A Humble Approach to Personal Injury Success PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY LEM GARCIA JOURNALS
ATTORNEY
OF THE MONTH
2021
P
opular media for generations has portrayed attorneys as professionals totally lacking humility, yet personal injury attorney Lem Garcia has found a humble approach is the key to his and his firm’s remarkable success. Founded in 2014, Lem Garcia Law, PC has grown to a 17-person office including Garcia, three lawyers, four case managers, four case manager assistants, two property damage handlers, one medical records clerk, one graphic designer, and one lien negotiator. Approximately 90 percent of the firm’s work relates to automobile accident cases. “Humility is a very important key to success that is often overlooked and under-appreciated. Some people might see humility as a weakness, but I see it as a strength. Humility to me means placing others first and recognizing everyone is important. When you practice these principles, it creates a great client experience. It’s especially important for us as lawyers to remember we are servants to others. We should be caring and giving with our time, so our clients receive the service they deserve,” Garcia says.
TAKING ON A RISKY CASE Not too long after opening his doors, a young woman e-mailed Garcia around 1:00 am on a Sunday morning.
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Attorney Journals Orange County | Volume 183, 2021
Her very long e-mail clearly showed she was very worried about her health and her case. She had been hit by a car as a pedestrian and the insurance company was denying her case. She had already reached out to several attorneys who said they couldn’t take her case, or that they could only take the case if she paid an hourly rate. She didn’t have the money to pay an attorney up front. Taking on the case was risky for Garcia because he had opened his firm earlier than planned. His back was professionally and financially “against the wall.” He had to make something happen right away, but he could not turn down the woman’s plea. He responded and accepted the case on a contingency basis within the hour. Garcia got the other party’s insurance company to provide coverage, accept liability, and pay out the policy limits. He also helped whittle down her medical bills down because he wanted to make sure she received every single penny that she deserved. The medical providers were under no obligation to reduce their fees, but after pleading the case to each, they all eventually agreed to reduce their bills considerably. Additionally, the woman also needed a good dentist to fix the smile that was ruined by the crash. Garcia made a lot of phone calls for her and found her the right dentist, which allowed her to get her teeth fixed with some of the money that she received from her case.