Best pedasterian Lawyers in Arizona
Ken Gerber
Accident Lawyer
I have been practicing law for more than 25 years and Plaintiff’s Personal Injury law for the last 19. After graduating college with honors from Tulane University in New Orleans, my passion for trial work began as a member of the #1 nationally ranked Stetson College of Law Trial Team (source: U.S. News and World Report) where my mock trial team placed first in both State and National competitions.
I graduated from Stetson College of Law in St. Petersburg, FL, cum laude. I followed my passion from law school to working as a prosecuting attorney where I prosecuted thousands of criminal cases and handled more jury trials than any other prosecutor during the same time frame. After rising through the ranks of the prosecutor’s office, I was hired by a Plaintiff’s Personal Injury law firm because of my background in jury trials. In 2001, I founded my own Plaintiff’s Personal Injury practice, which grew to six offices throughout southwest Florida. In 2009, I sold a highly successful law practice in Florida and moved to Arizona.
I have drawn from my experiences and desire for personal service, commitment to excellence, and the aggressive pursuit of justice in once again building a successful personal injury law firm. I am licensed to practice in all Courts in Arizona and the United States District Court for Arizona. Currently, my practice is located in Phoenix, Avondale, Scottsdale, and Surprise, Arizona. I also serve the residents of the city as well as Peoria and other surrounding areas. I remain committed to the highest in client service.
Matthew Koglmeier
Accident Lawyer
Matthew (“Matt”) Koglmeier, the firm’s managing partner, attended Arizona State University and received his Bachelor’s Degree in business administration in 1979. Matt also received his Juris Doctor from Arizona State University in 1981. He began practicing law in May 1982 and has focused his practice in the area of civil litigation including landlord-tenant, personal injury and commercial litigation. Matt’s office has been located in Mesa, Arizona for over 30 years.
In addition to actively practicing law and running a successful law firm, Matt participates as a speaker in numerous seminars on the topics of landlord-tenant law, fair housing, medical marijuana, and speaks regularly at “Crime Free” certification classes organized by city police departments throughout Arizona. Matt previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Arizona Multihousing Association where he continues to be an active member of the Government Affairs Committee.
Matt also enjoys working with numerous charitable organizations including donating his time as a pilot for organizations whose mission is to provide free air transportation to those with medical needs. When he is not donating his time away from the firm, Matt enjoys spending time with his family, including his 7 children, and his 14 grandchildren.
MARC H. LAMBER
Accident Lawyer
Mr. Lamber, a Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent rated trial attorney (highest peer-review rating), specializes in plaintiffs’ catastrophic injury and wrongful death litigation.* He formed the Plaintiff Personal Injury (PI) Practice at Fennemore and has spent the past 30 years developing it. He is the Chairperson of the PI Practice.
Mr. Lamber has been recognized as a leader in the personal injury context, including his innovative and effective use of technology in his practice. Mr. Lamber has been featured in national and local media, including the following: USA Today, Good Morning America, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Fox News, the ABA Journal, the Arizona Republic and many others. Mr. Lamber was featured by Newsweek as one of the “20 Leaders Plaintiffs’ Trial Lawyers.” He was profiled on Apple.com for innovative uses of the iPad in his practice. He was selected by his peers for inclusion in the “The Best Lawyers in America” in the area of personal injury litigation. Attorney at Law Magazine named Marc and his team the “#1 personal injury team in the U.S.”
Over the last 30 years, Mr. Lamber has represented a multitude of accident victims resulting in a plethora of successful jury trials, arbitrations, mediations and settlements. He has recovered tens of millions of dollars for his clients. Mr. Lamber originally began his practice at Fennemore as a defense attorney. Because of this background, Mr. Lamber has unique and enhanced credibility with defense lawyers, insurers and defendants.
Learn more about the technology-based catastrophic injury, wrongful death, and personal injury practice Lamber and his colleagues have developed.
HONORS AND AWARDS
Rated AV Preeminent* by Martindale-Hubbell
Selected for Madison Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals
ADMISSIONS
Arizona, 1991
U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1991
U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 2002
GARY PHILLIPS
Accident Lawyer
Gary Phillips is the senior partner and founding member of the law firm of Gary Phillips Accident Law Professionals. Prior to starting his current law firm he was a founding member and senior partner with the law firm of Phillips and Lyon. For more than forty years he limited his practice to representing only injured people. During his time with Phillips and Lyon he personally represented all the significantly injured victims of accidents.
Gary grew up on Chicago’s diverse Westside in a neighborhood that was a melting pot of people from all nationalities, races and religious backgrounds. He quickly learned the “street smarts” that one needs to get the job done, whatever that job may be. He also learned the concept of “what goes around comes around” and to “treat people as you would like to be treated”. These lessons took root in him and he lives by them both in his personal life and his legal practice. He came to Arizona in 1963 where he attended Arizona State University and graduated with a Bachelor in Science in 1967. He started law school at University of Houston but ended up relocating back to Chicago and completing his Juris Doctorate at the Chicago Kent College of Law at Illinois Institute of Technology. In order to finish up his law degree he needed to work full time and attend night school along with weekend jobs. That personal experience taught him that to exceed at anything you must be willing to work hard. He puts forth that same hard work ethic in every client’s case to obtain the best possible outcome, even if it means working late nights or weekends to get the job done.
