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Honored by Martindale-Hubbell for 2020-2021

Just got word that I have been honored with an AV rating, the highest honor awarded by Martindale-Hubbell. This rating has been long respected in the legal circles and means my peers in the bar and judiciary believe my legal skills get an “A” and am “V” very ethical.

Thanks for that.

My hope and commitment, however, is that my clients can say the same about me. I always prefer to hear nice things said about my work on the streets and around town. In this life we all make our own memories.

Have a great day. Keep your strength.

-Charlie

A Statement From Charlie Donahue

As an injury lawyer I want to connect with people; it’s about listening, understanding, caring and standing up for clients in a system that’s really stacked against the little guy.

It’s much more about the heart than the head. Lives are turned upside down and often times devastated by an injury; people are hurting and struggle. It’s not asking too much for an injury lawyer to connect on a human level and to tell somebody’s story with compassion, power and truth.

I am on a journey to be the best injury lawyer I can be, and I’d be honored to help you and your family.

~Charlie

The insurance company wants a recorded statement, what do you do?

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Contact an injury lawyer right away. No good comes from subjecting yourself to a recorded statement from a representative of the person who caused you harm. They are not looking to help you, nor are they seeking the truth. They are looking to hurt you and slant the tables against you. Talk with a lawyer who will aggressively represent your interests and put the heat where it belongs – on the insurance company of the person who caused all this misery and upset. We do so without apology or any concern what the insurance company thinks.

Charlie Donahue

Injury Lawyer

Alternative Dispute Resolution

That’s a fancy legal phrase for a way to end a case without going to trial.

In NH, some form of ADR is required for all cases in suit.

The court wants to encourage parties to settle their disputes. This alleviates a burden and expense on the court. Jury trials are costly.

The most common is Mediation, an informal meeting of the parties and their lawyers with a neutral. It is non-binding. There is no science to it, and every mediation is different.

I’m happy to talk with you about details. If your lawyer suggests mediation, make sure they explain fully the game plan. I’ve seen too many cases where a lawyer just agrees on a mediator and shows up with their client. That’s not enough. Not all mediators are good, and I give great thought to which mediator I think would be best depending on the case, my client and the other side (lawyer and client!).

Make sure you and your lawyer have a strategy and you are fully advised on how the process works.

I’ll save the other form called Arbitration for a later blog. Generally it is binding and is done by a single arbitrator or a panel of 3 (where each party names an arbitrator and the 2 hand-picked people choose a third).

Have a great day.

Charlie

“The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.”

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I wish I could take credit for this great quote.

These are the words of one of the world’s greatest spiritual writers – Thomas Merton.

Of course, I immediately applied them to injury law and dealing with insurance companies.

Unless the insurance company knows you are prepared to go all the way, you will get shortchanged.

There are no short-cuts in this line of work – none.

No such thing as a strong letter to threaten these companies – only hard work. Smart and determined focus will get the results you deserve.

These days, more than ever, the insurance companies are looking to take advantage.

Their obligation is to their stockholders, not you.

Charlie Donahue

Injury Lawyer

Reminiscing

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At a tour of the Aquarium in Atlanta. Tour guide is a graduate of Georgia Tech – very pleasant and knowledgeable.

40 years ago I was a National Park Ranger giving tours.

Never realized what good training it was for trial law.

The tour guide is a teacher, a guide – as is the trial lawyer in an injury case.

If you are interesting, creative, in-tune with your audience (jury) and credible, the tour (trial) will go well.

Charlie Donahue

Injury Lawyer

What to do when the insurance adjuster, driving a vehicle with an insurance company logo, shows up at your door…

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Don’t let them in.

They’ll have a checkbook with the authority to write you a puny check.

Don’t settle.

Don’t fall for it.

Keep your eye on the logo, and remember who they work for – it’s not you.

They might seem very nice, and they might be nice people, but they do not have your best interests at heart.

Call a lawyer before you ever consider talking with them, let alone let them in your house.

Charlie Donahue

Injury Lawyer

Just got this testimonial from a client.

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Charlie and his team are by far the best in the business. They worked with me on a tough case that was a fight from beginning to end. Charlie was with me every step of the way, always being honest and transparent, yet also optimistic regardless of the situation. Nobody else I would have chosen, and I could not have asked for better representation. Charlie and his team come with my highest recommendations.

Voir Dire

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This legal expression means “to speak the truth”.

It’s used when the lawyers question potential jurors before a trial starts; that is, conducting a voir dire. The point is to get a fair jury.

I’ve always found it interesting that the traditional emphasis has been on jurors telling the truth.

Yet, jurors are not the problem. It’s the lawyers who need to be telling the truth.

Maybe the potential jurors should be made to do a voir dire on the lawyer.

Charlie Donahue

Injury Lawyer

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Atticus Finch was right:
“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.”

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