Read the Episode Transcript
| 00:04 | 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 right here on WSB. I’m your host, Veronica Waters. So happy to be back with you another week. Hope you wiped your feet on the mat. |
| 00:30 | VERONICA: Just come on in, make yourself comfortable. We are having two dynamic attorneys here to walk us through something that, you know what, maybe we should have done this for you closer to one of the beginning episodes. Right after our first episode about misconceptions and personal injury law. We throw a lot of terms around here, from claim to compensation, from arbitration to mediation, all this kind of stuff. Do you know exactly what we’re talking about? |
| 00:58 | VERONICA: It’s not necessarily legalese, but think of this as a sort of primer 101 for common legal terms. That’s what we’re talking about here on Lawyers in the House today. And I’ve got two attorneys, one new to the show, one not so new to the show. Phillip Hairston, you remember, was with us before. He’s one of the Grady babies. Georgia native, right?
PHILLIP: That’s correct. This is the guy you may remember, graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in chemistry. PHILLIP: That’s right. VERONICA: And now he’s a lawyer. |
| 01:27 | VERONICA: What composition went into making that? How did that formula work, Phillip?
PHILLIP: Looking back, it’s actually kind of a funny decision. I knew it was something different than science, and I did debate team in high school and figured law is a natural fit, so I went to law school and figured it out. VERONICA: So now that you’ve been in law for how many years? PHILLIP: Nine years now. VERONICA: Nine years. What makes you know that you did the right thing? PHILLIP: Well, first of all, I think we all do what we’re good at. |
| 01:56 | PHILLIP: Frankly, I think my skills transition to law well. I’m competitive, I’m empathetic. My clients trust me, they like me, and I believe in what I do.
VERONICA: You believe in what you do? PHILLIP: That’s correct. I spent the last four years representing plaintiffs. You’ll hear today plaintiffs are people who are injured, people who bring lawsuits, and they’re victims rankly. They’re people who are hurt, people who need help at one of the worst times in their life, and they depend on us to help them. And I’m proud of that. VERONICA: I love that. |
| 02:25 | VERONICA: And the newbie to the show today, but hopefully she will be back many times, cause I’ve already grown to love talking to her. Margaret Grenleski, another Georgia native, joining us here on Lawyers in the House. Not a Grady baby, but a Kennestone baby.
MARGARET: Correct. VERONICA: Is that a thing, Kennestone babies? Do we say that? PHILLIP: I guess we do now. VERONICA: Two Georgia Natives and a Mississippi Magnolia. Here, look, this is an all southern show. Margaret, you’ve been in the law for one decade now. |
| 02:54 | VERONICA: But what’s interesting about Margaret is that she comes to the law after already having a previous career as a licensed professional counselor. Now she’s this person who’s decided to go back to school, become an attorney after one successful career. And now how do you feel that you’ve been in law for a decade or more?
MARGARET: I made the right decision. |
| 03:20 | MARGARET: It’s been very rewarding, and I enjoy helping people solve problems or puzzles sometimes, and so I get to work on that every day now.
VERONICA: Did you have sort of a revelatory moment when you were like, yes, this is where I’m supposed to be? MARGARET: Probably the first two or three months when I was working at Montlick, I came across some situations where I felt very excited and intrigued about some solutions I was able to come up with. So yes. |
| 03:54 | VERONICA: Is it the figuring out of the puzzles? Is it the exploring every avenue for your clients kind of thing?
MARGARET: Yes. VERONICA: What drives you? MARGARET: Challenges. VERONICA: Challenges? MARGARET: Yes. VERONICA: This is the girl you want, I guess if there’s an intricate case, right? MARGARET: Yes. VERONICA: Is that what I’m hearing? Okay. I love it. I love it. Okay, so we’re going to get to know Margaret a little bit more and Phillip a little bit more. But first we’re going to get to know some legal terms a little bit more, common legal terms. |
| 04:26 | VERONICA: And I’m going to say maybe some things that every personal injury client or maybe just all of us in general need to know. Right. And clearly, Phillip was already ready to dive into the content. So we’re going to rewind a little bit. Common legal Terms 101: plaintiff versus defendant. We hear this all of the time. All of the time on all of the TV shows and movies I watch. And Phillip, you already said a plaintiff is…
PHILLIP: So when there’s a lawsuit, there are two parties. |
| 04:56 | PHILLIP: Well, at least two parties involved. One will be the plaintiff, one is the defendant. The plaintiff is the one who’s bringing a lawsuit. They’re the ones who are alleging a harm or a damage of some kind, and the defendant is the person who’s alleged to have committed this harm or damage. So the lawsuit is the plaintiff bringing a suit against a defendant.