Gary then returned to Phoenix and began to practice law in 1973. He quickly showed his potential and became a partner with the prestigious law firm of DePrima, Aranda and De Leon. Mr. Aranda went on to be special advisor to President Ford for Hispanic Affairs and Mr. De Leon moved on to become a Maricopa County Superior Court judge. Given the changes in DePrima, Aranda and De Leon, he then formed Phillips and Lyon in 1977. Over the next 40 years Gary and his partner turned Phillips and Lyon into an extremely successful, well known and respected personal injury law firm where the clients were always the number one priority.
John Torgenson
Accident Lawyer
John Torgenson is honored to stick up for good people who are hurt. He grew up in St. George, Utah, where his parents, Fernando and Karen, raised him with a blue-collar work ethic, accountability for decisions, and taught him to always stick up for himself and others that are being bullied.
After high school, John attended the University of Utah, graduating in 2001. John then attended his dream school, Notre Dame Law School, where he graduated, with honors, in 2004. John is licensed to fight in court for real people in the State of Arizona, the United States Federal District Court of Arizona, and the 9th Federal Circuit Court of Appeals.
Before establishing what is now Torgenson Law, John practiced in the litigation group at Fennemore Craig, the oldest law firm in Arizona, and one of the largest firms in the Southwest. John will always be grateful to the excellent lawyers and great leaders who gave him a shot and taught him so much about being a personal injury lawyer at Fennemore Craig. Having practiced at Fennemore Craig in both the defense and plaintiff’s practice areas gives John a complete perspective of the litigation process, and valuable insight into how to efficiently and effectively advance his clients’ interests. His unique and balanced background enhances his credibility with defense lawyers, insurers, and defendants as well as with judges and arbitrators.
John realizes that civic and community involvement is essential in order for him to keep a solid balance between his professional and personal life. He was named one of Phoenix’s top 35 entrepreneurs by the Arizona Republic. He has been a board member at Kids @ Core (offering fitness and healthy living classes for underprivileged children), has coached the 7th and 8th grade football teams at St. Francis Xavier, is an active member of the Los Abogados Hispanic Bar Association, and serves meals to the homeless at Andre House in downtown Phoenix. John is also a member of Grand Canyon River Guides, and has been a licensed Grand Canyon River Guide for the past 22 years.
John devotes 100% of his career to fighting insurance companies and corporate interests on behalf of good people who are hurt. People call this “personal injury law.” John wears that term proudly. Although insurance companies, corporations, and their lobbyists want you to envision slick-backed hair, greedy, desperate lawyers running after an ambulance when you hear “personal injury lawyer.” John wants people to envision what it really is – taking vulnerable, broken, hurt people who are at the loneliest, darkest times in their life, and helping them rebuild – piece by piece. Having the backs of real human beings by fighting against greedy insurance companies and corporations who are looking to boost their ever-increasing profits on the broken backs of the people they hurt. That’s what a real “personal injury lawyer” is. And John is proud to be one.
Martin H. Mathers
Accident Lawyer
Martin is one of the country’s leading trial attorneys, obtaining significant settlements and jury verdicts for injury victims. He is a Certified Specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death.
Because of his expertise in personal injury, wrongful death, and other catastrophic injury cases, Martin is contacted by lawyers throughout the country to help them with their cases. This has led to Martin’s involvement in litigation involving high-profile celebrity defendants, large hospital systems, prominent business people, airplane crashes, pharmaceutical errors, and defective product cases.
Education
- Pepperdine University School of Law, Malibu, California
- J.D. – 1987
- Honors: Best Individual Advocate
- Honors: Dalsimer Moot Court Competition, 1987
- Honors: Current Member, Pepperdine University Alumni Leadership Committee
- University of Denver, Colorado
- B.S. – 1982
Bar Admissions
- Arizona, 1988
- U.S. District Court District of Arizona, 1988
Professional Associations
- Arizona Trial Lawyers Association
- Arizona Association for Justice, Board of Directors, 1992 to Present
- Arizona Association for Justice, Peoples Law School, Moderator, 1991 to 1993
- State Bar of Arizona, Member
- State Bar of Arizona, Civil Practice and Procedure Committee, 1988 to 1991
Current Employment Position
- Certified Specialist in Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
Past Positions
- Maricopa County Superior Court, Maricopa County Judge (Pro Tempore), 1999 to 2009
Honors
- Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- AV Preeminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell
- Arizona’s Finest Lawyers
- Top 100 Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers
- Next Generation Fellow, Arizona Bar Foundation
Christopher Zachar
Accident Lawyer
Chris is a personal injury trial lawyer who has practiced law in Arizona since 1992. He graduated from Arizona State University in Tempe in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science, and in 1992 from the University of Arizona College of Law in Tucson with his Juris Doctor Degree. He is admitted to practice law in all city, county and state courts in Arizona. In addition, Chris is admitted to practice law in the United States District Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
As an experienced litigator, Mr. Zachar has earned a respected reputation among peers and satisfied clients for obtaining favorable settlements and verdicts. Although most personal injury claims do settle out of court, our firm prepares diligently to take every case to trial, when necessary. We understand how important it is for you to speak directly with your attorney. We encourage direct e-mails and phone calls as part of the personal service we offer to injured people, and we do our best to return our calls the same day in the event we cannot talk to you immediately.
