Don Poynter has been a managing partner of Poynter & Bucheri since 1996. He is a lifelong resident of Indiana, having grown up in Morgantown. He is a graduate of Indiana University with a BA in Economics and IU School of Law, Indianapolis. Mr. Poynter practices personal injury law, having helped thousands of injured persons in their fights against insurance companies. As an avid motorcyclists, Don is particularly aware of the dangers cars and trucks pose to bikers. He loves to fight vigorously for their rights of riders. In his spare time, Don enjoys traveling, gaming and movies. Let Don's experience go to work for you and ensure that you are protected and compensated for your injuries and losses. Don’t hesitate to contact Don to begin assisting you right away. Contact Poynter & Bucheri to schedule a free consultation with Don or one of our other experienced personal injury attorneys by calling 1-800-265-9881 or (317) 780-8000.

Attorney Whalley is an experienced Trial Lawyer, Author, Lecturer and former Judge Pro Tempore. The secret to success for Marshall P. Whalley has been his widely varied interests and seemingly boundless energy to pursue them. Having immersed himself in such fields as physics, psychology, engineering, consumer protection and medicine, Mr. Whalley has acquired a wealth of knowledge directly applicable to the investigation and litigation of complex personal injury cases. He has over 32 years experience successfully handling multi-million dollar litigation in several states. Mr. Whalley’s father attended M.I.T., earning two engineering degrees and going on to design tanks for the government. His mother was a nurse educator with a Bachelor of Science, a Master’s degree and applied to Law School at 78! Growing up near the Motor City, Mr. Whalley spent long hours designing, building and racing cars and boats, and working on his grandfather’s farm in North Dakota. Mr. Whalley attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he studied physics and psychology, earning his B.S. in 1980. His graduate work there in psycho-physics at the Kresge Medical Hearing Research Institute involved training rare monitor lizards to respond to acoustic stimuli. His other pursuits included designing and implementing pilot programs at the Milan Federal Correctional Institute allowing inmates to obtain GED certificates and at the Maxey Boys Correctional Institute for troubled youth. During college, Mr. Whalley also worked in the Consumer Protection Division of the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office, where he mediated consumer complaints, securing the largest consumer settlement to date in the Division’s history. At the same time, he worked for a Tenant’s rights group helping educate renters regarding their rights vis a vis large corporate landlords. During the summer months, Mr. Whalley continued to attend class at the University of Michigan while working 40 to 50 hours per week on the assembly line in Detroit building cars for Chrysler and General Motors. On the line, he ran presses, welded wheels, performed manual assembly, body work, and painted cars. Thereafter, Mr. Whalley received a scholarship to Valparaiso University School of Law. He continued to work on cars and drag raced to help pay college expenses. He then took a job clerking for a well-respected personal injury firm doing medical research, legal writing and investigation. He became a lawyer at the firm, then partner. As an Associate, he used his background in physics and medicine in his first year to facilitate settlements of the two largest brain-damaged baby cases in Florida’s history. Mr. Whalley’s background in physics allowed him to employ a waveform analysis of fetal monitor strips to prove when a critical tocolytic drug had been stopped. Over the past 30 some years, Mr. Whalley’s myriad interests have helped him be an effective advocate for his clients. Designing, building, racing and repairing all types of vehicles, Mr. Whalley developed insight into crash dynamics that few lawyers have. His training in physics, medical research and litigation has provided a unique perspective on the causes of complicated crashes and their medical consequences. Marshall P. Whalley has used this unique background to prove-up millions of dollars in valid claims that might otherwise have been lost.

Edward C. Lawhead, born in Chicago, Illinois, November 21, 1974; admitted to the Bar in 2007. Education: Purdue University, Bachelor of Science-Finance 1997; Valparaiso University School of Law, Juris Doctorate 2006. Associations: Lake County Bar Association; American Bar Association; Indiana State Bar Association; National Organization of Social Security Claimants’ Representatives. Courts admitted into: All Courts in the State of Indiana; United States District Court for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana. Edward C. Lawhead practices in the areas of Worker’s Compensation, Social Security Disability, and Personal Injury.

