SOUTH FLORIDA INJURY ATTORNEYS JASON AND DEBI CHALIK TAKE A PERSONAL APPROACH TO THEIR CLIENTS: “OUR FAMILY FIGHTING FOR YOUR FAMILY” - Part Two

In addition, Chalik & Chalik has worked on numerous birth injury malpractice cases, including Erb's palsy cases (in which the doctor's negligence makes him or her liable), and pregnancy situations, where a failure to diagnose or effectively treat complications or emergency situations can result in permanent consequences in the life of the newborn. Also high on the firm's list are cases involving faulty or defective products, including tires. The Chaliks recently settled a devastating case in which the failure of a defective tire caused a car driven by a young man in his early 20s to hit a guard rail; his ejection from the vehicle causes severe brain damage. The settlement they reached will ensure that the man, onetime high school valedictorian, receives proper care for many years. "Debi is going out to dinner with his mother soon and is helping them look for a new house," says Jason. "That's what we're about, going the extra mile and becoming close with our clients to the point that doing a good job for them becomes a personal issue. At Chalik & Chalik, we're still here for you even after settling your case."

"In terms of the injury cases we handle," he adds, "something very interesting has happened over the years. As different situations arise, we learn more about other areas of injury law and become experts in arenas we couldn't have fathomed before. For instance, after the first brain injury case, we became confident in our future dealings with neurosurgeons, neurologists and others connected to that issue. Not only do we learn more about each case by closely listening to what our clients have to say, but we deeply believe that we learn to be better lawyers through each of our clients. We are equally prepared to either settle the case privately or go to court, knowing that if we do go to court, we can show the jury exactly who you are and exactly what happened to you. Parasailing accidents were another niche that we became experts at after working on several cases. We learned everything there was to know about parachutes, licensing and insurance, among other things."

Jason and Debi Chalik receive a lot of business from their website www.chaliklaw.com, word of mouth and from numerous doctors in the region. Their criteria are simple: they must genuinely like the client (because that means the jury, should they go to trial, will like them too) and see true merit in his or her case. Once the Chaliks are hired or agree to take on the case, they get started with investigations, which involve poring over police reports, medical claims and speaking to witnesses-which is just as important to do right away as it is to take photographs of debris in the road if it's still there. Circumstances change rapidly and witnesses' memories fade quickly. They also look into insurance company compensation policies and document their client's lost wages. If it's a case that can go immediately to litigation, they file suit.

If they believe in a case and believe there will be a settlement or favorable judgment down the line, the Chaliks-as a small firm not beholden to a larger corporation or committees, as some large outfits are--will put up their own money as part of the investigation.

"This makes us more agile in many ways," says Jason. "And definitely, we have to like the client. Remember, we're going to be spending eight months to three year working with them, so it needs to be a good fit. Cases that settle can go anywhere from eight to 14 months, while court cases may run from two to three years. Some of our greatest challenges are insurance companies that refuse to pay. A lot of our job is doing battle with them to show them, or threaten them, into realizing that a jury of six people is going to like our client and understand what happened to cause the injury. The threat helps bring them to the negotiating table where we can settle things. Ultimately, that happens in 85% of cases. Insurance companies know our track record and that helps us achieve our goals too.

"But in the end, a lot of what we do is deal with clients who are recently injured, scared and don't know the system," he adds. "They are confused and need to feel they can trust someone. For them, it's about their fears of not being able to work yet still having to pay rent and buy clothes and food for their kids. They can't always get doctors and insurance claims folks on the phone, but they quickly realize that we're there for them and are dedicated to helping them."

A native of Brooklyn, NY who moved with his family to Florida in the late 70s, Jason became interested in law and justice at an early age. He attended American University on a full tennis scholarship and studied political science and justice. "I was fascinated by politics and the law, and anything to do with criminology, the prison systems, and courtrooms." While in Washington, D.C., he interned for CNN during the Persian Gulf War and later worked on Capitol Hill for a firm that did TV commercials for Senate races. He also interned for a personal injury lawyer in Northern Virginia, which sparked his own interest in that field.

After graduating from University of Florida law school and passing the bar exam, Attorney Jason Chalik went to work for personal injury attorneys Rosen & Monaldi in Plantation, Florida. He later became a managing partner, and the firm became Rosen & Chalik. Jason and Debi first worked together there as personal injury attorneys. When the founding partner retired, Jason took over the firm with Debi, and The Law Offices of Chalik & Chalik were established.

A native of Montreal, Debi received a fellowship to study law at Nova Southeastern University, NSU Law, in Fort Lauderdale, where she earned many awards prior to graduating with her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.

"Our names are on the firm," Jason says. "It's very important that everything about our firm represents our commitment to our clients and ultimately lifting their burdens. We want our name to mean we're excellent lawyers and we take a personal interest in every case. We fight for our clients as if they were our own family. We have three children of our own, and so we feel for people when something happens to their children. Debi and I take everything personally. To us, it's not just a job. We don't stop thinking about our cases when we go home at night. I think that makes us better."