An injury can impact the quality of someone's life for years to come - or permanently. Representing an injured party is an enormous responsibility. The techniques you use during a case will impact both your client's future well-being and your viability as a competent practitioner. Do you have the knowledge you need to ensure a favorable outcome?

Build your skills from the convenience of your desk! You'll learn best practices for assessing a variety of personal injury cases. Take a closer look at the statutes that affect liability evaluation, as well as the laws of damages. Walk through the basics of civil practice and procedure, so you'll know what to do. Discover when it's in your client's best interest to settle, and when you'll need to go to trial. Order today!

1. Statutes Which Affect Liability Evaluation
2. Understanding the Law of Damages
3. Basics of Civil Practice and Procedure
4. Ethical Considerations for the Plaintiff's Attorney
5. Personal Injury Settlements
6. Trial of the Plaintiff's Personal Injury Case

1. STATUTES WHICH AFFECT LIABILITY EVALUATION
   8:30 - 9:30, John E. Quinn
   1. Statutes of Limitation
   2. Automobile Accident Statutes
   3. Injuries on Recreational Lands
   4. Sovereign Immunity
2. UNDERSTANDING THE LAW OF DAMAGES
   9:30 - 10:30, John E. Quinn
   1. Economic Damages
   2. Non-Economic Damages
   3. Wrongful Death and Survival Claims
3. BASICS OF CIVIL PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE
   10:45 - 12:15, Gary M. Lang
   1. Assessment of Particular Case Types - Interviews and Investigation
      1. Automobile Accident Cases
      2. Slip and Fall Cases
      3. Product Liability Cases
      4. Others
   2. The Discovery Process
      1. Written Discovery
      2. Informal Discovery Including Public Sources of Information
      3. Taking and Defending Depositions
   3. Initial Court Filings
   4. Preparing Evidence Prior to Trial
      1. Understanding the Rules of Evidence
      2. Documentary Evidence
      3. Testamentary Evidence
      4. Demonstrative Evidence
4. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE PLAINTIFF'S ATTORNEY
   1:15 - 2:15, Philip A. Fabiano
   1. The Contingent Fee
   2. The Costs of Litigation - What is a Legitimate Cost?
   3. Advertising Legal Services
   4. Candor Toward the Tribunal
   5. Meritorious Claims and Contentions
5. PERSONAL INJURY SETTLEMENTS
   2:15 - 3:15, Philip A. Fabiano
   1. Negotiation Techniques
   2. Mediation as a Settlement Tool
   3. Subrogation Interests
   4. Structured Settlements
   5. Understanding the Joint Tortfeasor Release and Other Releases
6. TRIAL OF THE PLAINTIFF'S PERSONAL INJURY CASE
   3:30 - 4:40, Gary M. Lang
   1. How to Avoid the Most Common Mistakes Made by New Attorneys
   2. Jury Selection - Voir Dire and Jury Questionnaires
   3. The Basics of an Opening Statement
   4. Presentation of Evidence
   5. Direct and Cross-Examination of Witnesses
   6. Proving Economic and Non-Economic Damages
   7. Delivering a Powerful Closing Argument
   8. Post-Trial Relief

PHILIP A. FABIANO is an attorney in the Pittsburgh firm of Howard F. Messer & Associates, P.C., where he practices in the areas of medical malpractice, personal injury, slip and fall, car accidents and products liability. Mr. Fabiano has lectured to various professional groups and associations on areas related to his practice. He earned his B.S. degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Scranton and his J.D. degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Fabiano is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association, the Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association and the American Association for Justice.

GARY M. LANG is a senior partner in the Pittsburgh law firm of Feldstein Grinberg Stein and McKee, P.C. He is certified as a civil trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. Mr. Lang is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Since 1992, he has co-written the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Civil Practice Manual published by the Pennsylvania Bar Institute. He is a published author in his fields of practice, and a frequent lecturer on topics relating to civil procedure, personal injury, medical malpractice and ethics. Practicing in the fields of professional negligence, personal injury and products liability litigation. Mr. Lang is a member and former governor of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, former chair of the Allegheny County Bench Bar Committee, former member of the Board of Governors of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, and a recipient of one of the Foundation's pro bono awards. A graduate of the College of William and Mary, he earned his J.D. degree from the Capital University School of Law.

JOHN E. QUINN is currently a partner in the Pittsburgh law firm of Portnoy & Quinn, LLC. He served two years as an Assistant Disciplinary Counsel with the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania from 1976 to 1978. Since that time, he has practiced exclusively in civil litigation, including product liability, legal malpractice and general tort claims. Mr. Quinn has been active in the Allegheny County Bar Association, serving as Chair of the Lawyers Referral Committee and the Civil Litigation Section. Mr. Quinn is a past president of the Western Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association. He is a long time member of the Board of Governors of the Pennsylvania Association for Justice and is currently Comptroller of that organization. He is past president of the St. Thomas More Society. He is a member and served on the Board of Governors of the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County. Mr. Quinn has for several years, been listed as a Pennsylvania "Super Lawyer" and can be found in "The Best Lawyers in America." He has served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at Duquesne University School of Law. Mr. Quinn has lectured extensively for the Allegheny County Bar Association, Pennsylvania Bar Institute, and the Pennsylvania Association for Justice in the areas of insurance law, trial practice and ethics. He is a graduate of Duquesne University School of Law.

Please refer to Continuing Education Credit FAQ for general information about seeking credit for your participation in one of our continuing education programs.

Additionally, our team of credit specialists are here to answer your specific credit-related questions weekdays 7am - 5pm Central:

Phone: 866-240-1890

Email: credit@nbi-sems.com