Jonathan Armiger helps individuals and families in Indiana recover money for injuries or death caused by the careless acts of others. He represents clients in cases involving personal injury, medical malpractice, auto and truck accidents, slip and falls, construction injuries, and wrongful death. Mr. Armiger grew up in the Indianapolis area and attended the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, Bloomington, receiving his B.S. in Marketing in 2007. He graduated cum laude from the Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2011. During law school, he served on the Indiana Law Journal. Mr. Armiger has spent his entire legal career representing injured individuals and families who have lost loved ones. Mr. Armiger has been repeatedly selected as a Super Lawyers "Rising Star," a recognition awarded to only 2.5% of Indiana attorneys 40 years old or younger or in practice for less than 10 years. He is licensed to practice law in Indiana, including the U.S. District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, and is a member of the Indiana State Bar Association, the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association, and the Indianapolis Bar Association.

Jeffrey R. Kooi is the founding member of Kooi Law. Attorney Kooi has accumulated numerous accolades during his twenty-year career representing injury victims. Kooi has been selected as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers in each of the last seven years. Prior to this selection, Kooi was also named on the Rising Stars list in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Indiana Super Lawyers (an award reserved for less than 2.5% of all Indiana attorneys). Attorney Kooi was also named to The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40 and was selected as a certified member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, one of the most prestigious groups of trial lawyers in the United States. Attorney Kooi holds a license to practice law in the States of Indiana and Illinois and is licensed to practice before the Federal Courts in the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana, and the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of Illinois. Mr. Kooi is a graduate of the Indiana Trial Advocacy College and maintains a practice dedicated to representing individuals and loved ones who have suffered personal injury or death as a result of negligence, malpractice or illegal conduct of others. This practice includes, but is not limited to, victims of car accidents and car crashes, injuries at work or through a victim’s employment, and medical malpractice, including, nursing home and hospital claims. Through his twenty years of practice, Mr. Kooi has amassed a depth of experience as a litigator and takes pride in his reputation of providing clients strong advice and aggressive representation inside and out of the courtroom. Mr. Kooi believes in one-on-one interaction with clients. “They need to know what we’re doing and why we’re doing it at all times,” Kooi says. “This is ultimately about their life and it is their right to be involved in the process from start to finish. It’s their case, and that is a fact we never forget.” “Our firm educates clients about the specific details and nuances of each case, including potential outcomes. We make sure their condition is properly assessed and treated, and we work with each client to evaluate the total ramifications of their loss, both financially and emotionally,” Kooi says. “No one can return to you what you’ve lost,” Kooi says. “But we believe you can move forward with the help of strong advice, aggressive representation and compassion. With these core values in mind, our law firm will give you and your loved ones peace of mind in knowing that you are taken care of.”

Sam prides himself on being responsive to his clients’ needs and aggressive in pursuit of their causes. He has focused his entire career on representing injured individuals and their families. Sam grew up on the north side of Indianapolis and graduated from North Central High School. He then attended Indiana University and received his bachelor’s degree in Public Management. After serving as an Indiana Governor’s Fellow for a year, Sam attended Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis where he received his Juris Doctorate in May 2001. While attending law school in the evening, Sam worked as a program manager for the Indiana Criminal Justice Department, and then as a clerk in Marion County Superior Court Six where he had the opportunity to serve as bailiff on numerous civil jury trials. Sam has extensive experience representing personal injury victims and wrongful death survivors in many areas, including product and premises liability, medical malpractice, recreational injuries, automobile, and trucking accidents and insurance coverage matters. Sam has worked hard for victims with serious injuries requiring life-long care, including brain injuries and spinal cord damage. Sam lives on the southwest side of Carmel with his wife and their three daughters.

