quickly, to try and resolve your injury claim as soon as possible after the accident. They will do this whether you have no injuries and no medical treatment, or are sitting in a chair with a cast on a part of your body looking at some significant time to recover and unknown medical costs going forward.  How you handle their approach can vary but the wrong decision can cost you financially and emotionally as you wonder how anyone could try and take advantage of you while you are at a low point be it injured, in shock, or you just haven’t had time to fully assess what is going on. These adjusters are trained to quickly assess individuals, their situations, and formulate an agreement that often saves their insurance company employer thousands of dollars within days of their insured causing an accident and injuring someone such as yourself.
                  A scheduled release is typically a document where the insurance company agrees to pay you a lump sum up front(these amounts are often small and not likely reflective of what unknown pain and suffering may exist over the course of your recovery) and also agrees to pay medical bills up to a certain amount incurred within a certain period of time that they consider reasonable. These releases are different than medical authorizations they ask for from a person to get their medical records. Do not let a slick adjuster tell you what you are signing is something other than what it is. I call these people who do this, along with lawyers who meet with you and during your initial consultation and tell you your case is worth x or they will get you x in order to get your business, fortune tellers. Why would you trust anyone who can predict, promise, or anticipate what your case might be worth? I don’t think any modern day Nostradamuses have law licenses or ply their trade with the companies who claim to be on your side or put you in good hands. If anyone needs a discount double check, it’s these adjusters and the companies who employ them but you as an injured party cannot ignore the reality of how claims are handled with Scheduled Releases.
                  Simply put insurance companies do this in order to get your case settled as soon as possible for an amount that they expect would be for less than they would pay after your treatment was completed and the claim was evaluated based on the known medical bills and recovery time. Heaven forbid you got a lawyer to handle your case for you who can best evaluate the case once all treatment has been completed and losses fully assessed. When you meet with an adjuster who is trying to sell you this pot of gold or tell you that getting a lawyer is a waste because they will just take 1/3 of the same money you will be offered with the lawyer, yet wants the case resolved before you have time to think about getting legal advice or even just to gather your thoughts following an accident, why would you place your physical and financial health at risk by signing one of these things? While every case is different you have to ask yourself why they are doing it and how do you benefit before you decide to sign or walk away. 
                  If you are involved in an accident and don’t go to the doctor and don’t feel you are injured your risk of signing one of these releases is obviously lower. An adjuster who wants to give you $500.00 and pay for medical treatment you will never get seems great assuming you aren’t injured. The risk with all of them is what if you get a pain that forces you to a doctor a week after the accident which requires treatment that exceeds the small amount allocated by the insurance company for your treatment(after they record you saying you aren’t injured) but you had signed the release 48 hours after the wreck because of the fast moving adjuster who got to you and got a signature while you felt fine and were happy to take their $500.00. This happens more often than you think.
                  More importantly, if you are seriously or even semi seriously injured or are looking at medical care where you can’t predict how much it will cost, why would you sign for any amount they are offering to cover? While the end result may not change if you wait to settle later on, the more injured you are the less risk you need to take with these Releases. They are designed to benefit the insurance companies and not you even if they often are set up and the injured parties case resolves without incident and medical bills are paid.
                  Following an accident you have to make quick decisions about many things regarding your case early on in the claim from rental cars, to total losses, to medical care. Your financial standing can often dictate what you can do often allow you a better bargaining position with an insurance company who is trying to settle any part of your claim quickly or for an amount that does not seem fair or creates more uncertainty. Having a second car, medpay, a doctor who will see you, or health insurance of your own are factors that can make or break a person. With all these issues, ask yourself why someone wants to resolve your injury claim so quickly?
                  When faced with an insurance company who wants to get you to sign a Scheduled Release, before deciding what to do, contact Tanner and Romary and let us explain in detail what is going on and to help you decide what to do and whether it makes sense to bring a lawyer on board to even the playing field against these fast moving and tricky insurance companies who engage in such conduct.
                   