VERONICA: And you, as the Montlick injury attorney, are representing the plaintiff. PHILLIP: Exactly. All of our clients are plaintiffs. There are people who have been hurt due to the negligence of others, so we bring lawsuits on behalf of our clients. |
| 05:27 | VERONICA: …who are the plaintiffs against the defendants who’ve caused their harm.
VERONICA: OK. Margaret, what do you… Be honest with me. People really know these terms, right? Plaintiff and defendant. Am I starting off too easy? MARGARET: No. I have people ask all the time if they’re the plaintiff. VERONICA: Oh, and you say, yes, you are? I think what’s going to be cool about the show is we’ll try to do the terms in sort of a chronological order of how a case comes to you and how it develops. |
| 06:00 | VERONICA: And maybe we can sort of layer the education that way so you can see, right, how it develops. What do you think about that idea? I love that. All right, so what’s the first thing that you do? We’ve got plaintiff and defendant. Now we know I’m trying to sue somebody for messing with me or hurting me. I’m the plaintiff. What’s next? |
| 06:31 | MARGARET: In a personal injury case, you would find out if the defendant has insurance and then contact the insurance company and let them know that this plaintiff is filing a claim. So we would have to investigate, like if you have an accident, we would look up the accident report and then find out from there who to contact as far as the insurance company goes. |
| 07:03 | VERONICA: Alright, is this one of those things that you have to explain to clients too?
MARGARET: Yes, definitely. I actually had to explain it to someone the other day. VERONICA: How do you… give examples. What do you do? Do you just bring out cases? Like give us an example of when you’re talking about insurance. Because on this show, I’ve heard the word adjuster, I’ve heard the word agent, I’ve heard the word insured, I’ve heard policy. |
| 07:31 | VERONICA: I mean, lay this out for me. Who’s who?
MARGARET: Okay, well, the insurance agent is the person who actually sells you the insurance. They represent either one insurance company or several and they can help you obtain the proper insurance for yourself. Now, an adjuster is someone who actually handles the claim once you file the claim and evaluates the claim for your injuries or property damage or other… VERONICA: And those are two different people, Phillip? |
| 08:06 | PHILLIP: That’s correct. So generally, the people we deal with are the claims adjusters. Those are the people who look at the case when it’s first filed. So before a lawsuit is filed, generally we’ll file an insurance claim on the at fault party’s insurance and the insurance company will assign what’s called an adjuster to the claim. And the adjuster will look at our client’s medical bills and their injuries and their damages and try to evaluate what they, the insurance company, thinks the case is worth. |
| 08:35 | PHILLIP: And so usually before lawsuit’s filed, we’ll try to settle or at least deal with the adjuster on the case. And if we cannot obtain a settlement that our client thinks is fair or desirable, then we’ll look into filing a lawsuit. But generally we’re looking into filing insurance claims before lawsuits are filed.
VERONICA: Alright, so you said “at fault.” Do I need to throw that into the primer too? Is it as obvious as it sounds? PHILLIP: I think maybe it is, but I know what it means. |
| 09:07 | PHILLIP: The person who’s committed the harm against our clients, the person who’s at fault for the injury or accident or damages,
VERONICA: All right. Can somebody lay out a case example for me where we can paint a picture for me of how this looks in real life? PHILLIP: Sure. So a lot of our cases involve car accidents. So let’s say, for example, Veronica, you’re rear ended on the way home today. You would call Montlick, tell us what happened, and we will start by getting a police report. |
| 09:34 | PHILLIP: The police report would list the at-fault driver’s insurance information.
