Texas Super Lawyer

http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/09/29/40865

September 29th, 2009 | by FortBendNow Staff | Published in News |

Sugar Land Lawyer Named “Super Lawyer” For Seventh Year

Sugar Land attorney Brent Carpenter has been named a “Super Lawyer” for the seventh year in a row. Carpenter is Board Certified in personal injury trial law and certified mediator. His Sugar Land firm, Carpenter & Carpenter, P.C., specializes in personal injury and business matters.

Super Lawyers is a listing of lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Lawyers enter the candidate pool by being formally nominated by a peer; identified by the research department in the “Star Search” process or informally nominated. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement.

“The fact that the selection process includes not only vetting by the research department, but selection by other attorneys makes this a very special honor,” said Carpenter.

Super Lawyers magazine, featuring articles about attorneys named to the Super Lawyers list, is distributed to all attorneys in the state or region, the lead corporate counsel of Russell 3000 companies and the ABA-approved law school libraries.

The other side of Tort Reform

I have not written in a while as I have been traveling and work keeps getting in the way. One of my trips was to Louisiana for a funeral of one of the strongest people I have ever had the privilege of knowing. She was injured in a SUV rollover several years ago and paralyzed from the neck down due to the roof crushing in on her. Before the injury she was a teacher, cheerleader coach, mother of two and wife (among many other titles). After the injury she was confined to a wheelchair and needed constant help and care, BUT because of her strength (and that of her family) she fought to get back to teaching, she was the mother to their children and wife to her husband. She demanded excellence from everyone around her including herself and put her family and students first. She was told several years ago by one of her doctors that she could extend her life expectancy by quitting teaching and spending less time in the wheelchair and more in bed. Her response was that she would rather die teaching than live in a bed. Those that support tort reform would have the damages to this woman and family limited or have the manufacture immune from being sued despite their defective roof. When those that cause harm and injury are immune from paying for the damages they cause, or the damages are limited to some arbitrary amount, who will pay for this expensive care? Everyone. The reason the civil justice system was created was to allow a means of compensation from those who caused the harm. I wish everyone could have know my client and friend. Her life made any difficulties we have seem laughable, her strength gave everyone around her strength to do what was right regardless of the cost and her smile made everyone smile.

Health Insurance

The debate over health care rages on. What exactly is being proposed, how will it work, who will implement and supervise it, how much will it cost? Has anyone been able to answer these basic questions? After spending over an hour on the phone trying to get an answer from Medicare on how much they are claiming from my client, and then spending the next several months trying to get it finalized, I am concerned about any additional government run health care. If you have an injury claim and have any health insurance (group, medicare, medicaid, etc.) you may have to pay them back any money they paid on your medical care. The terms you may hear are subrogation or lien. What it generally means is they get their money back from any recovery you get from the party that injured you. What this means to you is that you should not base your settlement on your co-pays or out of pocket only. Submit the entire amount of your medical expenses to the insurance company, not just the co-pays. That way when your health insurance asks for their money back you will be ok.