Podcast
Lawyers in the House with Montlick - Your Legal Podcast
033 Client Lawyer Relationship

033 Client Lawyer Relationship

Lawyers in the House with Montlick

Attorneys in Podcast: Michelle Mumpower, Esq.

A few years ago, Jvondah was heading home with her kids in the car when she was struck in a terrible accident. She was ejected from the car and flew onto the pavement. She remembers waiting to turn, and then the next thing she knew she woke up in a hospital bed, hooked up to machines with significant injuries.

She was overwhelmed with medical bills, in terrible pain, and had no idea where to turn. She needed real help, so she came to Montlick.

Jvondah’s Montlick attorney Michelle Mumpower worked tirelessly to get Jvondah to a place where she could move on with her life. Hear from both of them, and why having a strong relationship with your lawyer is so important to the outcome of your case.

Listen to the Podcast

The purpose of this show is to provide general information about the law. Our guests will not provide any individualized legal advice. If you have a personal situation and need legal advice, contact us for your free legal consultation with a Montlick attorney.

Topics Discussed on the Podcast

Read the Episode Transcript

00:05	ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Lawyers in the House. With Montlick. Wish you had a lawyer in the family? Now you do. Here’s your host. Veronica Waters. VERONICA: Hey, welcome to Lawyers in the House with Montlick. I’m your host, Veronica Waters. So happy to have you back with us here for another episode of Lawyers in the House, because this is a very special sort of groundbreaking episode.
00:32	VERONICA: We’re going to take you into a new realm today. Usually here on Lawyers in the House, you’re hearing from the actual lawyers. The attorneys who take us behind the scenes and give you a little look at the information that you need, the guidance that you’ll get and how important it is to have an advocate on your side when you’ve been hurt and what that process is like to get justice for you. But today, we’re going to take it from a different perspective.
01:02	VERONICA: And let’s call it more of the personal side of personal injury law. We’re going to be talking to someone who’s been on the other side of that accident who actually teamed up with Montlick’s injury attorneys to get justice for herself and her family and to move forward in health. Welcome to Lawyers in the House my two special guests today. Michelle Mumpower is the first one. You know her. She’s a repeat guest. You know, I could not stop saying mom power when I say her name for some reason.
01:32	VERONICA: Please forgive me everyone ’cause you know I’m just addicted to her name. Michelle is a mom of two. She has been an attorney since… MICHELLE: 2016 VERONICA: …and has been with Montlick for… MICHELLE: …the last for or 5 years. VERONICA: …about the last four or 5 years. And one of the things that is so cool about Michelle is that, unlike some of the other lawyers that we’ve had here, Michelle didn’t get into the legal field, knowing that that’s what she wanted to do. MICHELLE: No, I didn’t. I actually have a bachelor’s in biochemistry in a minor in genetics and started out doing pharmaceutical research because I knew I wanted to make a difference and help people.
02:05	MICHELLE: And our company just stopped getting funding one day and were bought out and I decided, well, not going to med school. So… VERONICA: Which you could have. MICHELLE: Yeah, I could have. But I decided that wasn’t the route I wanted to go, started working for a law firm while I was in college and decided, okay, I’ll give this law school thing a try. VERONICA: I love it. Yeah, I do. What was it that appealed to you? It is very different from the sciences. MICHELLE: More so, like you said, the personal aspect of what we do- actually feeling like I’m making a difference in people’s lives who need it.
02:39	MICHELLE: And just being able to be there for people in some of their most difficult times. VERONICA: I want to talk about those difficult times today with your friend and one-time client, Jvondah. Jvondah was a young mom in her late 20s a few years ago, when she found herself in a situation she probably never could have imagined.
03:06	VERONICA: But before we get into Jvondah’s story, I got to say, tell me about you, miss beautiful Jvondah with this gorgeous hair cascading all down your back and this amazing smile. You are… who are you? Tell me who you are. JVONDAH: I’m a mom of three. Two boys, one girl. And a wife. I’m actually a stay at home mom. I’m actually about to get out of staying at home. VERONICA: Are you really? It’s not all it’s cracked up to be?