VERONICA: The person who rear ended me. PHILLLIP: Yes, exactly. We would file a claim against that person’s insurance policy, their liability policy, the policy that covers them when they hurt someone. So after a claim is filed and you complete medical treatment, we would send a settlement demand to the insurance company, which the adjuster would look at and evaluate, and we would attempt to negotiate a settlement. |
| 10:06 | PHILLIP: Hopefully, ideally, we’ll get a settlement offer that our client thinks is fair and they would accept the offer and then the case is closed. If the offer is something our client refuses, well, then we’ll file a lawsuit against the at-fault driver on our client’s behalf.
VERONICA: Is the claim the same thing as a lawsuit? PHILLIP: No, I think that’s sort of an important distinction. So a lawsuit is when you physically file a lawsuit in court. That’s when you have a plaintiff and a defendant. That’s when you have to serve the lawsuit on someone. |
| 10:36 | PHILLIP: You have to actually give them a copy of the lawsuit. A claim is simply an attempt to resolve a case outside of the legal proceeding. So generally we file claims before lawsuits are filed.
VERONICA: Can you resolve it? Can you resolve a claim without a lawsuit? MARGARET: Yes. VERONICA: Okay. MARGARET: Definitely. VERONICA: Alright, give me an example, Margaret. MARGARET: Okay, so once you’ve finished treating, your medical issues are resolved, or maybe not, but you’ve finished your treatment. |
| 11:08 | VERONICA: I’ve got some sort of treatment plan at least. Right?
MARGARET: Right. So you’ve completed your treatment and then we would obtain all of your medical records and billing, and then we would send an initial settlement demand on the claim to the insurance company. The insurance company will evaluate the claim and respond to our demand with a settlement offer. |
| 11:32 | MARGARET: And then at that point, we will notify the plaintiff, or our client, of the settlement offer and determine if we want to move forward with further negotiations, which is usually the case. Okay, so then we go back to the insurance company with either a new demand or a lower demand of some sort, and then we negotiate it out.
VERONICA: All right, so tell me about that process. |
| 11:58 | VERONICA: I’m sure that… is there a case that sticks with you where these sort of negotiations played out and you felt really proud of your outcome?
MARGARET: That’s quite often, actually. VERONICA: I love these competitive attorneys. This is really good. MARGARET: Sometimes you look at the information that the insurance company is reviewing and you go over it with them and you have to clarify certain aspects of the claim and the facts, and they will increase the offer. |
| 12:33 | MARGARET: And so you just continually go back and forth bringing up the facts of your claim and what’s positive.
VERONICA: What’s positive… again, like exploring every avenue. One quick question before we go to break and get into some more of these terms. Sometimes, obviously, police are called every time, and they’re more often than not, probably writing a ticket or a citation. Does that have to do with fault? |
| 13:01 | PHILLIP: Yes. So, generally, a citation is written against the at-fault driver, and they’re being charged with a traffic violation, a crime. That at-fault driver has to respond to the citation by appearing in criminal court. So that’s a big deal for our cases because if the at fault driver admits fault, it becomes easier for our clients to prove their case.
VERONICA: All right, we’re talking about legal terms, common legal terms, and next, what makes or breaks the case now that the claim or the lawsuit is getting underway? |
| 13:33 | VERONICA: That’s coming up next with Phillip Hairston and Margaret Grenleski. Stay with us.
Join us 08:00 a.m. Every Sunday if you want to listen live on 95 Five WSV. VERONICA: Welcome back to Lawyers in the House with Montlick. |
| 14:00 | VERONICA: I’m Veronica Waters here with Montlick Injury Attorneys Phillip Hairston and Margaret Grenleski, teaching you some common legal terms, stuff that you will want to know when you’re listening to us talk about this show or if you have a case, God forbid. Let’s learn about something that you have talked about. Both of you have used the word settlement a couple of times already, and I feel like I would be remiss if I didn’t get you to explain exactly what that is. Am I settling for something? What’s settlement. What’s a settlement? |
| 14:29 | MARGARET: So you’re settling your claim for money that the insurance company is offering so it will close out your claim, and you cannot file a lawsuit after that.
