Joseph Neal | Atlanta Personal Injury Lawyer

In April 2016, Neal Law obtained a historic record settlement in a fire case with serious burn injuries against a Douglas County school teacher and principal with an immunity defense. Mr. Neal defeated the school officials defense of qualified immunity and +settled the case for $1,500,000, the largest pay-out ever by a Georgia school official. In March 2015, Mr. Neal obtained the largest personal injury verdict in history in McDuffie County Georgia for $1,037,850 in a case involving a drunk driver who rear-ended a motorcyclist on a bridge in Lake Thurmond, Georgia.

I built a successful law practice by my love for the law, my desire to help others in need, deeply caring about my clients, returning every phone call and email within 24 hours, giving 110% effort towards building a good case, preparing each case as if it is going to trial, diligent study and research, and trying cases to a jury when insurance companies are unfair and unreasonable in attempts to settle my client's case.

Honesty, compassion, commitment, and dedication to fairness and justice.

Local knowledge is critical in investigating a case, picking a jury, and understanding your audience. You cannot persuade people that you don't know how to communicate with. A trial lawyer has to in effect 'get inside the hide' of the witness, the judge, and the jury. To do that, you have to know them, and this means you need local knowledge.

I screen cases by in-depth telephone conversations daily. I am generally able to tell if you have a personal injury, medical malpractice, or wrongful death case worth pursuing during this initial phone call. I will give you advice on what to do, what not to do, and what evidence you need to gather and preserve before you hire me. If it is a very complex case, we will probably need to meet in person and discuss the case in detail. I can give a prospective client an overall view of the potential damages, and the chances of success in the case, usually in a phone call.

In the initial phone consultation, I will need specifics as to the nature and extent of your injury, your damages, the identity of who harmed you, how they harmed you, when it happened, where it happened, and the insurance company and claim or policy number for the person who hurt you. If the case was investigated by law enforcement or a public agency, it will speed things up if you have the report and can fax or email it to me when you call me. This will help me get to work quicker for you.

I am an AV Preeminent Rated trial lawyer who has tried over 200 jury trials in 23 years. I am a fierce advocate, and I am very passionate about cases that I take. I grew up around the law, as my father is also a personal injury trial lawyer. In addition to the breadth and depth of my trial and litigation experience, I have been trained and taught by some of the best trial lawyers in America at the best colleges, including Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyer's College (2000 and 2001), and the American Assoc. for Justice at Harvard Law School (2012).

Changing a client's life for the better. I consider my job a calling, and it is spiritual to me. My practice is grounded in my faith and in my belief in the value of helping my fellow man.

Music, Art, Travel, Culture, Fashion

Yes, very: William Daniel National Mock Trial Championships ' Juror ' Atlanta, Ga. 2013, President Of Summerville Neighborhood Assoc. 2009-2011; Vice Pres. 2008-2009, Chairman of the 2011 Summerville Sesquicentennial Celebration, Chairman of the 2011 and 34th Annual Summerville Tour of Homes, Chairman of the St. Johns Towers Advisory Board 2011; Member 2008-2010, Assistant Football Coach, EDS Panthers, 2010-2011 (Defensive Coordinator), Assistant Football Coach (Defensive Coordinator), Neal Law Falcons, 2008, Team Sponsor, North Augusta Recreation Department 2008, Irish-American Heritage Society ' Member since 2008, Honorary Commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army ' 2009, American Mock Trial Association Championships ' Presiding Judge ' Furman University 2008, Volunteer Assistant Coach ' Rich. Co. Rec. Dept. Little League T-Ball and YMCA Soccer. 2001-2005, Leadership Augusta ' 2000, Mentor, High School High Tech Program 2004, Mentor, Junior Achievement Job Shadow Program 2003, Member, Judiciary Subcommittee, Citizen's Advisory Committee, Augusta-Richmond County Consolidation Taskforce ' 1995, Head Football Coach, Richmond County Recreation Department 1993-1996

• Southern Trial Lawyers Association
  State Bar of Georgia
  American Association for Justice
  Melvin Belli Society

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  National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 (2015)
  
  Best Attorneys of America, 2015
  
  Top Lawyers of Georgia, 2014-2016
  
  AV Pre-Eminent Rating, Martindale-Hubbell, LexisNexis (2013)
  
  Client's Choice Award, Avvo (2012)
  
  Member, Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, known as the Top Trial Lawyers of America (2012)
  
  Deans List, Mercer Law School (1993)
  
  Dean's List, University of Georgia (1990)
  
  Honor Graduate, Academy of Richmond County (1986)
  
  Best All Around, Richmond Academy Senior Class         (1986)
  
  Most Valuable Player, Richmond Academy Varsity Football (1986)
  
  Best Defensive Player, Richmond Academy Varsity Football (1985)
  
  

• Case Conclusion Date: September 18, 2012 Practice Area: Wrongful Death Outcome: Substantial Confidential Settlement against Ga. Power Co.. Settlement for $1,250,000 against uninsured City of Augusta. Settlement for approx. $200,000 in real estate and $10,000 in cash from uninsured landlord. Description: On September 18, 2012 NEAL LAW obtained the biggest wrongful death settlement and recovery in history against the uninsured government of Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia for the wrongful deaths of 18 year old Ryan Holt and 20 year old Michelle Borror. These tragic, yet preventable deaths resulted from a double fatality trailer fire in which Ryan and Michelle, high school sweethearts who were deeply in love and renting their first home together, were burned alive and choked to death on super-heated soot and smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. This case lasted nearly six years, including victories for the Plaintiff’s on sovereign and official immunity in the trial Court, the Georgia Court of Appeals, and the Georgia Supreme Court. See Vann v. Finley, 313 Ga. App. 153, 721 S.E.2d 156 (2011), cert. denied by the Georgia Supreme Court on 4/24/12. Lead Counsel: Joseph R. Neal, Jr. Co-Counsel: Douglas M. Nelson, Christopher J. Hudson, Charles M. Cork III Case Conclusion Date: March 31, 2011 Practice Area: Wrongful Death Outcome: Substantial confidential settlement Description: A disabled widow suffered 40% total surface area body burns when a hot water heater conflagration trapped her in a utility room. She lived for six months and then died. Case was filed against a natural gas company. Case Conclusion Date: January 26, 2007 Practice Area: Trucking Accident Outcome: $3,000,000 Federal Jury Verdict, including $1,000,000 in punitive damages Description: tractor trailer runs into bicyclist on Hwy. 25 in Edgefield, South Carolina

• Vann et al v. Finley et al Case No. S12C0667, Georgia Supreme Court (2012)
  
  Vann v. Finley, 2011 WL 5987432 (Ga. App.) Georgia Court of Appeals (2011)
  
  Hill v. USA Truck, 2007 WL 1574545, U. S. District Court of South Carolina, Anderson Division (2007)
  
  Filius Nullius, Poetry (2004)
  
  Lindsey v. State of Georgia , 271 Ga. 657, Supreme Court of Georgia (1999)
  
  

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