Best Personal Injury Attorney in Phoenix
JEFFREY B. MILLER
Accident Injury Lawyer
Jeff Miller is certified as a specialist in personal injury and wrongful death law by the State Bar of Arizona. Jeff’s litigation practice is focused on clients who have sustained serious personal injury or have been damaged by professional negligence. Jeff had the largest civil jury verdict in the State in 2005, a $28 million verdict in a complex psychiatric malpractice case.
Jeff is a graduate of Harvard College magna cum laude in Comparative Religion, and is a graduate of New York University Law School, where he was an associate editor of the Journal of International Law and Politics. He has been repeatedly selected as a Southwest Super Lawyer and holds a Martindale-Hubbel “AV” ranking for ethics and experience.
Jeff’s interests are varied and reflected in the variety of cases he handles and services he provides. He has been a recognized instructor in the area of trucking negligence for many years, providing instruction to other attorney and industry professionals on trucking rules, regulations and accidents. He also serves as an Assistant Professor of Practice at the University of Arizona Medical School in Phoenix where he lectures and provides in-office training for medical students with respect to elder abuse and neglect.
His long term interest in assisting children led to his involvement in medical malpractice cases involving babies and children with such problems as cerebral palsy. As an experienced motorcycle rider, he has a special understanding of the issues which arise in motorcycle injury cases. With a family background in construction, he also accepts construction site accident litigation.
Because of his interest in mediation and arbitration as alternatives to trial, Jeff attended the Strauss Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine University and is available to serve as a mediator or arbitrator. Please see our Alternative Dispute Resolution page for more information.
He has served on the boards of several civic and charitable organizations, including the founding Board of Directors of the Lodestar Day Resource Center, which provides services to the homeless. He has been involved with the Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation since 1991 and, along with the firm, supports Feeding Matters, an organization which supports research and provides resources to children with pediatric feeding disorders.
He lives on a small farm with horses, chickens, donkeys, dogs and guineas near South Mountain. His major outside interest is music. He has been a guitarist and songwriter since high school, has performed in multiple bands and recorded three CDs of original music.
John Kelly
Accident Injury Lawyer
Mr. Kelly is the founding member of Kelly Law Team with extensive trial and litigation experience. His practice is focused on aggressively fighting to fully compensate those who have been injured by others. Mr. Kelly is considered an excellent trial attorney who has successfully litigated several jury trials. His comfort level in front of a jury allows him to obtain outstanding results in personal injury cases. This experience is also vital to his negotiation skills because the opposing party knows that he will deliver at trial. Mr. Kelly is an expert in obtaining the most value out of settlements for his injured clients. He understands that the investigation aspect of each case is an essential key to obtaining the money needed to compensate the injured party.
Mr. Kelly started his legal career in Nebraska working for the Nebraska Attorney General. During this time he was able to work with a community of people who had been injured or wronged by a local business. Mr. Kelly was a strong advocate for the consumer and worked closely with the Attorney General to make sure that the large companies treated people with integrity and did not take advantage of them. It was during this time that Mr. Kelly was able to gain insight on what an individual faces when they have been injured or wronged by a business. Often they face difficulty navigating through the process of communicating with insurance companies, reviewing medical bills, and dealing with pain and suffering.
Mr. Kelly then accepted a position with the Douglas County Attorney’s Office in Omaha, Nebraska working with several attorneys to help prosecute criminal cases. He began to take interest in the litigation aspect of the law, and also helped draft important legal amendments to the Nebraska State Constitution that protected the rights of individuals. Mr. Kelly focused on legal research and investigation skills which continue to help him in obtaining bottom line results for his clients.
James Bergener
Accident Injury Lawyer
“Sweet” James Bergener set out to create a different kind of law firm — one built around helping you recover from your injuries and to get the maximum possible compensation.
As a founding principal of Sweet James Accident Attorneys, James has secured millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. His career is dedicated to helping anyone who has been injured because of someone else’s negligence. From seemingly simple claims to the most complex cases, Sweet James will make sure you get the justice you deserve.
Mr. Bergener is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. The forum makes up less than 1 percent of lawyers in the United States.
Mr. Bergener, who practices law in Newport Beach, California, was selected to Super Lawyers for 2016 – 2020. This peer designation is awarded only to a select number of accomplished attorneys in each state. The Super Lawyers selection process takes into account peer recognition, professional achievement in legal practice, and other cogent factors.
Prior to founding the firm, Mr. Bergener defended insurance carriers against personal injury and workers compensation claims filed by injured plaintiffs. With this unique knowledge of defense strategies, he’s been able to resolve cases other attorneys found impossible. When insurance companies won’t play fairly, Mr. Bergener aggressively pursues them and their associated corporations for “bad-faith” actions. This often results in settlements that extend well beyond the original accident and damages.
