Schlemmer & Maniatis, LLP represent people ... not a nameless, faceless company, but real people, just like you. When someone comes to our offices it is because their lives have taken a turn for the worse. Whether it is them personally or a loved one who has been injured in an accident, most people simply do not know what they should do next. It is a simple fact that nobody ever wants to be injured, and nobody wants to have to appear in Court before a jury of people they do not know and relive their life-altering, horrible experiences. Further, while some are very angry at the corporation, the individuals, or the municipality responsible for injuring them, most are very concerned with bringing a lawsuit, especially when it seems to be against an actual person or individual. However, while legal papers often read John Smith against XYZ Corporation, or John Smith against John Doe, there is almost always an unnamed party that remains hidden in the background—

The Insurance Company.

If a corporation, its employee, or an individual person, cause an accident and have insurance coverage, the Insurance Company defends them. In fact, in most cases, it is fair to say that the Insurance Company leaves the corporation or the individual responsible for the accident, virtually without any say in the matter.

The Insurance Company hires the defense lawyers, pays the defendant’s legal fees for the defense, and most importantly makes all the decisions about how much compensation will be offered to the injured person and if the case will go to trial. These decisions are made regardless of what the named defendant thinks or wants and very often contradict the named defendant’s wishes. For example, quite often Insurance Companies will employ a defense called “Blame the Victim” wherein they attempt to place all of the blame on the injured person for their injuries—quite often this is not the feeling of the actual defendant in the case, but the Insurance Company and their lawyers do it anyway.

As such, the reality of the legal system is that most of these lawsuits are actually against the Insurance Company and would never go to trial, but for the fact that the Insurance Company does not want to pay what is owed to the injured party. It is no great secret that Insurance Companies are very happy to accept a corporation’s or an individual’s insurance premiums every month for years on end. However, when it comes time for the Insurance Company to make good on their contractual promises to pay in the event of negligence, the Insurance Companies often balk and go out of their way to hold onto those premiums—usually at the expense of an injured person. This is often the reason why cases go to trial.

Schlemmer & Maniatis, LLP

While it is a statistical fact that the majority of cases settle, Schlemmer & Maniatis are trial attorneys. Paul and Bill have each spent more than ten years fighting for the rights of injured people, and their results for their clients speak volumes about their individual capabilities.

When a case is handled by Schlemmer & Maniatis, LLP, it is made very clear to both Insurance Company and their chosen lawyers that the case will not settle unless and until an amount that reasonably and fairly compensates the injured client is offered. If an Insurance Company is being obstinate and is unwilling to pay fair value to an injured person, the case will proceed to a jury trial. This is an area in which the attorneys at Schlemmer & Maniatis, LLP excel.

Speaking to Juries

When considering an attorney it is important to have lawyers with a reputation as trial attorneys. Paul and Bill have a reputation as trial attorneys in the legal community, both trying cases for their own clients, and being hired by other law firms to handle their trials for them.

Schlemmer & Maniatis, LLP have repeatedly been successful at explaining their clients’ cases to juries. This is largely due to the fact that when the attorneys of Schlemmer & Maniatis, LLP present a case to a jury, our attorneys are prepared. We give the jury the truth. We let the jury know exactly why the defenses being asserted are without merit, why we believe our client’s cause to be just, and why our client should prevail. We know that jurors have an amazing ability to see the truth, and to do what is right. It is this fact that gives us the courage to continue fighting for justice for our clients.