Post-Injury Family Representation

Legal issues for families go beyond the traditional divorce and custody, including family legal issues following a personal injury or wrongful death.

Post-Injury family representation is a multi-discipline combination of various areas of legal representation that may become necessary following a catastrophic injury or wrongful death.

In the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic injury or wrongful death, the questions, obstacles, and uncertainties begin to mount from the first day. The Smith Firm attorneys have the multi-discipline experience to assist in navigating the immediate aftermath of such an event and allow for the client to tend to the emotional needs of the family and children.

Post-Injury Guidance

Having an attorney to assist you in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophic injury may be the most important step one can take, but who should that be? The Smith Firm has represented clients in catastrophic injury and death cases, and has the experience to assist you in the immediate aftermath of the event without the pressure to identify the personal injury attorney to represent you in the case. We’ll help you with that.

What are the first steps that need to happen following a catastrophic injury or death as a result of someone else’s negligence? Sometimes these questions need to be answered before a personal injury attorney has been selected to take on the case. Initial steps that need to be taken may include getting an expert to the scene, preserving documents, and providing notice to the negligent party.

You may also need a point of contact for insurance companies, law enforcement investigators, or other attorneys seeking contact before you’ve hired litigation counsel for the case. We want to assist you in that process to get you through the initial stages of your case.

Selection of Personal Injury Representation

Selecting the right personal injury attorney for your case is critical to the outcome and what you may expect in the form of compensation for the injury or death. The Smith Firm has relationships with the best personal injury attorneys in Oklahoma and has worked in various capacities with attorneys who have collected hundreds of millions of dollars for their clients.

Each attorney may have unique skills or experiences though that lend themselves to strengthen your case. We work with you to select the personal injury attorney based on our knowledge and understanding of your case and the unique skills of the personal injury attorneys in question.

Instead of going alone in making the decision as to whom to hire to represent you in this critical matter, The Smith Firm can assist and advocate on your behalf and work to make sure you are well represented.

Guardianships

Many times a guardianship is necessitated or desired by your case or your litigation counsel. Our experience with both agreed and contested guardianships in personal injury cases places us in the unique position to begin preparing for this eventuality in order to expedite your matter.

We are able to act as guardianship counsel for you and assist in this step of the process from the beginning, guiding you from the beginning without the hard sale to make a decision on where to begin the personal injury case.

Guardian ad Litem

In catastrophic injury or death cases, it is not unusual for minor children to be a named Plaintiff in the case and receive a portion of the settlement or recovery. In such cases, counsel or the Court may wish to appoint a Guardian ad Litem to represent the interests of the minor child. The Guardian ad Litem reviews the proposed settlement and provides a recommendation to the Court as to the reasonableness or appropriateness of the proceeds set aside for the minor child.

The Smith Firm has been appointed as the GAL for the minor child in one of the largest catastrophic injury cases in Oklahoma history. We are prepared to assist in this area of your case as well.

Special Needs Trusts

In catastrophic injury cases, Special Needs Trusts are used to protect an incapacitated person’s right to receive public assistance such as Social Security, or Medicaid, even while receiving the the benefit of a personal injury settlement.

The Smith Firm has been hired to work with personal injury attorneys to draft and obtain court approval for Special Needs Trusts in cases incapacitated minor children and adults.

This is a unique and important aspect to any catastrophic injury case in which The Smith Firm is prepared to assist.

Selecting a Financial Advisor

Following the settlement of your injury case, there will likely be a number of financial considerations to make. We are not financial advisors, however, we will provide you with the opportunity to meet with and confer with multiple financial professionals with experience in personal injury settlements who will be able to assist you in maximizing your benefit and provide peace of mind for your family.

The attorneys with The Smith Firm love nothing more than helping families navigate difficult times, and nothing is more difficult than the days following a catastrophic injury to a loved one. We are here to help you navigate the initial stages of your matter and at no up front cost to you. Do not put off seeking assistance with your case. Schedule a consultation today.