Mr. Bergener is passionate about fighting for accident victims. He is a powerful negotiator, excelling in mediation and arbitration. These methods are often preferred by clients who wish to avoid trial. Recognized by fellow accident lawyers, he has been a guest lecturer at conferences, legal seminars, and law schools on topics involving injury tort litigation and practice management.
Aside from his numerous academic and professional interactions, “Sweet James” Bergener provides weekly commentary as a legal expert on KLAC AM 570 LA Sports Radio. He has sponsored KFI Law Day with attorney and radio host Bill Handel and has appeared on a number of radio shows to help listeners get the legal assistance they need. As an avid motorcyclist and MotoGP racing enthusiast, Mr. Bergener’s legal experience is supplemented with his experience on the road. Motorcycle accident victims represented by the firm benefit from the insight of a skilled professional and fellow rider.
MARC H. LAMBER
Accident Injury 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.
LLOYD BAKER
Accident Injury Lawyer
Lloyd W. Baker believes that “all attorneys are not created equal”. There is a key factor that separates a regular attorney from being a legendary attorney. It is the intense passion for caring for and helping people. If an attorney is passionate about helping his clients, he will do everything it takes to be their advocate, be a fierce fighter and win big for his clients.
Lloyd’s philosophy is that, “We treat our clients as our friends.” This ideal ensures that we care for our clients and give great customer service. We return phone calls and we give each case the attention they deserve. We move their case along as fast as we can and we always do what is best for our clients. This ensures clients are happy and satisfied with the results. In return, we always have plenty of clients and friends who refer us business, trusting us with their own friends and family. The very best compliment we can receive is when our clients trust us enough to refer the people they love the most and know that we will take care of them.
Lloyd graduated with honors from California State University-Northridge with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Finance. He received his Juris Doctorate from the Brigham Young University Law School, which is consistently ranked among the top 25 law schools in the nation.
Prior to law school he worked as an bodily injury insurance adjuster for one of the biggest insurance companies in America. After law school, Lloyd worked for one of Nevada’s largest insurance defense law firms, working directly with large corporate insurance companies. After his two-year association with this firm, Lloyd established his own injury law firm and for more than two decades has been aggressively representing accident victims against those insurance companies who take advantage of innocent injured victims. This is very valuable experience and knowledge that gives him the upper hand in helping his clients, as he knows the games insurance companies play and how to get them to pay the full value of their claims.
Lloyd loves helping his clients. He feels an enormous sense of satisfaction in righting wrongs and helping innocent people get back their lives. He is very passionate about his moral obligation to take care of the injured who can’t fight for themselves. This passion drives him to fight relentlessly for his clients. He has represented victims of motorcycle and car accidents, dog bites and animal attacks, wrongful death, severe injuries and insurance bad faith for over twenty years.
Doug Zanes
Accident Injury Lawyer
Doug Zanes has built a career practicing law in Arizona. He is a Phoenix personal injury lawyer, as well as a Tucson car accident attorney. Doug is only licensed to practice law in Arizona and only represents clients in Arizona. He is not licensed to practice law in Washington State or any other state in the U.S. Doug also practices law in the United States District Courts within Arizona and within the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Doug spent many years defending clients charged with federal crimes and also defended clients accused of violating U.S. immigration laws. He is the founder and owner of Doug Zanes and Associates, PPLC, and Zanes Law Group, PLLC. Doug is also the founder and an owner of Zanes Law – Washington State. All three are law firms that focus on representing injury victims in Arizona and Washington. In addition, Doug is the founder and owner of Zanes Law – National Immigration Lawyers, which represents immigration clients who live throughout the world and are attempting to gain legal status within the United States.
Raised in Douglas, Arizona, Doug Zanes went to college at Arizona State University and graduated from law school at St. Mary’s University School of Law in Texas. Doug began practicing law in Phoenix in 1997 and has been inducted into the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which is one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the U.S. Membership is limited to attorneys who have won verdicts and settlements exceeding $1 million. Less than one percent of U.S.
lawyers are members.
Greg Lyon
Accident Injury Lawyer
Gregory Lyon was a founding member and senior partner of the law firm of Phillips and Lyon. The firm was founded in 1977 in Phoenix, Arizona and was reorganized in December 2016. On January 1, 2017, Mr. Lyon co-founded Hirsch & Lyon Accident Law. Mr. Lyon partnered with Attorney, Jack Hirsch to form this new law firm limiting their practice to personal injury and wrongful death.
Mr. Lyon was born in Chicago, IL and earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at the University of Iowa in 1971. He then went to Loyola University School of Law in Chicago where he earned his Juris Doctorate degree in 1974. Mr. Lyon is currently admitted in all Arizona courts including the Supreme Court of Arizona, Federal District Court of Arizona and the Supreme Court of the United States. He is a member of the Arizona State Bar Association, Arizona Trial Lawyer Association and the American Bar Association.
