Todd Werts | Columbia Personal Injury Lawyer

I represented the family of a young woman who, along with her daughter and boyfriend, was killed in an apartment fire. The fire started overnight in the living room and spread to engulf the entire apartment. There were complex questions of fact regarding how the fire started and whether the deaths could have been avoided. Ultimately, we were able to recover a voluntary settlement of the full limits of the landlord\'s available insurance, based in large part on a complex application of the controlling city building codes.

By trying to remember that each client\'s case is usually the most important thing happening in their life at the time we are working with them. From there, we focus on trying to do good work for our clients and to let the success follow on that good work.

Someone they are comfortable talking with and that they feel they can trust. Litigation is not easy. Clients should feel comfortable to ask any question of their lawyer.

It depends. Sometimes it is critical. Other times, it is much less relevant. It really just depends on the specific facts of a given situation. As someone who routinely practices law in federal courts around the country, local knowledge is often something I do not necessarily have. However, if a local perspective is needed, then we do not hesitate to consult with local counsel to fill-in any information gaps.

Usually, we can let potential clients know whether they have a situation that we can help with. If we cannot take on their case, then we try to help make sure the person gets connected with someone who can help. If it is a case that we can help with, then we can explain the process, how attorneys fees and costs will work for a given case, and some discussion of what the client can expect from our representation.

The basics. It is good for clients to be prepared with general information regarding the \"who, what, when, where, and how\" of the situation. But we do not need to get into every possibly relevant document or split every hair in the initial discussion. There will be time to get into that detail. Ultimately, we just need to get a general idea of what happened, so we can plan out how best to perform a thorough investigation of the facts and work the file up for litigation. It is not usually possible to do all of that in the first telephone call, so it is better not to try.

The scope of my practice is different than many lawyers in my community. Our office typically represents scores, hundreds, or even thousands of clients who have been harmed by a common cause. As such, we are often able to keep an eye on the big picture of a situation and help our client not get lost in the forest because of undue focus on the leaves.

Relieving clients of the stress of a particular situation. I have often said that a big part of my job is helping to manage my client\'s stress. It is very rewarding to have clients be able to let go of the stress and tension they have been bottling up as they cope with an issue.

I am a voracious reader. Beyond that, my wife and I breed and raise Arabian horses.

I am active in the Arabian Horse Association and with Arabian Horseman\'s Distress Fund. I am also an active member of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys Amicus Committee. That committee reviews and submits briefs to the Missouri State appellate courts, the Supreme Court of Missouri, and sometimes the United States Supreme Court, on behalf of the association and the individuals our members represent, advocating in favor of the rights of those harmed due to the negligence or malfeasance of others.

• Workers' Injury Law & Advocacy Group | Member | 2011 - Present
  Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys | Amicus Curiae Committee | Member | 2010 - Present
  American Bar Association, Law Practice Management Section | Member | 2009 - Present
  Missouri Bar Association, Federal Practice Subcommittee | Member | 2009 - Present
  National Employment Law Association | Secretary | 2009 - Present
  Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys | Emergency Disaster Response Team | Member | 2008 - Present
  Missouri Bar Association, Lawyer Referral Service Committee | Member | 2007 - Present
  American Association for Justice | Member | 2005 - Present
  Boone County Bar Association | Partners in Education Committee | Member | 2006 - 2010

• Board Member | Order of Barristers | 2000

• Policy-limit recovery for injured pedestrian. | Policy-limit settlement. Chavez v. WIS Holding Corp., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 56138 (S.D. Cal. 2010) | California state-wide class action settlement. Two years of temporary total disability benefits obtained | Over two years of TTD recovered for client. Stephenson v. Info. Providers, Inc., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 52261 (D. Minn. 2010) | Settled on a class-wide basis. Sharpe v. APAC Customer Servs., 2010 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1671 (W.D. Wis. 2010) | Settled on a class-wide basis. Policy-limit settlement of wrongful death case | Policy limit settlement under one insurance policy and post-trial settlement under the other. Medical Benefits obtained for injured worker | Temporary award ordering medical benefits affirmed by Missouri Labor & Industrial Relations Commission Schleipfer v. Mitek Corp., 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 64042 (E.D. Mo. 2007) | Case settled to the satisfaction of all parties.

• Annual Workers’ Compensation Institute | Healthcare Provider Applications for Direct Payment | 2009
  Lear Werts LLP | Compensation Issues Under FLSA/Wage and Hour Laws | 2009
  Lear Werts LLP | Nuts and Bolts of Missouri Practice, Employment Termination in Missouri | 2007
  MOBAR CLE: CONTRACTS | Contract Interpretation | 2007

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