Tampa Attorney Alex Fiol Talks Personal Injury

Cyndi Edwards, representing the Independent Journalist News Network speaks with Florida attorney, Alex Fiol about why clients need an attorney when they are involved in an injury accident and the value of a second legal opinion with lawsuits.

Cyndi Edwards:

Hi everyone, I’m Cyndi Edwards. If you’ve been injured or have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, you need a lawyer with a proven track record. The team at Fiol and Moro’s Law Group have the expertise to help you get the monetary damages you deserve.

Alex Fiol joins us now to talk more about this. Now, Alex, why do clients come to you?

Alex Fiol:

So, thank you for having me. I appreciate the time to talk with you today.

You know, clients come to us because basically many times they’ve experienced the worst day of their lives. They might have a very, very serious injury that they’re contending with, sometimes even the death of a loved one. So, one of the things that they want most is to be heard, is to be able to explain their story to you. And so, one of the most important skills as a lawyer is to be a great listener. That’s the first thing, that’s the first reason I think that they come to us. The second reason is because they’re interested in justice. They’re interested in justice for themselves and or they’re interested in justice for their families. My skills over 35 years in my firms, skills, and organization bring that kind of experience to us, to a client, and enable us to get, at least to attempt to get justice for them. So, whether that means getting, you know, a vehicle fixed, whether that means seeking the right medical attention by a referral to the right specialist, all those things are involved in getting justice for a client.

Cyndi Edwards:

Well, Alex, what’s the biggest mistake that people make following an injury accident?

 Alex Fiol:

I think the biggest mistake is people just don’t realize that they need to go see a doctor, especially if they’re the ones who are injured. Whether that be from the scene of an accident, or whether it’s the next day you wake up and you don’t feel good, you should not wait until you see that lawyer three, four, five, six days later because one of the things insurance companies love to do is point out that there was a gap in treatment. Well, if you were so hurt, why didn’t you get treatment immediately? And then secondly, and a little bit less important, but also important, and particularly in slip and fall, trip and fall accidents, is to take pictures. You know, people, they’re on the ground, they’re hurt, they’re in pain, but if you’re not taking a photograph of what happened to you, that store, that shop is going to clean it all up and you might lose that evidence and it’ll just be your word against there.

I think those two things, making sure you get treatment, take care of yourself and whatever you can do to preserve evidence with your own phone, are always incredibly helpful.

Cyndi:

Why is having a lawyer so important?

Alex:

So, kind of a little bit about what I just said. You need the lawyer’s experience is going to dictate how much investigation is required and that’s often the most important thing to do for the lawyer at the beginning. Find out who the witnesses are. Find out if you can preserve evidence. Is there a vehicle that’s been damaged? Is there a black box that you can get the evidence from and preserve that evidence? Because if you wait too much time or you don’t have someone who’s skilled at doing this, all that evidence disappears, and your case is not what it should be. So, I think that’s one of the most important reasons for having a lawyer from the very beginning because we know how to do it and we know how to do it right.

Cyndi:

Do you think folks should let you review their case as a second opinion?

Alex:

That’s a difficult question because it depends on the stage of the case.

If you’ve had a lawyer that you’ve been working with for two, three years, it’s very difficult to go to another lawyer and get a second opinion because you know that other lawyer’s not going to really understand the facts of the case and all the discovery and everything that’s been learned like the lawyer that’s representing you.

However, if you feel, especially in the beginning of the case where you’re not able to go through with your lawyer or you’re confused about the process and you don’t seem to be able to get answers that you need, I think that’s probably the best time to consider a second opinion. And here at this firm, communication is the absolute most important thing that we strive for with our clients.

The number one complaint of the Florida Bar is clients, lawyers, poor communication with their clients. That’s what they get calls on all the time. That won’t happen here.

And so, in terms of second opinions, if you’re dissatisfied, particularly early on, that’s a great time to talk to another lawyer.

Cyndi:

All right. Really important information is there. Alex Fiol, thank you so much for your time today.

Alex:

Thank you very much.

Cyndi:

And to get more information, you can go to FiolInjuryLaw.com or call 813 -550 -0094.

We’ll see you again next time.