VERONICA: Am I… this is like I’m duking it out with the insurance companies to get to this settlement? MARGARET: We at Montlick are duking it out. That’s for us to do. |
| 14:54 | MARGARET: But, yes, we will go back and forth with the insurance company and negotiate for the settlement offer, and eventually, you can either decide if you’re going to accept the settlement offer or possibly move forward with filing a lawsuit.
VERONICA: All right, so very few of these cases actually go to trial, even if you file a lawsuit, right? MARGARET: Yes. VERONICA: But if you’re one of the ones that does go to trial, so much has to happen before you ever get in front of a judge or a jury. |
| 15:25 | VERONICA: What’s that called?
PHILLIP: So the first part of that will be called the discovery. VERONICA: Discovery. That’s a cable channel. PHILLIP: Yes, that too. PHILLIP: So in the discovery part of the lawsuit, that’s the first part of the lawsuit. The parties, the plaintiff, the defendant, they’re entitled to find out evidence that they can use against the other party in the lawsuit. VERONICA: So I’m discovering the evidence that you could use. PHILLIP: Exactly. VERONICA: Got it. PHILLIP: And so the first part of that starts with a term called interrogatories. |
| 15:55 | VERONICA: Interrogatories. What?
PHILLIP: Yes, exactly. It’s a mouthful. VERONICA: Interrogatories. Okay. PHILLIP: So each party… so, for example, our clients, the plaintiffs, they can serve interrogatories on the defendant. And interrogatories are the long list of questions, written questions that the defendant has to answer. And the defendant gets to serve our clients with the same kind of questions. So they might want to ask our clients about their prior medical history to determine if the injury was caused by the accident or if it was already preexisting. |
| 16:26 | PHILLIP: Our clients might want to find out the defendant’s driving record to see they have a habit of hitting other drivers. So that’s sort of the first part of the lawsuit, is just exchanging evidence and getting information that could lead to finding admissible evidence in a lawsuit.
VERONICA: And in addition to interrogatories, there are… MARGARET: Depositions. VERONICA: Depositions. MARGARET: Which are usually in person. And they bring in a court reporter and record the deposition. |
| 16:56 | MARGARET: And they ask you many, many questions, many of which are not even allowed to be brought up in court. However, they’re just getting to know you and finding out information. And we can also depose the defendant as well.
VERONICA: Same kind of questions this time on video. Okay, now we’re getting kind of scary. All right, so what happens after the discovery, the interrogatories, the depositions? Now we’re moving into maybe the final stages of that. |
| 17:25 | VERONICA: That’s coming up next on Lawyers in the House with Montlick. I’m Veronica Waters. Stay with us.
You’re listening to our podcast Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Join us 08:00 a.m every Sunday on 95 five WSC. VERONICA: Welcome back to the house. Lawyers in the House with Montlick. I’m your host, Veronica Waters, here with Montlick injury attorney Phillip Hairston and Margaret Grenleski. |
| 17:53 | VERONICA: We’re talking about common legal terms, and I want to take one second to show you this book. This thing, I think it’s like something like 10 pounds. Black’s Law Dictionary. Listen, there are so many legal terms that these two know that they carry around this knowledge in their heads, apparently, day in and day out. We’re not going to give you through that, but I just wanted to… this is almost as thick as a dollar bill. All right? Black Law Dictionary, which I’m told is like the end all, be all for attorneys. |
| 18:25 | VERONICA: And my friends have a couple of lawyers who say no attorney’s office is complete without one. Is that accurate?
PHILLIP: Yes. I have to agree. VERONICA: Okay, but Phillip likes his online, right? PHILLIP: Yes. That’s a little heavy for me to carry around. VERONICA: Mr. High Tech. Lawyersinhouse.com is where you can find us 24/7. Also reach out to us on social all platforms. We are @MontlickLaw and you can find us on Spotify, Apple podcasts, any place where you love to get the hottest podcasts, you will find Lawyers in the House. |
| 18:54 | VERONICA: Make sure you subscribe, like us, give us some cute little reviews, and see our smiling faces. All right, so we are talking about common legal terms. I’ve learned: I’m a plaintiff suing a defendant. I’ve made a claim. We filed a lawsuit. We’ve gone through the discovery process. So we discovered what each side had to offer. What are we saying in the interrogatories, in the depositions, on video? Now let’s get down to the nitty gritty, the dollars and cents. Yes?