03:36	JVONDAH: Not at all. And I enjoy taking care of my family. VERONICA: Yeah. You are… it sounds like you’re a caregiver. Like just a giver at all times. Have you always been that way? JVONDAH: Always. VERONICA: Would you say that’s a hallmark of your personality? JVONDAH: Yeah, it trickles down from mom, grandma, just runs in the family. We all somewhat the same. I guess you would say- not savers- but we’re always trying to look out for everyone. VERONICA: I love that. I love that.
04:06	VERONICA: And finally, you had somebody looking out for you in this situation. And we’re going to talk about that today. This is Lawyers in the House with Montlick here on WSB. When your life changes in the blink of an eye… When you’re out running your errands, and suddenly you wake up in a hospital bed. And all you can see in your immediate future are medical treatments and recovering from intense pain from an accident that was no fault of your own, to whom do you turn in those moments?
04:41	VERONICA: You guessed it – Jvondah turned to Montlick Injury Attorneys and Michelle Mumpower was her lawyer. Ladies, thank you so much for being in the house. Let’s get into it. Jvondah, first, I have to say, you look amazing. JVONDA: Thank you. VERONICA: Are you okay today? JVONDAH: Yes, I would say I’m fine. Other than my ankle, a little bit. But for the most part, I’m in good health.
05:08	VERONICA: Your ankle is… JVONDAH: Screws. VERONICA: Your ankle has screws? So, you can’t go through a metal detector at the airport without setting off the beep. JVONDAH: I actually did. I was surprised. I was, but it went off when I went to a concert one time and I was wondering… I’m like, maybe that’s what it is. VERONICA: You know what? It might be calibrated for extra sensitivity in case somebody was like wearing a weapon or something. You know? Look at you. You’re like a bionic woman. Here you are.
05:37	VERONICA: So, it’s funny because to sort of delve into it… When I first met Jvondah, I was asking her what it was like getting back in a car the first time after her accident. And she said… what did you tell me? JVONDAH: I didn’t. It wasn’t anything. I mean, it didn’t affect me as far as the car because I didn’t see anything. So, I wasn’t scared. The only thing I can say I was nervous to go back to that Walmart.
06:08	JVONDAH: But other than that, no memory. So, it was fine for me. It was like riding a bike. VERONICA: Because it was outside that store where the accident happened. All right, let’s turn back the clock to this happened in 2018. So, Michelle, give us an overview of what happened. Paint a picture for us, of what happened to Jvondah. MICHELLE: So, we received a call from her mom that Jvondah was at the hospital and unfortunately been involved in a significant accident.
06:39	MICHELLE: And at that point, the only thing we had been told is that she was hit by a vehicle and ejected from the windshield. And that’s really all the information we had until we actually were able to delve in and do our own investigation. VERONICA: When something comes to you like that… when that call comes to you, what’s the first thing that you do? MICHELLE: Really just kind of take a step back, understand what’s going on, and try and make contact and that relationship with our clients.
07:09	MICHELLE: And at that time, it was your mom that had called in. I believe your dad also had called in. I met with them a few times, and then you know I always tell clients who are in this position… When they’re able to speak with me, I want to make sure that they’re okay and everything is… you know, they’re alive. I can speak with them. They understand what’s going on. And then we can go from there. So that was really kind of a great thing to be able to do when we were able to take an investigator and go meet Jvondah at her house -at your mom’s house- and really, you know, kind of… I think that’s the first thing you would remember about what was going on.
07:42	VERONICA: And how long after the accident was that? JVONDAH: It was probably… MICHELLE: A couple months? Or a month or so after maybe? JVONDAH: I believe it’s a month. MICHELLE: Yeah, it wasn’t right away because you were in Grady for some time. And then it was trying to get little pieces back of her memory to kind of understand. Because that’s really what I wanted to do… is make sure… is my client okay? Are they in a position of, you know, are they going to be okay? And can we get them to that position that they’re going to be safe and alive?
08:10	MICHELLE: And in this situation, it was more so just giving her the time that she needed to see what she could remember. VERONICA: Tell me now what you remember, Jvondah. JVONDAH: I remember getting the keys made. I remember getting the keys made. I remember getting in the car… VERONICA: So, you were going, you went to the store to get some keys? JVONDAH: Yeah. Because I was in at that same time, I had just… one of my grandfather’s properties had become available and he had let me move in there.
