Sandra Worthington | Accident & Injury Lawyer

• Montgomery Bar Association
• Philadelphia Women's Squash Racquets Association
• PA Bar Association
• PA Association for Justice

• Who's Who in American Law (Marquis Who's Who in American Law )
  2000
• High Honors (University of Virginia )
  1978

In another of my numerous cases, I represented a woman who had been bitten in the arm by a huge Rottweiler which had been bred by a local man with virtually NO experience in proper breeding. He kept all his dogs isolated in pens. This client went to his back yard breeding area seeking a puppy for a family member. Her arm showed no puncture wounds or lacerations due to her thick jacket, and she urged me to move the case forward to try to settle it for her. She recovered from the initial acute injury but was having symptoms of neurological damage to the arm and hand that developed over many months and did not get better. I urged her to seek consultation with a local neurologist. She had a serious neurological problem from the pressure of the bite, even though there was not even bruising on her arm. Thankfully, I had not succumbed to her desire to settle the case because instead of it being a fairly small case with no actual bloodshed, it ended up being a very, very large case that finally resolved at mediation for six figures.

We realized it was critical to work hard and not be satisfied unless our clients were ecstatic with our results for them. We always, always returned phone calls even if only to tell the client we did not have any answer as yet for them. There is nothing that makes a client dislike a lawyer more than failure to return calls. It is a bad habit which many lawyers fall into and which undermines success. In addition, I am always thinking about my clients' cases and conjuring up creative approaches to not-so-favorable issues in their cases. No case is perfect, but it is best to face any weaknesses head-on than ignore weaknesses and face them at a deposition for the first time, or worse still, at trial. We must be doing something right because we have clients from nearly 30 years ago who still call us and retain us for accident and injury cases. There is nothing more rewarding than having a client refer a friend or relative to us. It is a manifestation of their trust and confidence in our services. This is the way we get the majority of our cases.

A client should look for a lawyer with many years of experience in practice, and particularly, focused on a particular area they need, such as personal injury law. A client should not select a lawyer who handles many specialties such as divorce, real estate, tax law and personal injury law. I am sure you are familiar with the expression "jack of all trades, master of none". This absolutely applies to the legal profession.

Local knowledge can be very helpful to the success of a case. For example, it is quite helpful for me that I have lived in my primary geographical area of practice in the Philadelphia area for most of my life. I can pretty much envision any major roadway in my area and picture how a particular accident might have occurred.

I try to provide the prospective client with as much information as I can pack in. Of course, I prefer to have people come in to see me, as I think it helps them to see what my staff and I are like in person. I like them to see my offices and to feel comfortable with my staff. However, sometimes this is impossible in the initial stages of a case. For example, when a client has suffered disabling injuries, I will occasionally go, at the request of the client, to their home or even to the hospital to move things along in a timely fashion. I figure the client will always have a chance to come and see my offices and meet my assistant once they are capable of travel. Plus, there are some things that need to be taken care of promptly in the time period immediately following the accident. Most importantly, I tell people NOT to give any statements to any adjuster or anyone who calls them until they have an attorney representing them. An adjuster will take advantage of such situations if at all possible. The insurance adjuster is a professional and the client, regardless of how smart, is usually not knowledgeable enough to avoid saying things that will damage the case.

I need to know many things: the exact location, cause, date and time of the accident, whether the client was injured and, if so, what treatment they have had from doctors, whether the client is ""Full Tort"" or ""Limited Tort"" on their auto insurance. Also, I like to have the client email me a copy of their Declarations Page of their auto insurance policy (this is the first page which shows all the coverages and prices), or they can have their agent fax or email me a copy so I am more fully able to advise them on what insurance will cover from the very beginning. I like to make sure that they are sending their medical bills to the correct insurance company.

First of all, I probably have more years of experience than many of the lawyers in the community (30 years). Secondly, I handle ONLY personal injury cases. My focus is on auto/truck/motorcycle accidents, slip (or trip) and fall accidents and dog bites or attacks. I provide a lot of personal attention to my clients and their cases. In other words, I do not take every case that comes my way, so I am able to devote myself personally to the ones I accept. Some larger firms might be considered ""accident mills"" where a case is taken in by the partner, but then handed off to a far less experienced associate. That type of firm is all about sheer volume of cases, rather than quality.

There is nothing I like better than to obtain a large lump sum of funds for a client for their pain and suffering and to make sure their bills are paid. Of course, I know someone can never be fully compensated by money for a serious injury, but that is the most we, as attorneys, can do for them. It can certainly help them sleep better at night and cover their child's tuition or their mortgage which might have been behind due to the injuries.

I am a U. S. National Champion Squash player. I serve on the Board of Friends of Virginia Squash, which is an organization attempting to establish a Division One, varsity squash program at the University of Virginia, of which I am an alum. I also try to work out at the gym two to three times per week. I also love play tennis with my husband and to swim in the ocean with my daughter. I have a deep seated belief that one needs daily exercise for the mind as well as the body.

I try to take in a student intern on a regular basis to my law office to give a student the opportunity to see how a law firm operates and what it is like to be a lawyer. Additionally, I am a 30 year member of the Montgomery County Bar Association, The Pennsylvania Bar Association and a member of many years of the PA Association for Justice. I served for a few years on the Animal Law committee of the PA Bar Association.