MARGARET: Yes. |
| 19:23 | VERONICA: Okay, go.
MARGARET: Well, at some point after discovery, you will end up either going in front of a judge or a jury at court, depending on the type of case you file. And so all of the information that you’ve collected during the discovery process will be- not all of it necessarily, but a lot of it will be used in court. And once the jury hears the evidence.. |
| 19:52 | MARGARET: And the judge and jury, or just the judge, they will make a decision as to how much of an award you will receive.
VERONICA: So what do you call that? Awards? Compensation? MARGARET: Compensation. VERONICA: Compensation. All right. But so many of these cases are resolved without going to trial. Yes? Are you still in front of a judge if you don’t have a trial? MARGARET: No. VERONICA: No. Okay. All right. So how do you determine what’s compensation? what are the types of compensation that I could possibly get? |
| 20:25 | PHILLIP: So I guess I would start by just clarifying that you can only get monetary compensation.
VERONICA: As opposed to? PHILLIP: Anything else? A jury can’t make them give you a car. It can only award you money. It’s something important to understand because the civil system only allows you to get monetary compensation. So that’s important to think about. So when you go before a jury, you can ask for damages, and that’s the harm you’ve incurred. |
| 20:54 | PHILLIP: And there’s different kinds of damages. So the first would be what I would call special damages, actual damages. Those are something that’s easy to specify and to calculate. So, for example, medical bills, that’s going to be a certain number. If you had lost wages because you couldn’t work because you’re injured, that’s a certain number you can easily determine. So that’s part of what you can ask for. Medical bills, lost wages. You’re also entitled to pain and suffering, which is harder to calculate. |
| 21:25 | PHILLIP: Pain and suffering is a subjective damage that a jury would determine. And there are a lot of different ways to prove pain and suffering. So I always ask my clients, in the beginning of a case, you’re hurt. Tell me something or tell me things that you could do before you were hurt that you either can’t do today or couldn’t do for a certain amount of time. And those examples are how I explained to a jury my client’s pain and suffering. |
| 21:54 | VERONICA: So give me an example of one of those.
PHILLIP: For example, I had a client who was a lifelong Atlanta Hawks fan. She’s had season tickets for years and she went to almost every single game every season. And she was in a pretty bad car accident. And the accident hurt her lower back. So she was unable to sit for long periods of time without pain. So it made it very hard for her, really impossible for her to go to an Atlanta Hawks game and just sit there for two and a half hours. |
| 22:22 | PHILLIP: So she’d end up missing maybe 20 home games, which for her, the most she’s missed in decades. So for her, that was a really big deal. And like I said, this is subjective. Some people don’t care about basketball and they don’t think that’s a big deal. But to her, that was her life. That was her biggest hobby. That’s what she did outside of seeing her family and working, which is going to Atlanta Hawks games. So for her, that was a really big deal. And we had to explain that to her jury and explained to a jury why she should be compensated for that. That’s an activity she couldn’t do anymore. |
| 22:51 | VERONICA: And did the jury get it? How did they respond to that?
PHILLIP: Her case ended favorably. I think they responded to her and agreed with her. Anyone who’s hurt is going to have their life affected. I don’t care if it’s a broken back or just a scar on your face. Any kind of injury is going to affect your life and you should be compensated for that. And our job is to fight for you. VERONICA: Margaret, I would think – and obviously correct me if I’m wrong – but I would think that if I’ve been hurt in like a car accident, we’ve been saying or anything, that pain and suffering is like an automatic. I’ve had pain, I’m suffering because of it. Yes? No? |
| 23:26 | MARGARET: It should be. However, the insurance company’s job is to diminish your pain and suffering.
