Litigation Process

November 8, 2019

John Day Has Jury Duty

Yes, you read that right – John Day is on jury duty this week and next. On Wednesday, John was put in the jury box but ultimately he was excused from serving on that particular jury via a peremptory challenge (explained below). He may get another chance before his term expires. The phrase “jury duty” does not illicit a positive response from most people. We get it. It can be a little vexing – from the inception of the process when your heart skips a beat because you have pulled from your mailbox an official letter from the Sheriff’s Department until the end when you may not even get to vote on the case because you were the alternate juror in the event another juror got sick, etc. But here are some things you should know if you do get called for jury duty. Continue reading

June 6, 2019

Accountability v. Responsibility

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

In a recent blog post, Seth Godin wrote: “Accountability is done to you by the industrial system, by those that want to create blame. Responsibility is done by you. It’s voluntary. You can take as much of it as you want.” Seth Godin is a marketing guru and I enjoy his blog. As it relates to the legal field and the work of the lawyers at the Law Offices of John Day, I would change this post slightly: Accountability is done to you; when you do not take responsibility. Here is why I say that. Continue reading

April 30, 2019

Would You Hire a Lawyer Who Had Been Convicted of Murder?

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

This was essentially the headline of a recent New York Times article. As a 19-year-old, the subject of the article had flown into a rage and killed a man who had picked him up the week before as a hitch hiker. While in prison, he spent hundreds of hours learning the law and, after being released on parole, was accepted to law school at Tulane University, where he was met with, perhaps not surprisingly, mixed reactions. Even if he graduates from Tulane, the question remains as to whether he will ever be allowed to sit for the bar exam due to the character and fitness requirement of that exam.

Of course, we do not know, and probably don’t care to know, the complete and entire life story of most people we hire from our plumber to our doctor to our lawyer, but there are some things you should know when hiring a lawyer. Read on for 5 essential questions you should ask: Continue reading

July 26, 2018

We Hate To Disappoint People, But We Do. Everyday.

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

At The Law Offices of John Day, P.C., we have two intake specialists, Penny Whitaker and Lauren Bates. When people call into the offices for a free consultation, Lauren and Penny take the basic accident information for a free review by one of our award-winning attorneys. Let me say, Penny and Lauren do a great job; they understand that when people call our office they are often confused about their rights and options, scared about what the future may bring and looking for help. And, we desperately want to help. But all too often, we can’t and that is where the disappointment comes in. This is never truer than when someone did do something wrong and injuries or death resulted. Let me explain. Continue reading

March 8, 2018

What We Do

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Last week, John and I were in Arizona for a meeting of the American College of Trial Lawyers. We were fortunate to get to hear a number of great speakers including FBI Director Christopher Wray who left us all assured the Bureau was in good hands, and Professor Goodwin who opened our eyes to the collateral damage of the so-called War on Drugs. But the two speakers we enjoyed most were: John Q. Barrett, the author of Justice Robert H. Jackson, Trial Lawyer at Nuremburg and Jason Schechterle, a retired Arizona police officer who was horribly burned from an on-duty accident but displayed a resilience and optimism that few can imagine let alone embrace. While these two speakers and their topics were incredibly different, both had a similar underlying message: the work that trial lawyers do is incredibly important Continue reading

November 8, 2017

The Unfair Character Assassination of Government Regulations

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Government regulations are often scorned and characterized as job killers, expensive and unnecessary. To be sure, there are some odd regulations on the books that deserve some derision (I am looking at you, T.C.A. 70-4-115, the Road Kill law). But generally, government regulations are a good thing for the public. For example, government regulations (via the EPA and FDA) have stopped the pollution of our nation’s water and air and have ensured we have access to safe and uncontaminated food and drugs. Right now, there are several government regulations in the transportation industry that are being rolled back or nixed that would offer substantial protection to the public. Here are a few: Continue reading

October 17, 2017

A Few Bad Apples

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

In any line of work, there are always a few that embarrass the rest of the profession whether you are talking about lawyers, plumbers, car salesmen, contractors, teachers, accountants, etc. Unfortunately, some of the bad apples tend to come out after injury accidents, so here is what you need to know. Continue reading

August 17, 2017

So Let’s Talk About Those Solar Eclipse Goggles You Have

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

Months ago, when I first learned of the solar eclipse, I immediately ordered some solar eclipse goggles. Even though the goggles were more expensive, I ordered them for a couple of reasons: (1) since they fit snuggly around the head they allegedly fit children better and posed less risk of them being askew and allowing harmful rays into the eye; (2) because they were snug against your face, less ambient light came in from the side making your viewing of the solar eclipse more crisp and sharp; (3) unlike the paper glasses, I figured I could use them as part of a Halloween costume later on for our daughter; (4) and, I am not going to lie, I wanted to get a picture of John Day wearing a pair of black out goggles. Continue reading

July 11, 2017

Four Take-Aways from the Natchez Trace Bike Accident

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

By now you have probably seen the video of the driver of a Volvo (Mr. Neely) hitting a bicyclist (Tyler Noe) on the Natchez Trace Parkway. If you have not, just Google “bicycle accident and Natchez trace” and you will find lots of sites with video of the accident. In short, Mr. Noe was hit by a black Volvo hits that simply keeps going after the very scary impact. Mr. Neely, the driver of the black Volvo, has since been charged with felony reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to immediately notify of an accident and failure to render aid. As a firm that has handled a lot of accidents involving bicyclists, cars, trucks, motorcycles, etc., this case helps demonstrate 4 important points about injury accidents. Continue reading

June 23, 2017

The Measure of Success

by The Law Offices of John Day, P.C.

The Law Offices of John Day, P.C. could not be more proud of our very own Brandon Bass. Brandon was recently recognized by the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association as “Outstanding Trial Lawyer of the Year”. This is a tremendous accomplishment and one that Brandon richly deserves for his work on behalf of injury victims and their families. Brandon (along with John Day, Joy Day, Laura Baker and Liz Sitzgreaves) was also recently named a Mid-South Super Lawyer again this year. Only 5% of the lawyers in the Mid-South receive this recognition.

And while we love receiving these types of awards, we know that awards are not the true measure of our success. Instead, Brandon would be the first to tell you that the true measure of our success is a fully satisfied client. A client who has been successfully shepherded through the litigation process. A client that has had their questions answered and concerns addressed. A client who receives prompt responses to phone calls and emails. A client who feels like their lawyer truly understands their situation and sincerely wants to help them. A client who is so happy with the legal services we provided that they refer a friend or family member who needs help after an accident. A client who will take the time to write a Google or Facebook review or just send us a nice thank you note or give us a call simply to express their gratitude for our work on their behalf. A client who speaks highly about their lawyer to others. And of course, a client who receives the compensation their case deserves.

This is the type of success and recognition we strive for every day. Of course, the happy irony is that Brandon (and our other lawyer’s) conscientious commitment to our client’s satisfaction is what produces the results that win awards. Pretty simple really: hard work and talent usually get recognized in the form of awards. Although awards can help injury victims decide who to hire to help them when they need it, awards are not the only consideration. There are lots of factors you should keep in mind when deciding which lawyer to help you with your injury case.