An injury can be devastating to you and your family. Over the years, I have learned that people who have been injured have lots of questions and just want an honest assessment of their situation and their options. I believe that lawyers should be approachable and easy to talk to. It should not be difficult to get advice about a situation that might be new or unfamiliar to you and to have your rights explained to you. Insurance companies may not always be straightforward with you and your claim. I believe in an honest and open evaluation of your claim. Your case is likely to have positives and negatives and you deserve to understand how those impact your claim. Give me a call so we can discuss your case, go over your options, and allow you to decide if you wish to pursue legal options and if you would like my help in doing so. I have spent my entire legal career representing individuals who have been injured or killed as a result of the carelessness of others. I handle cases involving wrongful death and personal injury arising out of automobile crashes, premises liability, slips and falls, dog attacks, and civil rights violations. I have handled hundreds of personal injury cases throughout Indiana. With over 19 years of experience handling various types of personal injury cases, I have vast trial experience throughout the state.  I am honored to have been named a Super Lawyers Rising Star for 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020. I remain active in the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association.  I formerly served as a Chair of the Young Lawyers Section and currently serve on the Board of Directors.  I was co-editor of the Indiana Appellate Case Reporter, a publication offered to ITLA members, for many years. The Indiana Appellate Case Reporter is a monthly publication highlighting new appellate court decisions from the Indiana Court of Appeals and Indiana Supreme Court which impact personal injury claims. I am also a former board member of Young Professionals of Central Indiana, volunteer as a judge in the Reach for Youth Teen Court Program, and have volunteered with Play Ball Indiana. I grew up north east of Indianapolis, attending Hamilton Southeastern High School in Fishers. I completed my undergraduate degree at Indiana University in Bloomington and graduated from Indiana University School of Law - Indianapolis. I live in Fishers with my wife, Kelly, a preschool teacher, and our daughters, Claire and Carlie. I am an avid sports fan of Indiana basketball and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball. I also enjoy exercising, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

Brian Custy is no stranger to hard work, securing his first paying job in rural Colorado after 2nd grade working in grain elevators and maintaining physical jobs through college including drilling water wells, maintaining government wildlife property, and fencing acreage throughout the Rocky Mountains. He carried this work ethic through undergrad where he studied Civil Engineering while starting all 4 years on the varsity football team. Brian then attended law school where he earned scholarships based on his academic performance and graduated among the top 10 students in his law class. Following law school, Brian secured a position with a well-known Indiana and Illinois personal injury firm, where he was closely mentored and assisted the firm founder in obtaining a significant verdict in his first jury trial. Brian then accepted a position with Sidley Austin in Chicago, one of the largest and most prestigious international law firms in the world, where he represented major institutional clients including Wall Street investment banks. Desiring to be closer to his growing family and help people, Brian began representing one of Indiana’s most successful entrepreneurs and his business and personal interests before he founded Custy Law Firm. Brian was accepted to and attended the prestigious Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in 2016. The Trial Lawyers College was established by legendary trial lawyer Gerry Spence to train attorneys who represent people and not insurance companies, the government or large corporations. He enjoys spending time with his wife and 3 boys, the outdoors, coaching his sons’ sports teams and working out. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. We’ve recently helped Clients obtain successful results in cases that other attorneys previously handled, referred over or brought us into including: - $550,000 recovered for client injured in car wreck in a case referred in by a local injury attorney; - $500,000 recovered for client hit by commercial motor vehicle after attorneys who filed the case quit and many others refused to get involved; and - $300,000 jury verdict for injured railroad worker after original union designated counsel quit the case. How did you build a successful practice? We provide the harmed with real, honest representation built on human interaction and trust. By always striving to adhere to these core principles, our Clients will be served well and our practice will benefit. What should clients look for in a lawyer? Clients should listen to their gut when selecting a lawyer to entrust with their case and lives. Clients come to us with difficult and life-changing problems that they did not create and have suffered financial losses and have often had valuable health and freedom to enjoy their lives taken from them.  Clients should ask themselves: Do I trust the lawyer? Does the lawyer listen to me? Can I communicate freely and openly with the lawyer? Does the lawyer care? If the answers to these questions are all “yes”, then the lawyer is likely one that will serve the Client’s best interests first and foremost.  Oftentimes, legal matters can take time to resolve, especially if a trial is needed to obtain a fair outcome. The strong Client and lawyer relationship is a close personal one. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? We focus on the Client and understanding the impact of the event at issue on the lives of them and their Family. By working to understand the true story of their situation, we are able to provide powerful and effective representation by sharing the truth with a jury or the other side.   What is the most rewarding aspect of your job? Helping people who cannot help themselves through trying situations is a reward in and of itself. We often come to know our clients as friends, we spend time with them and their Families. These relationships allow us to learn and effectively share the truth of their case with jurors, judges or insurance companies as if we were telling the story of a close family member who has been harmed. Gerry Spence teaches that we cannot ask a juror to do something we will not. If we do not care about our Client and what has happened to them, we cannot ask a juror to do so. What are your other interests in addition to law? I enjoy the outdoors, being physically active, and spending time with my wife, our 3 boys and our family dog “Bandit.” Are you involved in your community? I’m an active coach of my son’s pop warner and flag football teams and a board member of Our Greater Good which focuses its efforts on improving opportunities for disadvantaged youth and strengthening family relationships.