VERONICA: You’re not really hurting like you think you are, Veronica. MARGARET: Exactly. So it’s our job to collect all of the information from you, all of your medical records, and prove that you have suffered this pain and suffering. VERONICA: Give me an example of when you’ve had to fight through one of these cases for somebody who actually did have that pain and suffering. |
| 23:54 | MARGARET: Well, I can think of a couple of cases where I had new mothers and they were actually unable to hold their child or breastfeed after the accident without immense pain. So it actually affected the, I guess, bonding with their newborn, the breastfeeding time, which is very almost traumatizing for these women because they’re a new mother and they want to bond with their newborn. |
| 24:27 | MARGARET: So that’s something that we’ve definitely talked about with the insurance companies in the past on different cases.
VERONICA: How do you calculate that? How do you calculate that, though? Understandably, it’s subjective, right, but it’s emotional. You’re painting this picture to the insurance companies, the juries, but how do you calculate… I mean, that’s a priceless thing. I’m not a parent, but I know many parents and I’m a daughter. |
| 24:54 | VERONICA: And how could you put a price tag on not being able to bond with your child?
MARGARET: It’s difficult. How is there a price tag? So you have to really collect information from the client. A lot of times they’ll write a statement of how it affected their life and then we will present that to the insurance company or in court. I mean, if they’re in court, they’re going to be testifying in court about how this has changed or what they’ve experienced. |
| 25:27 | VERONICA: You ever had a case, Margaret, where your emotions… where it was hard to keep your emotions out of it?
MARGARET: Of course. Yes, definitely. Yes. Because you want to fight for your client as hard as you can. And sometimes the things that they’ve experienced are just catastrophic. |
| 25:52 | MARGARET: I did have a case where this young couple was driving home one night on their motorcycle. And a man who actually came from another state, drove into the city of Atlanta to buy some illicit drugs, actually ran over the motorcycle with my clients on it, and left the scene. There was a hit and run. He was also on illicit drugs. |
| 26:22 | MARGARET: He abandoned the vehicle somewhere and was… some other antics ensued after that while the police were trying to locate him. So that would call for punitive damages because any time you have some willful or wanton conduct that you commit, then you are going to be punished. So punitive damages is where you… is designed to punish the defendant. |
| 26:48 | MARGARET: So in that situation, I presented a punitive damages claim for the property damage. Okay. And so we actually used the wedding band, her wedding set. And she was so proud of this wedding set. She said that she went, picked it out. Her husband actually couldn’t pay for it all at once, so he had actually put it on layaway and paid for it over the course of a year or two for her. |
| 27:15 | MARGARET: And she just felt as though that meant a lot to her, especially now that he was deceased on the scene at the accident. So her wedding band was destroyed from basically the road rash that she experienced. And I presented that wedding set for the punitive damages claim for the property damage. |
| 27:42 | MARGARET: The adjuster actually had the gall to call me and say that it was purchased at Kmart and it wasn’t worth the value of the minimum limits in Georgia, of $25,000. And I’m probably going to tear up right now talking about this, but I totally lost it. It was all I could do to compose myself. And I just told him, I said, I don’t care if this came from a gumball machine for $0.25. |
| 28:12 | MARGARET: This was her wedding set, and now her husband’s deceased. And I just can’t believe you would even bring something like that up. And what I later learned is, or I figured out, is that while she was in the hospital for two weeks on morphine, the insurance company had sent someone into the hospital, into her room, and had been talking with family members. And that’s how they knew that the wedding set was possibly from a store like Sam’s. |
| 28:43 | MARGARET: So, yes, I was just… oh, I was so upset.
VERONICA: That has got to be so hard to hear. And I’ve heard so many Montlick attorneys talk about how they love being able to represent people, the folks who are actually hurt here. And it makes me think that someone who might throw out that idea would maybe not be thinking so much about the people behind the wedding band, so to speak. |
| 29:21 | MARGARET: Their job is simply to diminish your claim. That’s the whole job of the insurance adjuster.
VERONICA: Even if it sounds really harsh. MARGARET: Yes, definitely harsh. VERONICA: Phillip used to work for insurance companies. PHILLIP: I did, for the first four or five years of my career, represented major insurance companies, pretty much doing what Margaret just said, trying to reduce the value of people’s injuries claims. |
| 29:47 | PHILLIP: And after doing that for a couple of years, I decided to make a change and do some good in the world.