08:40	JVONDAH: So, I had to go get keys made. So, I remember getting in the car and that’s it. I remember waking up at Grady and feeling like glass was in my eye. That was about it. I remember hearing people crying. I’m like, what is going on? My mom was like… I think it was my boyfriend’s mom at the time. She’s like… I was like, tell her I’m okay. I’m gonna be okay. I didn’t know what was going on at the moment.
09:07	JVONDAH: I didn’t know my neck was broken and my ankle was broken, but I’m like… you know, I’m gonna be okay. VERONICA: So, you felt like you had glass in your eye? JVONDAH: Yeah, I had glass everywhere. Even after… months after, ’cause I couldn’t do anything to my hair. But I remember having like a huge bald spot on the side of my head, you know, the skin scraped off…
09:38	JVONDAH: And I remember just messing with the scab and glass just falling out of my hair. It was everywhere. VERONICA: Oh my God. Did you actually have glass in your eyes? JVONDAH: They say I didn’t, but I know I feel something. VERONICA: Wow. JVONDAH: I couldn’t open my eyes. VERONICA: It’s terrifying o hear that you went sailing through the windshield, and you don’t remember any of that, right? JVONDAH: Nope. Thank you, Lord.
10:05	VERONICA: You just woke up and the next thing you knew you were in the hospital. So, you felt okay in those initial seconds or minutes? JVONDAH: At the hospital, I guess. Yeah, I felt okay. After when I got home, I guess after the medicine and all that wear off. Well, wore off. It was on. VERONICA: How did you end up… it might be skipping a step here, but how did you end up talking to Montlick in the first place? How did you end up calling them?
10:36	JVONDAH: My mom, she reached out to Montlick. I think she called a couple other law firms, but then she ended up deciding to go with Montlick. VERONICA: Now, all of this time… so and you said this was like a month apart, right? A month after the accident… how much of… in those four weeks do you remember? And how much in that time did you start remembering what had happened, if anything? JVONDAH: It took a good while to remember. It took a while.
11:07	VERONICA: Months? JVONDAH: It took months. VERONICA: And what had happened to Jvondah, Michelle? MICHELLE: So, her case was a very complicated case. It wasn’t just a simple, I was rear ended or, you know, someone ran a red light. The way this incident started was an individual’s car was stolen.
11:33	MICHELLE: That individual’s car that was stolen decided that he was going to jump into another car and chase the drunk driver that had stolen his vehicle. From point A to point B, at some point an officer joined, and then the individual that had started the chase, whose vehicle was stolen, had kind of let off the gas and stayed behind the chase the entire time. And at this point, the drunk driver had run a red light and Jvondah was turning left out of a Walmart parking lot when she was T boned.
12:03	MICHELLE: Right after that had happened, the officer that was engaged in the chase pulled up to the scene as well as the individual whose car was stolen was there. But her vehicle was severely impacted by the drunk driver that had stolen the vehicle and kind of put everything into motion. VERONICA: Were you alone when that happened? JVONDAH: No, I was with my sons. Mind you, my youngest had just had a birthday the day before. So, we were supposed to go see Black Panther.
12:33	JVONDAH: And yeah, that’s it. VERONICA: It was a typical day for you. Good weather? JVONDAH: Yeah. VERONICA: Yeah. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing out of the ordinary except a drunk driver decides to steal a car. And ends up victimizing a young mom and her two sons. Quickly, were your sons injured in the accident?
13:02	JVONDAH: Jayden was. Austin – he was so little at the time. He couldn’t speak. So, he was only two. He couldn’t say, but Jayden, he was… he I think it was his finger and he told me his knee. VERONICA: Wow. And thankfully, despite the injuries, everyone survived. We’re going to talk next a little bit about those early days and how Michelle Mumpower took on Jvondah’s case. And navigated it through the legal system. We’ll hear from Jvondah – How she felt about Michelle in those early days too.
13:33	VERONICA: This is Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Stay with us. You’re listening to our podcast, Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Join us 8 a.m. every Sunday if you want to listen live on 95.5 WSB. VERONICA: Welcome back to Lawyers in the House with Montlick.
13:57	VERONICA: I’m your host, Veronica Waters, here with attorney Michelle Mumpower and her client and now friend Jvondah, who is talking to us about surviving a personal injury and what it was like to come out on the other side. I am so curious to know how this friendship that I see that is so evident between the two of you actually began because I wonder how many clients and attorneys actually stay in touch, let alone become friends after something like this.