Mr. Petri has been a long-time resident of Indiana. He attended high school in Hammond, Indiana. He later attended Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, after which he served several years in the U.S. Governmental Service. His experiences in the service inspired him to enroll in law school, and the skills he gained during his service were an invaluable foundation for the practice of law. He graduated from Indiana University School of Law in 1966, and was immediately elected Prosecuting Attorney for Owen County. He served as Prosecuting Attorney until 1974. Since 1974, Mr. Petri has owned and operated his own legal practice, known today as Vernon J. Petri & Associates. Mr. Petri has significant professional and leadership experience. He has served a term as President to the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Association, as well as several years on the organization’s board of directors. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Indiana Trial Lawyers Association. Lastly, he has served on the National Board of Directors of the Breast Implant Litigation Group of the American Trial Lawyers Association. Mr. Petri has been named to the Million Dollar Forum, which is exclusively reserved for attorneys who earn verdicts and settlements in excess of $1,000,000. Even in the face of adversity, he has consistently obtained favorable verdicts for his clients. In his 40+ years of practice, he has fought to expand the rights of those injured in Indiana by exploring new theories of negligence, and in many cases, appealing them all the way to the Supreme Court of Indiana.

Attorney Jay Lauer has been practicing law in the state of Indiana for 40 years, but his love and passion for the law actually goes back further than that. Jay's journey into law began when he decided to go to school at Valparaiso in 1972. As an integral member of the track team, Jay worked hard to split his time between studying and running. As a political science major, his classes touched on both law and theology -- a combination that quickly ignited a passion and drive to help people in need. Upon graduation in 1975, Jay immediately decided to enter law school and was quickly accepted into the Valparaiso University School of Law. From there, Jay decided to forego any future as a track athlete so that he could focus all of his time and energy on studying the law. In just three short years, Jay was able to graduate with his Juris Doctorate while also passing the Indiana Bar -- all in the year of 1978. Through hard work and relentless dedication, Jay was also admitted to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Northern District in the same year, providing him the opportunity to officially begin practicing law. Soon after, Jay caught the attention of the Legal Services of Northern Indiana where Jay would be brought on board to focus on family law. For 10 years Jay would work for the Legal Services of Northern Indiana, broadening his experience and knowledge to extend beyond family law and into the areas of personal injury and criminal defense. After over a decade of working with legal services, Jay decided it was time to strike out on his own so that he could focus his services on an area close to home -- the Michiana region. After careful consideration and planning, Jay founded his very own firm, Jay Lauer Attorney at Law, in South Bend, Indiana. With his own firm, Jay felt he could now focus on the areas of the law that are not only best suited to his strengths but areas that could also help make a difference in the Northern Indiana community. Since the firm opened its doors in 1988, Jay has helped countless clients deal with issues of personal injury, criminal defense, and family law. Focusing on these areas has allowed Jay to use the extensive knowledge gathered over the years to help clients through difficult situations when they often felt like they had nowhere else to turn. Through it all, Jay Lauer believes that every person, regardless of circumstance, has the right to have their case heard. If you or someone you love is facing a difficult legal issue in the Michiana region, we invite you to reach out to our firm to learn more about Jay Lauer's experience and commitment to making a difference in the South Bend community.