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A personal injury lawyer is a lawyer who provides legal services to those who claim to have been injured, physically or psychologically, as a result of the negligence of another person, company, government agency or any entity. Personal injury lawyers primarily practice in the area of law known as tort law. Examples of common personal injury claims include injuries from slip and fall accidents, traffic collisions, defective products, workplace injuries and professional malpractice.

The term "trial lawyers" is used to refer to personal injury lawyers, even though many other types of lawyers, including defense lawyers and criminal prosecutors also appear in trials and even though most personal injury claims are settled without going to trial.

A personal injury lawyer must qualify to practice law in the jurisdiction in which the lawyer practices. In many states, they must also pass a written ethics examination.^[1]

Lawyers may take continuing legal education (CLE) classes in order to learn about developments in the law or to learn about new practice areas. In states that require lawyers to attend CLE, personal injury lawyers may take CLE courses relevant to personal injury law, but are not required to do so.^[2]

Certain bar associations and attorney organizations offer certifications, including certification of lawyers in the field of personal injury.^[3] Certification is not required to practice personal injury law, but may help a lawyer demonstrate knowledge in the field to potential clients. Within the U.S., not all state bars offer certification for personal injury law. Some states, such as New Jersey,^[4] allow lawyers to become Certified Trial Attorneys, a credential that is available to both plaintiff and defense attorneys. Some states, such as Arizona,^[5] restrict the use of the words "specialist" or "specialize" to lawyers who have obtained a certification from the State Bar Board of Legal Specialization in a specific field of law, with one such certification being in the area of personal injury law.

Lawyers may concentrate their practice to specific areas of law, including personal injury law.^[6] Some lawyers may further specialize to a specific area of personal injury, such as medical malpractice law. By limiting the range of cases they handle, personal injury lawyers are able to acquire specialized knowledge and experience.

Before accepting a new case, a personal injury lawyer typically interviews a prospective client and evaluates the client's case to determine the basic facts and potential legal claims that might be made, identifies possible defendants, and evaluates the strength of the case.^[7] A lawyer may decline to accept a case if the lawyer believes that the legal claims will not succeed in court, if the cost of litigation is expected to exceed the amount that can reasonably be recovered from the defendants as compensation for the client's injury.^[8]

Lawyer fees may be charged in a number of ways, including contingency fees, hourly rates, and flat fees. In many countries, personal injury lawyers work primarily on a contingency fee basis, sometimes called an if-come fee, through which the lawyer receives a percentage of a client's recovery as a fee, but does not recover a fee if the claim is not successful.^[7]

In some jurisdictions, or by virtue of the retainer agreement between an attorney and client, the amount of the legal fee may vary depending upon whether a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, after a lawsuit is filed but before trial, or if the case goes to trial.^[9] For example, a retainer agreement might provide that a lawyer will receive a 33 and 1/3% contingency fee if a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, a 40% contingency fee if the case settles after the lawsuit is filed, or up to 45% if the lawsuit goes to trial.

Due to the high cost of litigation, personal injury lawyers are rarely retained to work based on an hourly fee.^[10] However, defense attorneys who are hired to contest personal injury claims are often paid on an hourly basis.

An attorney should provide diligent representation to clients, and the ultimate professional responsibility of a personal injury lawyer is to help plaintiffs obtain just compensation for their losses. As with all lawyers, the attorney-client relationship is governed by rules of ethics.^[11]

In the United States, lawyers are regulated by codes of conduct established by state bar associations, which have the power to take disciplinary action against lawyers who violate professional or ethical regulations.^[12] States normally require all contingency agreements between lawyers and their clients to be in writing, and may limit the amount that may be charged as a contingency fee to a specific maximum percentage of the recovery.

Although membership is not required for personal injury practice, many personal injury lawyers join professional associations. For example:

• American Bar Association – a professional association dedicated to improving the legal system and providing accreditation for law schools and continuing legal education programs
• Association of Personal Injury Lawyers – an association based in Nottingham, England; founded in 1990 by personal injury lawyers on behalf of accident victims
• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles – CAALA is one of the largest associations of plaintiffs' lawyers in the United States and hosts one of the largest annual attorneys' conventions.
• American Association for Justice – an association of trial lawyers that was founded in 1946 by a group of plaintiffs' attorneys committed to safeguarding victims' rights. Prior to 2007, this organization was called the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, or ATLA.^[13]
• The National Trial Lawyers – a national organization composed of trial lawyers, offering networking opportunities, advocacy training and educational programs for trial lawyers.^[14]
• Personal Injuries Bar Association (PIBA) - a specialist bar association for UK barristers who practise in the field of personal injuries.^[15]

Critics of personal injury lawyers claim that litigation increases the cost of products and services and the cost of doing business.^[16] For example, critics of medical malpractice lawyers argue that lawsuits increase the cost of healthcare, and that lawsuits may inspire doctors to leave medical practice or create doctor shortages. These concerns, often raised in response to efforts to reform healthcare, have not been well substantiated. A publication by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found little evidence that traditional tort reforms affect medical liability costs or defensive medicine.^[17] A study conducted on a bipartisan basis in Texas has found that tort reform, once enacted, had no impact on reducing the cost of medical care, tending to throw doubt on claims made by tort reform advocates.^[18]