Jeremy Tanner

                  Were you unfortunate enough to get into an accident? Is your mailbox now filled with letters from lawyers telling you all they can do to help you with your case? Do you live in Wake or Johnston County and get letters from a lawyers in Charlotte? Yes it’s that bad.
                  If you walked away with little to no injury from your accident be thankful but don’t scoff at all the letters you get. Look at these advertisements through the eyes of the person who got hurt in the accident or who is getting the run around from an insurance company over their damaged car. There might be some valuable information in them and most all of them will tell you the initial consultation is free.  You want that consultation with an actual lawyer.
                  Sorting through these lawyer letters can be a challenge but don’t just through them away. You may be the lucky person who knows a personal injury lawyer personally or has prior experience with one so that lawyer is on the top of your list who you will call. If you don’t know one, just don’t pick up the phone and call the lawyer who did your real estate closing as this lawyer may not have the experience to handle a personal injury case. Look at the letters you received and see if you can find something or someone that stands out. You can bet most of the lawyers in the letters have experience and going through them can often help you find that needle in a haystack lawyer who not only can handle your case properly but also give the personal attention you should require of someone you choose to handle such a sensitive and often frustrating matter.
                  What do you look for in these letters when deciding who to call to talk to? You can get good representation from a big firm or a small firm. The firm with the most commercials on TV or the biggest package of information may not be the best fit for you and what they send you may make things seem more impersonal.  At Tanner and Romary, we don’t someone from Clayton, Garner, of Smithfield feeling like they have to travel to Raleigh to get a good lawyer. You can get top notch representation here locally and the logistics can lead you to more interaction with your lawyer in the office.  We send letters locally for that very reason as we have seen over time that while our credentials may be comparable to the top lawyers in the profession, people will often say they chose us because we sent them a letter, gave them basic information they needed, and they didn’t want to drive to Raleigh. If it’s a geographical reason they call us, that’s great as it gives them some peace and we get a chance to show not only did you get the right lawyer for your situation you didn’t have to drive to Raleigh. We can be that needle in the haystack and without lawyer advertising we would have no chance.
                  As with any profession, starting from scratch and building a client base can be difficult, time consuming, and often costly. Gone are the days when young lawyers can hang a shingle and have the phone ring with clients. While no lawyer wants to advertise, it has become a must if you want to survive in business. The thought you put into your advertising is important. If you ask most personal injury firms who advertise, they often hire outside companies to create the letter and to decide what to include in the letter such as magnets or pens or dvds to prospective clients.   These companies mass volume mail to people who have been in wrecks often on the other side of the state.
                  When we opened up in 2000, my father Rod Tanner did the advertising letter, obtained the accident reports, and only sent them to the Raleigh/Johnston County area.  Including the accident report in a letter was rare back then but he did that and now everyone does it.  The time and care he took with each letter was beyond the call of duty. As a new business, it helped to have someone you trusted doing your letters, but it also helped to have someone who wanted the business to succeed involved in the process. When he died in 2005, my mother Sara Tanner took over full time. Her past experience in the marketing field with cemetary property and funeral plans was invaluable and the sacrifices she made to see that the letters went out and didn’t seem to impersonal was also invaluable. In 2015 at age 71, she still does these letters for us with as much care as my dad did beginning back in 2000 and her ability to relate to many new clients makes her an important part of our team day to day.
                  My point is if you are involved in an accident and you get a bunch of letters from lawyers, don’t be cynical and bash lawyers who send them. If you think having a lawyer help you with your case look through all of them carefully.  Try to figure out which letters were carefully crafted and filled with content and credentials versus those that are clearly sent out in such massive volumes all over the State.  Use them to get information to help you decide if it makes sense to have a lawyer and to get immediate questions answered. Go get the free consultation we all advertise for.
                  Our firm has been serving Johnston County and the local area since 2000 and we have been sending direct mail and accident reports to potential clients since that time. The end result is a business that has stayed open for 15 plus years and has helped countless numbers of people who often placed blind faith in us based on our letter. While most of our clients come from referrals, we are fully aware that advertising is a part of the process and we will continue to do it in as professionally a way as possible.
                  Our success in many parts is owed to this simple form advertising but even more so a big thanks is owed to Rod and Sara Tanner who when the business started sacrificed time and gave up employment to do this often repetitive and time consuming task because they wanted the business to succeed and for people who needed help to get it from someone they knew would do a good job and could be trusted and for that alone I am thankful for what I do. Advertising has brought in many great clients and we hope it will in the future. It has also allowed us to keep our business open when many firms have not been able to do so.
                  Lawyer advertising is always going to be a sticky subject for lawyers but just know that when you receive a stack of letters in the mail following your accident , some of them were crafted with much thought and sent by someone who truly cares about who is getting them and the reputation of our firm.
Thanks mom and dad.   We are still here 15 years in and will continue to strive for good service for our clients even if the world has changed as to how we get many of them.
 