14:28	VERONICA: So, can I ask you guys to tell me a little bit about that? First you, your first impressions of Michelle… JVONDAH: Well, my first impression was she was amazing at her job. She always called and let me know what was next. I never had to, you know, I never called unless I really… I think… I think I called maybe like once or twice, to ask a question here or there. But for the most part, she always just let me know what was going on from every step.
14:59	JVONDAH: So, she was very…what’s the word I’m looking for? VERONICA: Responsive? Communicative? JVONDAH: Communicative. VERONICA: Do you think that friendship started to be born in those early moments? Like the first time you laid eyes on her, you said you thought she was amazing. What was that like when you first met her? JVONDAH: When I first met her, I didn’t expect for her… Did you have red hair when I first met you? MICHELLE: Probably.
15:27	JVONDAH: Wow. And then, you know, after I finished talking to her, I looked her up on Montlick, and you know… I saw, but I didn’t expect when I saw her in person. She’s beautiful, smart… I’m like, wow. You know, she actually kind of inspired me. I thought about just, you know, pursuing law for a second. And then life started happening. So yeah. VERONICA: So, you kinda put a pin in that for now. JVONDAH: Yeah, right now.
15:56	JVONDAH: I’m going to get back out there. VERONICA: And did you notice that she… is it on your bio that you’re a dancer? Did you know then you guys had dancing in common? JVONDAH: I didn’t know that until just now. VERONICA: Until just now. JVONDAH: I didn’t. VERONICA: So, Michelle, talk to me about that process and building that relationship with Jvondah. MICHELLE: Yeah, so when you call into Montlick, one of the first things is you’re going to speak with an attorney. And at that point, I was able to speak with her mom and kind of form that relationship. You know, as she said, her mom had reached out to other attorneys and she’d let me know that in the beginning, so I continued to reach out and kind of form that relationship with her parents.
16:30	MICHELLE: And then at that point, being able to communicate with the client and form, you know, as you said, a communicative process with the client. The good thing I like about how our firm operates is you not only hear from myself, but you also hear from the assistants throughout the process. I always tell my clients the main thing is, I want you to focus on your treatment, getting back to where you need to be and letting us handle everything behind the scenes. So, I feel like being able to communicate with everyone throughout the process, it’s just beneficial to everyone.
17:00	VERONICA: And look at you two today, the case is closed, but the friendship is boundless to infinity. Exchanging Christmas cards. Facebook friends. I mean, the whole 9 yards. This is the real deal. We are talking to Michelle Mumpower and Jvondah her client on Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Coming up: how we put this case together. Stay with us. You’re listening to our podcast, Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Join us 8 a.m. every Sunday on 95.5 WSD.
17:32	VERONICA: All right, welcome back to Lawyers in the House with Montlick. I’m your host Veronica Waters today talking to you about the personal side of personal injury law. We’ve had some really cute nuggets that you might have missed in the first half if you’re just joining in. But don’t worry- we’ve got it all for you. Make sure that you like and subscribe to us on your favorite podcast. You can hear all of the moments that you missed or just replay some of the sweet ones one more time since they were so doggone good.
17:59	VERONICA: Follow us on every social media platform @Montlicklaw and remember you can go to LawyersintheHouse.com to see or listen to every single episode and send us a question there 24/7 or drop us an email. We are at [email protected] and we can’t wait to hear from you. Join the conversation. Let us know what you think and let us know what your questions are.
18:24	VERONICA: My questions today are for Jvondah and for Michelle Mumpower, Montlick Injury Attorney who was Jvondah’s attorney after her accident several years ago when she became the unwitting victim of what turned out to be a high-speed chase in the area of Memorial Drive near Atlanta. Drunk driver stole a car, sped away. Next thing you know, Jvondah finds herself waking up in the hospital. And, Michelle, you have told us this was not your everyday sort of run in the… run of the mill hit-and-run case.
18:55	VERONICA: What goes into putting this case together? And first of all, tell me a little bit about what made it so complex to begin with. MICHELLE: Well, we didn’t have a lot of information when we initially got the call from her mom, you know. All we had known was that Jvondah was unfortunately in the hospital with significant injuries and had been ejected through a windshield. That’s all we knew. Getting the accident report is the first thing that we do, then once that is reviewed by myself (and every attorney at the firm for their cases), we go through that and then request what is called an open record request.