• Ambulance chasing
• Big Apple Pothole and Sidewalk Protection Committee
• Compensation culture

Okemos, Michigan
Census-designated place (CDP) & unincorporated community
The Red Cedar River flowing through Okemos.
Location within Ingham County
Okemos Location within the state of Michigan Show map of Michigan Okemos Location within the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 42°42′21″N 84°24′49″W / 42.70583°N 84.41361°W / 42.70583; -84.41361[1]
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Ingham
Townships	Alaiedon, Meridian, and Williamstown
Settled	1839
Named for	Chief Okemos
Area [2]
• Total	17.01 sq mi (44.06 km2)
• Land	16.86 sq mi (43.66 km2)
• Water	0.15 sq mi (0.40 km2)
Elevation [1]	866 ft (264 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,121
• Density	1,490.15/sq mi (575.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP codes	48805, 48864 48895 (Williamston)
Area code	517
FIPS code	26-60340[3]
GNIS feature ID	2393172[1]

Okemos (/ˈoʊkəməs/ OH-kə-məss) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Ingham County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population of the CDP was 25,121 at the 2020 census. Okemos is part of the urban area of Lansing–East Lansing, and is located nearby the campus of Michigan State University. Okemos is located mostly within Meridian Charter Township, with a small portion extending south into Alaiedon Township and east into Williamstown Township.

Okemos contains its own post offices with the 48805 and 48864 ZIP Codes, as well as its own school district, Okemos Public Schools, that also serves portions of the surrounding area.

Pioneer Freeman Bray platted the village in 1841, giving it the name of Hamilton. Residents called it Okemos, after chief John Okemos ("Little Chief"), of the Ojibway (Chippewa) people. In 1859, the State legislature officially named the village "Okemos" in honor of the chief.^[4]

The Red Cedar River, a tributary of the Grand River, flows from east to west through Okemos.

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Okemos has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.^[5]

As of the census^[3] of 2010, there were 21,369 people, 8,824 households, and 5,416 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 1,274.7 inhabitants per square mile (492.2/km²). There were 9,384 housing units at an average density of 554.9 per square mile (214.2/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 76.5% White, 14.4% Asian, 5.1% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 1.1% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 3.3% of the population.

There were 9,194 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 25.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the CDP, 23.9% of the population was under the age of 18, 14.5% was from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.1 males.

The median income for an average household in the CDP was $62,810, and the median income for a family was $88,459 (These figures had risen to $75,736 and $101,903 respectively as of a 2007 estimate^[7]). Males had a median income of $60,601 versus $41,393 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $33,401. About 3.3% of families and 9.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 0.5% of those age 65 or over.

In 2011, CNN Money Magazine rated Okemos as the 12th-best city to live in for "the rich and single".^[8]

Most of Okemos is served by Okemos Public Schools,^[9] the district which operates Okemos High School.

Portions of the district for Okemos Public Schools extends into Alaiedon Township to the south, Williamstown Township to the east, and Haslett to the north.^[9]

• Travis Bader, professional basketball player
• Kim Chi, stage name of Sang-Young Shin, a Korean-American drag queen, artist^[10][11]
• Alma Cooper, Miss USA 2024^[12]
• Doc Corbin Dart, punk rock musician
• Curtis Cregan, singer and theater actor
• Monica Drake, author
• Lawrence Joseph Giacoletto, electrical engineer and inventor
• Madison Hubbell, 2018 US Olympic ice dancer
• James Hynes, novelist, born in Okemos in 1955^[13]
• Susan Jacoby, author, born and raised in Okemos
• Josh Meyers, comedian, Mad TV cast member
• Seth Meyers, comedian, Saturday Night Live attended Edgewood Elementary^[14]
• Taylor Moton, NFL player, attended Okemos Public Schools
• Tyler Oakley, YouTuber, blogger, and LGBT activist^[11]
• Larry Page, co-founder of Google, went to Montessori School in Okemos
• Heather Raffo, playwright, author of Nine Parts of Desire^[15]
• John Bennett Ramsey, father of JonBenét Ramsey, attended Okemos High School^[16]
• Andrew Robl, professional poker player
• Ben Schneider, founding member of the indie rock band Lord Huron^[17]
• Tom Welling, actor, played Clark Kent in television series Smallville

• Goetsch–Winckler House. Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, and of the earlier examples of his "Usonian" houses.
• The Meridian Historical Village^[18]
• Meridian Farmers' Market^[19]
• Ferguson Park,^[20] along the Red Cedar River on Okemos Road, is thought to be the meeting place where Chief Okemos and the war chiefs held their powwows.^{[citation needed]} The park is part of the oldest settlement in the area along the plank road between Detroit and the Capitol in Lansing.^{[citation needed]}
• The Hamilton Building at 2160 Hamilton Road (near the Four Corners of Okemos), is the oldest commercial building in Okemos, and replaced the old Walker General Store, which was built in 1853. The Hamilton Building held its first ice cream social on June 11, 1904, and was built to house the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, a charity organization. The planks in the building are from the walnut grove on which it sits. Along with Ferguson Park, it is also part of the oldest settlement in the area along the old plank road between Detroit and the Capitol in Lansing.
• Meridian Mall
• The Hope Borbas Okemos branch^[21] of the Capital Area District Library

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Okemos, Michigan.

• Okemos Public Schools
• Meridian Mall