The Effective Lawyer Jack Zinda

SummaryIn this latest episode of The Effective Lawyer, the Zinda Law Group team discusses how to investigate a personal injury case, or really any complicated liability case for either your clients or for your practice. As in all cases, they highlight the importance of getting your investigation underway quickly and getting to work on it immediately. Sharing their thoughts and experience with Jack are his law partners Joe Caputo and Neil Solomon.

The importance of immediate investigation
While it’s vital in all cases to get to work immediately, it’s even more time critical when investigating a personal injury case.
How to document talking to a witness
There’s lots of different ways to go about capturing a witness statement. “If you can,” says Neil, “record them while you’re speaking to them during your initial investigation. Getting a video statement is best. Even if you simply whip out your iPhone and say, ‘Hey, can I take a quick statement from you?’”

Using an investigator
When should you use an investigator and when should you go out and collect the information yourself? Joe says:
“What you don't want to do is create conflict for yourself that would make you a witness in the case and prevent you and your firm from representing the client.”

The dangers of social media
“While social media can be a treasure trove of information to find evidence for your cases, you have to make it clear to your clients not to post on social media about the case or about their injuries,” warns Neil, “unless they want the jury or the defendant to see it.”

Top tips for new personal injury lawyers

Don't take liability for granted on the investigation side
Don’t just rely on the crash report
Get physical evidence
Do not accept conceded liability, because they won't concede it at trial
Get out of your office, get out and go do the investigation work

Summary
In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda, talks about the ways that AI technology can affect your practice. 
 
Discussed in this Episode:

Drafting demand letters
Giving client updates
Drafting pleadings and brief writing
Evaluating cases

Drafting Demand Letters
One way that AI might be effective is in demand letters. Being able to crunch a large amount of data quickly will give you a better sense of what will and won’t work with a demand letter. 

Giving Client Updates
Automating systems that primarily have to do with busy work, will free up time for you and your staff to focus on larger matters.

Drafting Pleadings and Brief Writing
Creating templates that work with AI will allow you to key in on the specifics of the case without all of the time consuming technical jargon. 
Evaluating Cases
Using AI to  crunch large amounts of data and delivering that data in a tangible way will go a long way to making case evaluations more accurate and efficient. 
You can reach Jack at:

jack@zindalaw.com
512-246-2224

Summary
In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda, talks about creative ways to find new business from your past and existing clients

Discussed in this Episode:

You have to do a good job
Personally interact with them once a month
Survey the client regularly
Keep in touch

You Have to Do a Good Job
Unless your client enjoyed their experience working with you, you’re never going to get returning business. It may sound simple, but focusing on being the best that you can be today will create business for the future. 

Personally Interact with Them Once a month
It’s important to remind your clients that you are actively working on their case or that you’re thinking about them. Make an extra effort to meet in person or over a teleconference video chat. 
Survey the Client Regularly
Once a quarter send a survey to your clients. Without constructive criticism you’ll have no way of knowing what areas need to be improved.   

Keep in Touch
Once the case is complete, reach out to them at least once a year with a small gift or reminder of your services. Doing simple things to keep your name in a client’s mind will greatly improve your chances of getting future work from them.
You can reach Jack at:
jack@zindalaw.com
512-246-2224

Summary
In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda, talks about commonly overlooked areas to find damages.
 
Discussed in this Episode:

Not getting images
Traumatic brain injuries
Loss of earning capacity
PTSD specialist 
Don’t make up injuries
Not Getting Images
Getting a visual representation of how severe the injury was can be very beneficial for your case. X-rays and MRIs can be especially important if there were bone breaks or hardware had to be installed.

Traumatic Brain Injuries
If your client suffers from a brain injury make sure that all possible tests are run. Unlike an external injury, you may need to provide further evidence to show the severity. 
Loss of Earning Capacity
This area isn’t just for business owners. Anyone who is unable to work due to their injury may have a claim of either lost past and future earnings. Loss of earning capacity can even extend to a forced early retirement, so make sure to look into every possible avenue. 

PTSD Specialist
If the injury was a result of a traumatic situation and the client is having difficulty dealing with it mentally or emotionally, it may be valuable to look into a post traumatic stress disorder specialist and see if there may be further emotional damages. 

Don’t Make Up Injuries
Be very careful when establishing potential claims. While there may be overlooked areas, it’s important not to bend the truth or try to find something that’s clearly not there. One invalidated area may hurt the credibility of the entire case. 

 
You can reach Jack at:

jack@zindalaw.com
512-246-2224

Summary
In this episode, Zinda Law Group CEO and founder, Jack Zinda, talks about effective tactics to generate more clients for your law practice. 

Discussed in this Episode:

Referrals from other attorneys
Make your objectives clear
Have good material
Don’t sit in the corner
Batch meetings

Referrals From Other Attorneys
The most simple way to generate clients is your relationship with other attorneys. If you’re a new attorney this means creating new relationships by attending various events, sending mailers and gaining familiarity in general. Remember to track your data and use it to establish places of weakness. 
Make Your Objectives Clear
When you’re starting your practice, being intentional about what your client generation methods are is key. You may not have the bank-roll for major advertising campaigns, so make sure every dollar is utilized effectively and efficiently.
Have Good Material
A clear message to other attorneys is a way to set yourself apart from the crowd. Go into detail to explain why working with you will be beneficial for all parties involved.

 
Batch Meetings
Once you have the ear of other attorneys, set aside some time to meet with them. Using a tool like Calendly is a great way to allow the other party to choose the date and time for the meeting. 
Links:
Calendly

You can reach Jack at:
jack@zindalaw.com
512-246-2224

Today the Zinda Law Group team continues its discussion on how to handle some of the most difficult types of cases to win. Some examples include ATV Cases, Accidental Shootings, Drownings, Fire, & Gas Explosions. The team discusses how to establish a clear fault, the nuances of source recovery, as well as the use of expert witnesses.

Jack Zinda is joined today by his law partners, Burgess Williams and Neil Solomon.