19:27	MICHELLE: That includes 9-1-1 calls, witness statements, any follow-up, you know, incident reports that were done. And throughout that process in Jvondah’s case, I had discovered that the individual that this vehicle was stolen from and actually started the high-speed chase was cited for creating a hazardous condition. So, because of that, we were not only able to pursue the actual individual that stole the vehicle, but the individual that the vehicle was stolen from because of the citation that he was given.
19:59	MICHELLE: And that is not something that if we had just looked at the accident report, we would have gotten. It was actually a separate incident report we received. I believe it was about 6 to 7 months after we received the initial open record request. VERONICA: Why was that so down the line? MICHELLE: It was a criminal investigation that was being done. And a lot of times, you know, people believe that we can get this information off the bat, but unfortunately until the citation has been taken care of… And most of the time, it’s either they have a trial or the individual that was cited takes a plea. And in this case, he did plead guilty.
20:32	MICHELLE: That information is not disclosed until the criminal matter has been resolved. VERONICA: Wow. VERONICA: And I was going to ask how detailed the accident report was in the beginning. MICHELLE: Not very. VERONICA: Not very. MICHELLE: It actually didn’t even mention the individual whose vehicle was stolen being involved because his vehicle wasn’t part of the impact to Jvondah’s car, but it was, you know, in my opinion, another individual to pursue in this case. So that vehicle was not even listed on the accident report.
21:01	MICHELLE: It was actually that individual’s wife that was listed as the owner of the vehicle. So, had we have not received that information and done our own investigation, we wouldn’t have known about this other individual. VERONICA: Is it a little too inside baseball for me to ask what’s the hazardous condition creation? What is that? I don’t understand that. MICHELLE: So, the way this citation was described under the Georgia code was he… for his actions to kind of put others in danger. So, he created a condition that was hazardous to the general public.
21:29	MICHELLE: And in this case, the distance… going out and driving the route several times from his house to the point of impact was about 7, 8 miles. So, he engaged in this high-speed chase, chasing someone who had stolen his vehicle for about 7, 8 miles. And we also actually found out through an investigation into him -this is not the first time he was criminally charged with this. VERONICA: What? MICHELLE: Yeah, he has a record, unfortunately, and this was something that, you know, again, came up in our investigation and was able… we were able to use that to get Jvondah the results that she was able to receive.
22:01	MICHELLE: Is this sort of like a bad faith thing or a punitive damages thing? MICHELLE: It was. So, it was a little bit of both. Once, so I had… like I said, didn’t know about this individual, never intended to send what we call a demand, which is a document that is sent to the at-fault party’s insurance company to negotiate and hopefully in the end result, settle the claim. And I didn’t know about this individual, didn’t know about this policy, had nothing, no whereabouts. So, once I received this citation, I then sent a demand to his insurance company. Well, they never responded.
22:33	MICHELLE: Just didn’t respond. And it was a minimum limits policy, Jvondah’s medical bills far exceeded what any policy that we had available was. And by then, not timely responding put them in a position of committing, as you said, bad faith. So, we were able to successfully settle her claim for well above the limits. VERONICA: Jvondah, how much of this did you know was going on while you were home recuperating?
23:02	JVONDAH: While I was at home recuperating? Nothing. I didn’t know what was going on. I think my mom was mostly in touch during that time. VERONICA: So, what was going through your heart and your mind and your body? What was going on with your body at that time? JVONDAH: At that time, I didn’t know myself. VERONICA: Wow. JVONDAH: I went through a very unsure time, not sure if I was going to be able to walk again or how everything was going to go.
23:33	JVONDAH: And not being able to take care of myself or my children, how I normally do. At that time was… it was scary. I kind of, you know, really got down on myself. You know, like why me, why did this have to happen to me? And you know, I’ve always preached about being a good person and doing right by people, and I just wondered like, why, why did this happen? Why did this have to happen to me?
24:03	JVONDAH: Especially at a time like, you know, I had fought so hard to get the position that I had at my job. And my son had just turned two, and you know, at that time, I wasn’t married. It was just me. So, it was hard. It was. VERONICA: But for your mom and your grandmom and the young babies you had at home, it maybe felt a little like you were alone dealing with this.
