Personal Injury

Personal Injury Claims: Automobile Negligence, Slip and Fall Claims, Dog Bite and Many Others

Attorney Goar has successfully represented hundreds of clients in connection with personal injury claims. Before opening his own practice in 2003, he worked for two law firms in Boston that specialized in “insurance defense,” which involves defending individuals and businesses who have liability insurance coverage). He was responsible for a wide variety of cases, including automobile accident, truck accident, slip and fall, food poisoning, and environmental contamination and other types of property damage. His duties included analyzing liability and damages, drafting written discovery requests (called interrogatories, requests for production of documents, and requests for admission), conducting depositions of opposing parties and witnesses, sending document subpoenas to third parties, drafting and opposing motions of all kinds (for example motions to compel discovery, motions to dismiss, and motions for summary judgment), attending mediations and arbitrations, and trying cases in court. Throughout each phase of a personal injury or property damage claim, Attorney Goar corresponded and coordinated with insurance claims handlers in order to develop and adjust strategy as the case developed.

Client Does Not Pay Until Claim is Successful

Since founding his own practice in 2003, Attorney Goar has drawn on this experience to help individuals recover their damages resulting from the negligence of others. Attorney Goar represents all such clients on a “contingency” basis, meaning that his compensation is based on a percentage of the amount ultimately recovered for the client. He has successfully represented clients in connection with all manner of claims, including personal injury, automobile accident, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, slip and fall, snow and ice, dog bite, invasion of privacy, and nuisance. Each case involves a unique set of facts and sometimes several different types of claims. For example, it is not unusual to assert claims for both negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress. If the client is married and his or her spouse has suffered damages caused by the client’s injury, then the spouse may have a claim for “loss of consortium.” If the insurance company fails to offer a fair settlement of a claim where liability and damages are clearly established, then there may be an additional claim brought against the insurance company for unfair claim settlement practices.

Attorney Goar’s Personal Injury Expertise and Strategy—A Winning Combination

Whatever the facts, Attorney Goar will draw on his years of experience to formulate a successful strategy for your case, and to recover damages to which you are entitled. This involves diligent fact gathering, analysis of all relevant records including police reports, medical records, medical bills, witness statements, public records, weather reports, photographs, and (increasingly) social media postings. If the claim involves an unusual issue regarding causation (the link between someone’s action and the client’s damages), an expert with specialized knowledge might be retained. Once all available records are gathered and analyzed, the next step involves presenting a “demand” to the individual or company who is responsible for the client’s losses, their insurance company, or their lawyer, and then trying to negotiate a fair settlement. If the case cannot be settled, then a lawsuit is filed against the responsible party. Once a complaint is filed in court, court rules apply that control the procedure and timing of the case, with the goal of bringing a fair and final adjudication of the claim. Importantly, the rules establish an orderly procedure for the parties to obtain information from each other, and control everything from the number of written questions that one party can send to the other, to the length of time that the parties are given to complete the discovery process. Attorney Goar has twenty-five years’ experience with the Rules of Civil Procedure and other court rules, and is adept at using the rules to his client’s advantage, and at maximizing the opportunity the rules provide to strengthen the client’s case and prepare for trial.

Many personal injury and other type of liability claims are resolved through “alternative dispute resolution” (“ADR.”) ADR is a term that encompasses several different procedures, including mediation, arbitration, conciliation and min-trials. The parties are free to engage in ADR at any phase of a case, and are often strongly encouraged to do so by the court. Attorney Goar has years of experience with ADR methods, and is himself a trained conciliator who has helped other attorneys settle their cases. He has resolved many cases on behalf of clients through mediation and arbitration. He understands what makes a case suitable for ADR, why resolving a case using one of the ADR methods would be preferable to a trial, and the best means of achieving great results through the chosen ADR method.

If the case cannot be settled, then Attorney Goar will be ready for trial. Attorney Goar has will draw on his 25 years of experience trying cases in the District and Superior Courts of Massachusetts. He is a diligent and experienced practitioner of the many skills that are required of a trial lawyer, including jury selection, cross examination, introduction of and objection to evidence, witness preparation, and opening and closing arguments. Perhaps more important than his technical skills, Attorney Goar has a “feel” and comfort level in the courtroom that can only be acquired from years of experience. He will use this cumulative experience to help win your case.