VERONICA: Yes, and quickly. If I remember correctly, didn’t you work as your own lawyer one time? PHILLIP: Yes, during 2020. I was involved in a rear end collision myself, so I was hit from behind. So I had to file my own claim against this driver’s insurance company, and I had to explain to them, well, one, I’m hurt and my own pain and suffering. For me, I’m an avid runner. |
| 30:16 | PHILLIP: I love running races. I do 10Ks and half marathons fairly regularly, and I had to miss two races because I physically could not run following my injuries.
VERONICA: Were you successful on your behalf? Did your attorney prevail for you? PHILLIP: Yes, I did. We did settle without filing a lawsuit. VERONICA: All right. Fantastic. All right, thank you so much. Phillip Hairston and Margaret Grenleski giving us the 101 on common legal terms. Coming up, the Montlick closing argument. What’s it going to be? Phillip and Margaret are going to take it away. |
| 30:47 | VERONICA: Stay with us. You don’t want to miss it.
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, 08:00 A.m. On 95 Five. WSC. VERONICA: Welcome back to Lawyers in the House with Montlick on WSB. I’m your host, Veronica Waters. We’ve been talking common legal terms here on this episode of Lawyers in the House with Margaret Grenleski and Phillip Hairston. |
| 31:21 | VERONICA: I don’t know what Black’s Law Dictionary says about exotic young women. I’m going to see if I can find a definition in here for that. But in the meantime, it is time for Montlick’s closing argument. So, Margaret and Phillip, you’ve got the floor.
MARGARET: Okay. Well, Veronica, I just want to mention that with Black’s Law Dictionary, you shouldn’t be overwhelmed because that’s what we’re here for. We’re here to help you navigate the case or the claim and the situation. |
| 31:53 | MARGARET: And you can always call 1800 LAW NEED, which is nationwide. And we can assist you to walk you through the steps to file a claim if you’re injured in a personal injury claim.
VERONICA: I don’t have to handle it alone? MARGARET: No, that’s what we’re here for. PHILLIP: And I would add that every call, every consultation, is completely free. There’s no obligation. I think we said before that we only get paid on a contingency fee, which means that we only get paid if we can get our clients an award. |
| 32:23 | PHILLIP: So if we don’t get anything, you don’t owe us anything. So there’s no obligation, there’s no risk in calling us, give any kind of questions or concerns or have what you think might be a case. Just give us a call and we’ll talk about it.
VERONICA: Yeah. And also, how often do you have somebody who maybe calls and doesn’t even know the terminology? I don’t know what I don’t know, which I shouldn’t be intimidated, right, to ask? PHILLIP: Right. And that’s what we’re here for. And it happens all the time. Clients think they might have a call or might have a case. They call, we talk about it, and if they have a case, that’s great. |
| 32:54 | PHILLIP: And if not, we tell them how we can get other help or point them in the right direction.
VERONICA: What’s one of the best feelings that you’ve had in this business since you became an attorney? PHILLIP: Marg, you want to take this one or should I start? MARGARET: Well, I mean, any time you resolve a claim for someone and they feel as though they’ve been compensated for their loss, that’s a great feeling. VERONICA: Does it ever get old? |
| 33:24 | MARGARET: No. Absolutely not.
VERONICA: Never feels like the same day over and over again, guys? MARGARET: No. Every case is different. Every case has different intricacies and different facts. PHILLIP: I agree. All of our clients are hurt due to no fault of their own, and they all need help. So helping people get what they deserve is never old or tiring. Frankly, it’s fun and it’s rewarding. VERONICA: Today’s word, one more word, I’m going to throw in there – compassion. |
| 33:52 | VERONICA: That’s what you’re getting when you get these attorneys from Montlick. Thank you so much for staying with us. For Lawyers in the House, don’t forget to find us online at LawyersintheHouse.com. See us where you get your podcasts and make sure that you hit us up on social @MontlickLaw. We would love to see you. Send us your questions 24 hours a day. I’m Veronica Waters. We will see you for the next episode of Lawyers in the House right here on WSB. Peace out. |
| 34:22 | You’re listening to our podcast Lawyers in the House with Montlick. Catch us live every Sunday. 08:00 A.m on 95.5 WSB. |
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