24:33	JVONDAH: Well, I know I knew I wasn’t alone. I never was alone because my mom – my mom and my grandma and my son’s father and we wasn’t probably on the best terms at that time. But they all, everybody, when people from my job, everybody comfort me, but you know when you’re going through it, nobody really knows your pain unless they’ve been through it.
25:02	VERONICA: And the pain was not just physical. JVONDAH: No, it wasn’t just physical. VERONICA: Yeah. And an amazing recovery that you’ve made. You know, what would you say was maybe your turning point when you sort of knew things were gonna be okay?
25:29	JVONDAH: The funny thing is, once I got off that… I had a walker… a walker, like an old school walker. VERONICA: With tennis balls on… JVONDAH: Yeah, basically. Basically, like, really… like once I got off the crutches, crutches, they gave me a walker. And then from there, I couldn’t wash my hair for months because I had the neck brace on.
25:58	JVONDAH: So, I was really losing my mind. I couldn’t wash my neck. It was just. Oh, it was really tough. But once they took that off and I was able to go back to work, I started feeling more so like myself. VERONICA: Wow. JVONDAH: You know… I knew, you know, it was going to be okay. As long as I could walk, you know, I had the boot on. You know, after the walker, you get the boot. I knew I was going to be okay. VERONICA: Months, you said, months before you knew how well you would feel.
26:31	JVONDAH: Yes. VERONICA: Yeah. And today the only sign of it is when the weather is bad that you’re screws scream at you. JVONDAH: I actually have one little funny story. So, my sister got us tickets to a concert, and I had decided I was going to dress up. I didn’t put my shoes on until, you know, we got there. And I had on heels, mind you. I get out the car and I start walking and then I realized… I’m like, Jvondah, you broke your ankle.
26:59	JVONDAH: And when I say my sisters had to walk me to the concert, I had to hold on to them and walk to the concert because I forgot. And those was the only shoes I had other than some slides… slides, you know. VERONICA: Yeah, we can’t go to the concert in slides. JVONDAH: Yes. VERONICA: No, ma’am. JVONDAH: I was dressed from head to toe, but I could not really walk that well. And it just dawned on me once I got out the car to go to the concert. I’m like, oh my gosh, you guys, I forgot. VERONICA: What was I thinking? JVONDAH: Yes.
27:28	VERONICA: Listen, Jvondah, I see women all of the time who are probably having that same conversation and who never had an ankle injury, you know? I’ve seen women who are having that same nighttime struggle. Like, why did I put these shoes on? JVONDAH: But I’m a strutter. I’m like, before this, I was… heels were my best friend. Like, I was on it. VERONICA: And you were a dancer. So, you probably moved so gracefully through the world. JVONDAH: Exactly. So, it was hard to believe that I wasn’t, you know, like, under the… you know how people are under the influence and walking. After the club. That’s how I felt.
27:58	VERONICA: But you were completely sober. JVONDAH: I was completely sober and in pain. VERONICA: How did it affect your day to today life? JVONDAH: Day to day life? in the beginning. All I could do was sit on the couch and watch Netflix and you know, my mom came and took my kids to school. VERONICA: Netflix and heal. JVONDAH: Yep, Netflix and heal. And I couldn’t go to work.
28:27	JVONDAH: I just, you know, at that point, that’s all I really knew was to work, take my kids to school, work, take my kids to school. So, I was begging, begging my doctor. I’m like, when? He was like, you know, you got to give it a few more weeks. I’m like, go back again. He’s like, you got to give a few more weeks. I’m like, man, come on. Come on.
28:54	VERONICA: You mentioned to me that you didn’t think that you would have come out on the other side in the joyous way that you did if it weren’t for Michelle. JVONDAH: That’s so true. That’s so true. Especially on that end. That was my first accident ever.
29:23	JVONDAH: Like, I’ve never been in any type of car accident or never hurt myself. The only thing I can… I never broke a bone. So, when that happened, I was more so worried about myself, not so much worried about the legal part. And good thing I did have Michelle because I didn’t have to. I really didn’t. I didn’t have to worry about the legal part. She always kept me in line, let me know what was going on.
29:52	JVONDAH: And I just followed her lead. Every time she asked me a question, whatever you thought, you know, I know you have my best interest. So, I’m gonna go with what you tell me. VERONICA: Have you had… have you seen other people who didn’t have such a great experience? JVONDAH: Yes. Personally. My hard-headed husband, who was my boyfriend at the time. He had got… well, he was hit by a truck. And he went with someone his family member had told him.