Mr. Lyon has limited his practice to representing injured people for over 40 years. During that time he has handled thousands of automobile accidents, slip and fall, dog bites, product liability, medical malpractice, and wrongful death cases. He has represented individuals with brain injuries, fractures, burns, spinal cord injuries as well as knee and shoulder joint injuries.
Mr. Lyon believes ” a well-prepared case has the best chance of a fast and fair settlement.” He thus works with investigators, accident reconstructionists, and other expert witnesses to strengthen a client’s claim to ensure maximum success. In addition, Mr. Lyon will work with vocational rehabilitation and economic experts to better understand and establish long-term lost income on behalf of an injured client.
Mr. Lyon has considerable experience in alternative dispute resolution, sometimes referred to as mediation. He has also participated in workshops training other attorneys in techniques that help settle cases for maximum dollars.
Navigating the Grand Canyon State’s Legal Landscape: Why You Need the Best Personal Injury Lawyer in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona, a vibrant metropolis bathed in sunshine, boasts stunning mountain scenery, a thriving cultural scene, and a dynamic economy. However, unexpected accidents can happen, leaving you physically injured, emotionally stressed, and financially burdened. If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence in Phoenix, retaining the best personal injury lawyer can make a significant difference in your recovery journey. This comprehensive guide explores the invaluable benefits of having a skilled legal professional on your side, ensuring you receive fair compensation for your losses and navigating the intricacies of Arizona personal injury law.
Understanding Arizona Personal Injury Law: Protecting Your Rights After an Accident
Arizona adheres to a fault-based car insurance system. This means the party deemed responsible for the accident is financially liable for the damages of the injured party. Determining fault, gathering evidence, negotiating with insurance companies, and understanding Arizona personal injury laws can be a complex and overwhelming process. Here’s how the best personal injury lawyer in Phoenix becomes your champion:
- Understanding Your Rights and Options: Following a personal injury, you have specific legal rights, including the right to file a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company and the right to seek legal representation. A lawyer ensures you understand your rights and empowers you to exercise them effectively throughout the legal process.
- Investigating the Accident Scene: A skilled lawyer will meticulously investigate the accident scene, gather evidence (police reports, witness statements, photos of the damage, traffic camera footage), and reconstruct the events leading to the collision. This comprehensive investigation strengthens your claim and helps determine fault.
- Negotiating with Insurance Companies: Insurance companies are notorious for offering lowball settlements. An experienced personal injury lawyer in Phoenix has the expertise to negotiate with adjusters aggressively, fighting to secure the maximum compensation you deserve for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage, and potential future medical needs.
- Understanding Arizona Personal Injury Laws: Arizona has specific statutes of limitations for filing claims and comparative negligence rules that can affect your compensation if you share some fault in the accident. A lawyer ensures your case adheres to all relevant legal aspects and maximizes your potential recovery.
- Medical Expertise: Personal injury cases often involve complex medical issues. A lawyer may work with medical professionals to understand your injuries, document the extent of your damages, and connect them to the accident.
Beyond Legal Expertise: The Qualities of a Top-Tier Personal Injury Lawyer in Phoenix
Not all personal injury lawyers are created equal. Here are the key qualities to seek when selecting the best advocate for your case in Phoenix:
- Extensive Experience Handling Phoenix Personal Injury Cases: Phoenix presents unique challenges with high traffic volume, diverse weather conditions, and a large tourist population. A lawyer with a proven track record of handling personal injury cases in Phoenix understands the local nuances and can navigate the legal system effectively.
- Proven Track Record of Success: Look for a lawyer with a history of achieving positive outcomes for clients facing similar injuries and accident scenarios in Phoenix. Client testimonials and case results can provide valuable insights into their effectiveness.
- Compassion and Understanding: Personal injuries can be physically and emotionally traumatic. Your lawyer should be empathetic to your situation and provide support throughout the legal process.
- Clear Communication and Accessibility: A top-tier lawyer prioritizes clear communication, keeping you informed of case developments, addressing your questions promptly, and ensuring you feel empowered throughout the process.
- Competitive Fees and Flexible Payment Structures: Many personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you won’t pay unless they win your case. Discuss fee structures upfront to ensure transparency and avoid financial surprises.
Finding the Right Advocate: Resources for Legal Representation in Phoenix
- Seek Recommendations: Talk to friends, family, or colleagues who have been involved in personal injuries in Phoenix and inquire about their lawyers.
- State Bar of Arizona: Contact the State Bar of Arizona for referrals to qualified personal injury attorneys in Phoenix.
- Maricopa County Bar Association: The Maricopa County Bar Association also offers referral services for legal representation in Phoenix.
- Online Resources: Several online legal directories allow you to search for personal injury lawyers in Phoenix based on location, experience, client reviews, and areas of expertise in personal injury law.
Don’t Let Your Injury Become a Setback:
Getting injured due to someone else’s negligence can be devastating. The best personal injury lawyer in Phoenix can be your trusted advisor, fierce advocate, and skilled negotiator.