Verdicts & Settlements
Chris Zachar has obtained over $150,000,000.00 in verdicts and settlements on behalf of his clients. The following cases are some of the verdicts and settlements that Mr. Zachar has obtained on behalf of his clients:
- $ 47.8 Million – Humphrey v. State of AZ
- $ 7.8 Million – Glazer v. State of AZ
- $ 3 Million – Multiple other cases v. State of AZ
- $ 2.6 Million – Case (confidential) v. Major Auto manufacturer
- $ 2 Million – Wrongful death case (confidential) car accident case
Organizations & Memberships
Chris, is a former member of the Board of Directors of Arizona Association for Justice and has achieved a lifetime member status in AzAJ. He is also a member of the American Association for Justice and the State Bar of Arizona. Chris has attended the Arizona College of Trial Advocacy, and attends many seminars and conferences each year to maintain his high standards of knowledge and excellence in the practice of law. Chris is a member of the National AIEG and the American Board of Trial Advocates. Christopher J. Zachar is proud to be included in the listing, of Southwest Super Lawyers, 2007-2019.
Arizona’s Pedestrian Peril: Challenges, Government Initiatives, and Why You Need a Top-Tier Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
Arizona’s breathtaking landscapes and vibrant cities attract millions of visitors and residents alike. However, for pedestrians navigating its streets, the Grand Canyon State can present a hidden danger. Pedestrian accidents are a growing concern in Arizona, with the state consistently ranking high in national pedestrian fatality statistics.
This comprehensive guide delves into the critical issue of pedestrian accidents in Arizona. We’ll explore the factors contributing to this alarming trend, analyze government initiatives aimed at improving pedestrian safety, and most importantly, explain why having a skilled pedestrian accident lawyer by your side is crucial if you’ve been involved in an accident.
Understanding the Scope of the Problem:
- Arizona’s Pedestrian Problem: Statistics from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) paint a concerning picture. Arizona consistently ranks among the top states for pedestrian fatalities in the United States.
- Factors Contributing to Pedestrian Accidents: Several factors contribute to this issue, including:
- Distracted Driving: Drivers using cell phones, texting, or engaging in other distracting activities pose a significant threat to pedestrians.
- Speeding: Excessive speed limits a driver’s reaction time and significantly increases the severity of an accident.
- Impaired Driving: Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs further compromises a driver’s ability to operate a vehicle safely.
- Poor Road Design: Inadequate crosswalks, missing sidewalks, and poorly lit areas can create dangerous situations for pedestrians.
- Pedestrian Behavior: While driver negligence is a major factor, some pedestrian behaviors like jaywalking or using electronic devices while walking can also contribute to accidents.
Government Initiatives for Pedestrian Safety:
- ADOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program: Recognizing the severity of the issue, the ADOT has implemented a dedicated program to improve pedestrian safety. This program focuses on public awareness campaigns, promoting responsible driving habits, and encouraging pedestrian safety education.
- Vision Zero Arizona: The state has adopted Vision Zero, a global movement aiming to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries. This initiative pushes for safer road designs, stricter enforcement of traffic laws, and improved data collection to identify and address high-risk areas.
- Complete Streets Initiatives: Several Arizona cities are implementing Complete Streets programs, prioritizing the needs of all users of the road, including pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. This involves creating safer infrastructure, improving crosswalk visibility, and reducing traffic speeds in high-pedestrian areas.
Why You Need a Top-Tier Pedestrian Accident Lawyer:
While government initiatives strive for improvement, pedestrian accidents remain a prevalent issue. If you’ve been involved in a pedestrian accident in Arizona, here’s why having a skilled legal professional on your side is essential:
- Understanding Arizona’s Legal Landscape: Arizona has specific laws pertaining to pedestrian accidents. A lawyer well-versed in these laws can navigate the complexities of your case and ensure your rights are protected.
- Building a Strong Case: Building a strong case requires comprehensive evidence collection, including police reports, medical records, witness testimonies, and accident scene analysis. Your lawyer will handle this crucial step to ensure your case is well-supported.
- Negotiating with Insurance Companies: Insurance companies are notorious for offering low settlements. A skilled lawyer with experience in Arizona pedestrian accident cases can negotiate aggressively on your behalf to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
- Understanding Long-Term Impacts: Pedestrian accidents can have lasting physical and emotional consequences. Your lawyer can help you navigate medical challenges, connect with rehabilitation specialists, and ensure your future needs are accounted for in any settlement.
- Going to Trial if Necessary: If a fair settlement cannot be reached through negotiation, your lawyer will be prepared to represent you in court and fight for your rights within the Arizona legal system.