30:24	JVONDAH: And turned out awful. Never really heard from them, had to keep calling, kept getting the front desk. He had to end up paying. He had to end up coming out of pocket. VERONICA: Wow, the difference that having the right advocate on your side can make when you are the victim of a personal injury case. And survivor Jvondah is telling us all about it. Coming up, the Montlick closing argument with Montlick injury attorney Michelle Mumpower.
30:55	VERONICA: I’m your host Veronica Waters. Stay with us. You’re listening to our podcast, Lawyers in the House with Montlick. If you want to listen to our radio show live, you can hear it every Sunday, 8 a.m. on 95.5 WSB. VERONICA: Welcome back to Lawyers in the House with Montlick. I’m your host Veronica Waters here with two very special guests,
31:22	VERONICA: Jvondah and her Montlick Injury Attorney Michelle Mumpower, talking about the personal side of personal injury law and coming out of it on the other side healed and happy. The closing argument is here. You’ve been waiting for it all hour long, so Michelle, take it away. MICHELLE: What I want to let people know is that when you call Montlick at 1-800 LAW NEED, you’re not just getting a person on the phone. You’re actually going to speak with one of our attorneys. And in this case, I spoke with Jvondah’s mom.
31:49	MICHELLE: The other thing is being able to speak with our clients right after the accident and allows us to gather the information that we need to start the legal aspect of the case: calling witnesses, pulling cameras if there’s any at the scene, doing open record requests and really starting our investigation to handle everything that the client doesn’t need to worry about at this time so they can focus on their treatment. Being able to communicate with them and getting to know your clients on a personal level really allows the attorneys, I feel, to more zealously advocate for our clients.
32:20	MICHELLE: The one thing that I like about the way our firm operates is you’re not only going to speak with me throughout the process, but you’re also going to speak with my assistants. I always tell my clients when we end the call, the main thing I want you to focus on is your treatment, your health, getting back to where you need to be. I don’t want you to talk to anybody except individuals from my office. We will handle everything behind the scenes. VERONICA: And this is why Jvondah was getting bombarded with emails and texts and calls and stuff. Sort of keeping her updated. MICHELLE: Yes.
32:47	VERONICA: Yeah. You know, just quickly, if you can in a few words… why is that relationship so crucial to how the case comes out? Because really, Jvondah is, you know, her part in it is just the testimony of what happened or what she does or doesn’t remember and how she’s feeling and what her treatments are like. Why is the relationship so integral to this? MICHELLE: It allows me, you know… like I said, to better to get to know my clients and have that relationship… you know, the one thing I tell my clients is I’m going to treat you like family.
33:14	MICHELLE: I’m going to tell you things you need to hear, tell you things, you know, you don’t want to hear things I want you to hear. Type situation. And just having that personal relationship and really getting to know a client on a personal level allows me to better explain, you know, the pain and suffering and really understand what they’re going through and going, okay, this is what they’re dealing with a day to day basis. This is how they’re feeling about the case. Now I know what I need to do.
33:43	VERONICA: And tell me Jvondah to what it was like with Michelle as your advocate, how important was it having her on your side, getting through this? JVONDAH: It was very important. Having her there to guide me through it, made the process much smoother, not having to worry about how everything was going. We even got close to the point where she gave me her actual phone number. She’s like, I know you’re not going to bother me. And I felt special because I really wasn’t going to bother her, but I did. I felt special that, you know, that we had made a bond that close.
34:13	VERONICA: And I think it’s very telling that you told me that you have actually referred several people to her since this happened. JVONDAH: Yes, I have. My mother, and also a couple of friends, I’ve sent them to her. Anybody who asks, anybody who asks me about legal advice I… Ms. Mumpower. VERONICA: Ms. Mumpower at Montlick, the way to go. What a testament. And she’s the one that called her a pit bull in pumps. This is the one right here.
34:43	VERONICA: This is the relationship you’ve heard Michelle tearing up about it. This has been Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Thank you so much for being in the house Michelle Mumpower, Montlick Injury Attorney, and her client Jvondah. I’m Veronica Waters. We will see you next time. Here are the sing to our podcast, Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Catch us live every Sunday, 8 a.m. on 95.5 WSB.

Read Full Transcript