Ken of “Greater Phoenix Attorney at Law Magazine” interviews Phoenix personal injury lawyer Chris Zachar on being selected Solo Practitioner Of The Month, November 2010:
Ken: I have another question. If a client doesn’t want to go to trial, then why do they seek out a trial attorney?
Chris Zachar: If a person is involved in a claim that has any potential whatsoever for litigation, and claim out there has a potential for litigation, because litigation means that you have not been able to resolve your claim for any reason with the other party’s insurance company, why should you get a trial attorney. My opinion is that you absolutely need a trial attorney and the answer is pretty simple. Trial attorneys have reputations that are proven to fight for their clients. In litigation and all thru a trial if necessary. What kind of signal do you think that sends to insurance companies? That sends the insurance company for the other side, a signal that you have an attorney who is prepared to take your case all the way if necessary. Insurance companies don’t want to hear that. Defense attorneys don’t necessarily like to hear that. They don’t want to go to trial either. They would prefer to quickly settle the case.
The fact is they have to settle the case or they want to settle the case for their number, not your number and if they know they have an attorney on the other side who has no litigation experience, no trial experience, you see this a lot with the big advertising firms, they are very happy to take a lot of cases in, but they don’t file a lot of lawsuits or try a lot of cases, and guess what? The insurance companies know this. If they know you have an attorney who is more than willing to fight for you all the way to trial if necessary, the insurance company is going to be a whole lot more serious about settling the case then settling with the other guy.