Jeremy Tanner

Been in an accident?  Hurt on the job?  Traffic ticket?  Tired of dealing with Social Security?  You feel you have reached the end of your rope and need to hear a friendly voice on the telephone?  That is one of my jobs!  I want to be the voice that calms your fears and doubts and lets you know that Tanner & Romary is there for you!  When you call our office, you get a “live” person – unless it is after hours or we are on another line.  Your call will be returned as soon as possible.  That is one of the advantages of working with a small law office.  You get individual attention – you are not just another case.  Each call/client that comes into our office is important to us and we are here to help you and take some of the fear of the unknown off your shoulders.  Give us a call and let’s talk!

Debbie Carlyle

                   You did the smart thing and hired a lawyer. The lawyer was available to talk at all times in person, via email, and on the phone.  The lawyer’s staff was friendly, knew who you were when you called, organized, and got your case ready for presentation to the insurance company. Everything was going smoothly until your lawyer faced negotiations and at some point called you with the so called final offer being made by the insurance company. Now what do you do? You feel like the whole process has let you down and you ask yourself why you hired a lawyer. Anger and frustration are instant responses to the offer which is the hope of an insurance company to prevent people from hiring lawyers while allowing them to settle future claims made by others for a lot less.
              Take a deep breath and ask yourself what is the next step.
Do you settle or do you litigate because your neighbor was in an accident 10 years ago, they had no damage to their car, and Allstate begged them to take their insureds limits without a lawsuit being filed. Before you start analyzing what to do, don’t rely on what your neighbor says or what non lawyers tell you will happen in court and what you should get for the injuries you received. You chose your lawyer wisely so rely on that lawyer to guide you as there should be options.  If you see no options, you likely have the wrong lawyer. No person, except in rare cases involving significant injuries, lots of insurance coverage, or punitive damages, wants to litigate. Ask anyone who has been through it. It’s not fun and not guaranteed to get you a better result.  If your lawyer is good, they have experience trying all sorts of personal injury cases with varying issues, but if the lawyer brags to you about results or pushes litigation on you without a full and frank discussion of the issues, you have to ask if your lawyer is looking out for you. Does that mean you settle and let the insurance company pay what they want to pay?  Not necessarily. 
                  After your lawyer discusses the insurance companies offer with you(and as bad as you may think it is, it is likely a higher offer than they would have made if you didn’t have a lawyer so you are already frustrating the insurance company) and you are upset as there seems to be no money for your pain and your suffering, take a deep breath, and ask your lawyer what do we do now. A good lawyer will have options. Will the lawyer reduce his fee to get the case settled? Will the lawyer discuss reductions with health care providers or lien holders? Will the lawyer work with you to see if the offer can be accepted and get everyone paid  including the lawyer and leave you with an amount in your pocket where you feel like everyone benefitted from the settlement but you?  Analyze these things while discussing your expectations with your lawyer knowing that no matter what amount you get, it isn’t worth what you have gone through. In 20 plus years as a lawyer and handing out some significant checks to people, I have yet to want to trade places with any client who has been injured in an accident.
                  Ultimately the decision to settle or litigate is about risk assessment. Some cases cannot be settled and you must litigate no matter what creative reductions can be obtained. Some cases you or your lawyer want to litigate but you go forward without anticipating what the other side will argue when you get to the jury.  See both sides and how that may factor in to a potential result. You may be injured and you may not have caused the accident, but that does not mean the other side won’t have some tricks up their sleeve to devalue your case at trial. Your lawyer will discuss these things with you and while any offer that is being rejected is risky, if your lawyer encourages you to litigate or settle listen to your lawyer. That is why you hired that lawyer. Without trust and belief that a lawyer is more than just about their fee, you are with the wrong lawyer. If the lawyer explains your cases situation to you correctly and honestly, you will understand risk assessment and why sometimes a settlement makes sense without feeling like your lawyer is afraid to take your case to court. If you have the right lawyer, all explanations will make you feel that your lawyer has your best interests at heart.
                  Do you feel like the insurance company is lowballing you? Do you need a lawyer to handle your case who will explain all your options in detail without forcing a settlement on you so the lawyer can get his or her fee often leaving bills unpaid and you confused? A good lawyer will create options for you and get your case settled whenever possible yet will stand strong in court for you when needed. Call Tanner and Romary and let us explain how our creativity, flexibility, and litigation experience can be put to work for you to get your case resolved while also minimizing your risk.

