December 2018 Newsletter | StoneMaya, P.C.

LAWFIRM NEWSLETTER

December 2018
LETTER FROM STONE & MAYA, P.C.

As 2018 draws to a close, we want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our clients for their trust and support in our office. We take the responsibility for handling your case, past and present, very seriously, whether it be in litigation, pre-suit or worker’s compensation. Our attorneys and staff have worked diligently throughout the year moving all of our cases towards resolution. We always remain available to speak with you, answer any questions you may have and provide updates on the status of your case.

For the second consecutive year, Stone & Maya,

P.C. has received the Client Satisfaction

Award from the AIPIA.
IN THE NEWS

Our office believes in cooperating with local media to raise awareness of issues and cases impacting our lives in the community. This year we continued our participation. In 2018, Lawrence Maya appeared on television and was interviewed by CBS 2 News Chicago to discuss his trial of a case involving the same bar where the tragic shooting of Jemel Roberson occurred. Mr. Roberson was working as a security guard at the bar and was detaining a suspect when he was shot by the police. At trial, our firm successfully obtained a verdict for damages on behalf of our client against the bar. One of the central issues at the trial was the lack of security provided by the bar, thereby exposing our client to harm resulting in his injuries. It is our hope that by raising awareness to these important issues in our community, these types of tragic events can be avoided in the future.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Stone & Maya, P.C. is proud to be a member of the Chicago business community. In previous years we have supported local businesses, organizations and foundations including the Little Village Chamber of Commerce and Operation Restoring Innocence. We continued our support
initiative in 2018, adding our congratulations and support for the Welcome Missionary Baptist Church in Phoenix, Illinois and its 29th year Anniversary. We look forward to continuing to be an active, growing and contributing member of the Chicagoland community in 2019. We invite any of our clients who have an organization, group, church, synagogue or foundation which they would like us to consider supporting to contact our office to discuss the details.

NAVIGATING THE WINTER MONTHS

When the weather declines there is always a corresponding increase in both motor vehicle accidents and pedestrian slip and falls. Below are some helpful reminders should you have an accident this winter.

AUTO ACCIDENTS

This year is shaping up to be a particularly cold and wet winter in the Chicagoland area. We ask all our clients to slow down during inclement driving conditions and to maintain their vehicles. Unfortunately, the reality is not everyone on the road will be driving as safely as you are. Should you or anyone you know be injured in a collision this winter, please remember to:
Call the police at the scene and request an ambulance immediately if hurt;
Obtain the personal and insurance information of the person who struck you;
Take photographs of the damage to your vehicle and of the scene.
It is becoming increasingly more common that intersections in and around Chicago have traffic cameras which may have captured an accident as it occurred. This can prove to be a valuable resource in presenting your claim to the insurance company for damages. Increasingly, insurance companies have taken a stricter position in contesting traffic related cases. Obtaining video footage conclusively proving that the defendant was at fault can effectively refute and silence the argument made by the insurance company immediately.
The policy of our office is to obtain the video footage if possible. However, not every intersection has a camera at this point, which makes the photographs even more important. Also, many municipalities, including Chicago, only maintain the video footage for a short period of time. Accordingly, if you were injured and wish to pursue a claim, it is critically important that you contact our office immediately after the accident, so we can request the footage before it is lost.
SLIP AND FALL ACCIDENTS

As some of our clients are aware, our office handles numerous slip, trip and fall cases resulting in injury. For the winter months, the majority of these cases involve icy conditions which have not been properly maintained by the landowner. As we commonly tell our clients, the laws on these types of cases are very strict. The first focus must always be on how the accident occurred, and what the defendant did to cause the accident. The condition which caused the fall, and the injury, must have resulted from the defendant’s negligence in order for there to be a case where we can recover on your behalf.

If you or someone you know fell and sustained an injury, it is incredibly important to photograph the entire scene, including the specific area where you fell. By providing us with as much information as possible as to the condition, we will be able to determine

whether you have a viable case. Contact our office to speak with one of our attorneys and we will guide you through the initial process for your claim.

ATTORNEY NETWORK

As our clients know, our firm focuses on personal injury and worker’s compensation law, devoting our time and resources to these areas to provide the most effective representation for our clients. We are aware, however, that our clients have other legal needs outside of the field of injury litigation. For this reason, we have networked with other attorneys whom we know and trust to handle non-injury related matters as a benefit to our clients. Thus far, this network includes attorneys who practice in:

Probate

DUI/Traffic

Criminal

Real Estate

Divorce/Custody

We have also sought to connect with attorneys who practice in both Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, knowing that clients prefer a lawyer within their geographical area.

As an additional benefit, we have networked with an attorney who is available to accompany our clients to traffic court where the defendant has been issued a citation for the automobile accident. If you are involved in a collision, and the defendant has received a ticket, it is to your advantage in the following injury case for the defendant to plead guilty to the citation. The likelihood of this happening increases if you appear in traffic court. The traffic case is a separate proceeding from the injury litigation. You would be identified as the complaining witness, not a party. Also, the traffic case is prosecuted by a city or state attorney, not by a private attorney, such as our firm.

In obtaining feedback from our clients, we have learned that some are uncomfortable with going to traffic court without a representative. Our traffic attorney has agreed to accompany our clients and answer any questions they may have. Although he will not be able to appear before the Judge on your behalf, his presence sends a strong message to the defendant and the defendant’s insurance company as to the seriousness of your injury case and our commitment to prosecuting it on your behalf immediately. If you are interested in having the traffic attorney accompany you, contact our office and we can discuss arrangements.

LOOKING FORWARD TO 2019

As you know, the legal process is involved and can be lengthy. Our goal is, and remains, to resolve your case for its best value as soon as possible. In the next year, we will be moving your case further towards completion, whether it be in the pre-suit stage, discovery or trial.

Again, from all of us here at Stone & Maya, P.C., to you, your family and loved ones, we wish you a Happy and Safe Holiday Season and a successful 2019.
From Everyone at
STONE & MAYA, P.C.