Michael L

Stephen Hoffman is a fantastic Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation lawyer and his efforts led to a great result in my car crash case!

While on a business trip to Chicago from my native Florida, I was involved in an auto crash where I was hit from behind. Unfortunately for me, just days before I'd left for Chicago, I had consulted with a back surgeon about neck and back issues and whether surgery was warranted. While the crash definitely made these problems worse, there is no question that some of the problems existed beforehand.

I had no real idea where to turn or what to do. After some research on the Internet, I found Stephen Hoffman, as a Personal Injury and Workers' Compensation lawyer who could assist me. He immediately relaxed me, both reassuring me and explaining every step of the way what was happening and why, as well as what the overall strategy would be.

Potentially, I had "two cases in one," with a workers' compensation claim against my employer and a personal injury claim against the car that struck me. Added to this complexity, there were issues about what my insurance would and would not cover (I was in a rental car, on business, out of state; suffice it to say my personal auto carrier refused to pay my medical bills because of this--a cautionary tale for any traveling businesspeople!). Additionally, workers' compensation had a lien on the personal injury case and was entitled to recover what it had paid out in the event I settled the injury case. Stephen Hoffman patiently explained all of this and did his best to discover all possible avenues through which I could seek recovery.

Ultimately, I was able to avoid surgery. While the auto carrier leaned heavily on its theory that much of my injuries were pre-existing, the more-or-less "no fault" nature of workers' compensation allowed me to maximize my recovery in that arena.

Stephen walked me through every offer and demand, explaining his strategy and offering me input to the process. In the end, we decided to pursue the workers' compensation case only. The settlement achieved exceeded my wildest expectations.

Stephen did a phenomenal job in persuading the employer's insurance carrier to continue increasing the offer. At one point, I had provided my okay to accept the offer. He then got them to increase that by over 50% more. I could not be happier with the job he did for me or the way he worked with me and for me, allowing me to participate fully as a partner in the process. Believe it or not, Stephen always responds to emails and phone calls and answers every question promptly. Great customer service!

Without hesitation, I recommend Stephen Hoffman! -Michael L., a Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation Client