Jeremy Tanner

Anytime you need a service whether it’s a mechanic, builder, or even a lawyer, you can likely find one who is enthusiastic and willing to do the work, but choosing the wrong one can not only make a problem you face worse, but when it comes to your personal injury case, hiring the wrong lawyer can reduce the amount of compensation you receive and increase your stress level. No matter the size of your case, it usually makes sense to hire a lawyer, but only the right lawyer.
                  Following your accident, you can talk to all your relatives who were in the same situation years ago or even recently and if they aren’t telling you what a bad experience it was and how their lawyer didn’t do anything for them, they are telling you how they got significant amounts despite little or no injury or medical treatment. While every case is unique, if you have the right lawyer, who has experience with all the insurance companies and their attorneys and their tactics and has tried multiple cases to a jury, often losing some of them, that lawyer can be honest about what to expect in terms of results and outline the issues you will face as it relates to your specific case. The right lawyer will meet with you in person the very first time and you won’t feel rushed during this meeting. The lawyer is easily accessible throughout the process. If you cannot talk to your lawyer like you would your best friend, you have the wrong lawyer. His or her attitude and approach to your case should be one that obviously makes it clear he or she has the experience to handle your case, but one that will make you feel as comfortable as possible. You will have questions you want answered at various times and should never be afraid to pick up the phone and talk to you. The right lawyer won’t make you feel they are better than you or you or not worthy of their time or response to even basic questions. You will hear the good and bad about your case instead of just promises many of which the lawyer knows cannot be guaranteed or delivered. In trying times, you want a friend to give you honest advice, not someone who will say what needs to be said to get you to be a client.
                  Because of recent legislative changes, insurance companies have scaled back significantly in how they evaluate and pay claims. The top lawyers have adjusted as well in terms of fees and understand they must be flexible so they can continue to handle even the smaller cases so clients can get quality legal help but also get a result that does not pay everyone fairly but the client or leaves things unexplained often with medical bills still owed after a settlement.  A lawyers willingness and ability to constantly adjust, in addition to his or her experience, will allow them to stay strong for their clients even after the insurance industry and the pro tort reform legislature made it even more difficult to get cases, especially smaller cases, resolved fairly for the client. The right lawyer isn’t turning down cases today, no matter how small, that they would have handled years ago when they were much easier to resolve.  Each individual client must get a certain feel or vibe from the lawyer so they can get their case handled and so that a settlement, no matter how small, was fair while also knowing that when their case cannot be resolved despite the flexibility from everyone, they will have a top trial lawyer ready to take their case to a jury.
                  For most of us who aren’t trained and experienced in the specific field, it is not smart to be your own mechanic or builder etc. It’s no different when it comes to deciding on whether or not to hire a lawyer. The trained insurance adjuster is doing all he or she can to minimize their payout no matter the size of the case so you need the right lawyer on your side to get you through the process without creating added pressure on you because they put their fee before the result. Insurance companies save the most money over time on low payouts for smaller claims which are what most people involved in accidents face. Ask your potential lawyer the tough questions about expectations, fees, and experience when choosing who represents you. Ask yourself can you talk to this lawyer openly and get honest responses. Will this lawyer be flexible with their fee after the contract is signed? Will they take your case to trial when most other lawyers wouldn’t?  Once those answers are given to your satisfaction, hire that lawyer to fight the insurance company and don’t look back while working with your lawyer to obtain the best possible result. In the end, while it’s rare that you feel what you went through was worth it no matter the result, the right lawyer will make you feel that it was worth it to hire him or her.  
To discuss these questions, as well as many others, and learn how a quality lawyer will handle your case from beginning to end, call Tanner and Romary, PA and let us put our experience and approach to work for you.

Jeremy Tanner