Bart Siniard’s Post

Implementing systems in your law firm is like smoking a Boston butt. The first time you do it, you have to do a lot of research. Is there a marinade? What type of rub to use? What to bind with? What temperature to set the smoker? How will I know when my butt is done? There’s many more questions, but you get the idea. Then, you smoke your first butt. There’s errors made on the maiden voyage. You tweak as you go. Your 2nd and 3rd butts aren’t fantastic, but they’re better than your virginal butt. You keep making mistakes, but you keep learning. You learn that some factors don’t matter a lick, like flipping the butt halfway through or using butcher paper versus foil for the crutch. You learn that other factors, not apparent at first, are critically important, like measuring for the 155 stall and letting the butt rest for an hour after cooking. Then, on about butt 9 or 10, you’re a butt master. Everyone thinks you are a pit master extraordinaire. Butt that’s because you are. (See what I did there?) No one is perfect on the first try. Nor are they on the 5th or 6th. The important thing is to keep learning and tweaking and implementing. And if I haven’t said it enough: Butt.

I took this photo just after I had lost a trial this past winter. It’s a photo of our (ugly) courthouse taken within my favorite watering hole at my favorite table. I was pissed and ready for a beer, so this photo went out to some lawyer friends at 3:30pm on a Wednesday with an invitation to come commiserate. No one could make it for 30 minutes or so, so I got a beer and pulled out a notepad and pen. I had spoken with the jury foreman to inquire how/why there was a defense verdict. The only real answer I could get was something to the effect of “there just wasn’t enough there.” Well, duh. Frustrating to not get specific pointers. Back to the notepad. I wrote out “Reasons We Lost”. I came up with three reasons. And all of those had to do with how defense counsel damaged my client’s credibility. As I sat there, I realized I had let it all happen by not doing homework on my own client prior to his deposition. I came away with the conclusion that you must investigate your own client just as you would the opposing party. Your client’s credibility is paramount and you must treat it as sacred. So if it looks like I’m going to have to litigate a case, our team knows to do all of the following BEFORE filing suit: 1) obtain the clients medical records from 3 years prior to the incident 2) run a criminal background check on the client 3) run a driver history report for prior accidents 4) look at our client’s social media. You know, the whole “trust but verify” thing. As litigators, we tend to overly focus on beating the other side by honing in on the adverse party. That’s great and all, but don’t neglect doing the same thing with your own client.

When we founded Siniard Law, LLC two years ago, we had two lawyers, three paralegals, and a legal assistant/receptionist. We had 101 clients we brought over from our prior firm. No systems, no mission statement, and little organization to our workflows. Two years later, we have added three team members. We have 272 clients. We have metric KPIs, core values, and clearly defined expectations and goals. We were recognized by Best Law Firms as a top injury litigation firm in our region in just our second year of existence. And yesterday, we passed the million dollar mark for revenue this year with half the year to go. I’m still figuring out how to do this. I’ve made a TON of mistakes. Botched marketing ideas, hiring crap vendors, not delegating anything for 1.5 years, letting email control me, and not hiring a full time receptionist until year 2. Those are just a few of the regrets. But I wouldn’t trade this journey for just about anything. I’m trying to enjoy the ride. 🤘🏼

All I remember about July 1, 2022 was it was dreadfully hot and our phone only rang once all day. Today, it’s still brutally hot, but the phones are a whole lot hotter. Best decision I ever made. Wouldn’t change a thing.

For me, the best part of being an injury litigator is not what you would expect. Many would think it’s the money, or the fulfillment you get from helping hurt people, or the gratification for holding corporations accountable for misdeeds. Those are all great things, but it’s not the best part. The best part is that the job forces you to be a lifelong learner. And I’m not just talking about the law. I’m talking random fields of knowledge. Charlie Rittgers made a post about this recently and it got me to thinking… In the last 10 years, I’ve had unique injury cases that required me to become a quasi-expert in: — electrical engineering — bicycle assembly — pharmacology — echocardiography — firearm malfunction — surgeries (many types) — ATV batteries — Logistics of mineral supplies — electrical air pumps — bio mechanical engineering — perimeter defense systems of federal bases — allergy testing — golf cart braking systems — physics I could go on, but you get the point. To be able to help my client and to make money, I had to study and study, to be able to speak fluently in the science of foreign subjects. It’s intimidating at first, but so rewarding when it pays off. If you are going into law and love learning, there’s no better place to land than the field of personal injury law. Don’t let the tacky billboards fool you: Being a true personal injury litigator requires a sponge for a brain.

Take that trip. Start that business. Write that book. Whatever…Go all in.

I’ve never shared one of our ads on this platform, but this one is special to me. It’s one of those cases that leaves you awake at night. Wondering whether you are taking the next best step. Because so much is on the line. Helping victims of TBIs has become a passion of mine. Representing Will & Holly was an honor and a privilege.

When you refer a case to a colleague you’ve connected with on LinkedIn, you never really know what you’re getting. You have an inkling, but usually it’s a shot in the dark. I referred a slip and fall case to Christopher Earley about this time last year. I’ve never met him, but love what he’s doing on this platform. He seems to be rocking it, growing his personal injury practice in the greater Boston area. During the last year, Chris did everything right in regards to understanding the importance of referrals. He immediately gave confirmation in writing of the referral. I got quarterly updates on the progress of the case. And best of all, he got a 6-figure settlement on the case this afternoon, which was more than I expected. Give him a follow (or refer him a Massachusetts injury case). Great content to read and he has the ability to get great results.

About to leave a Waffle House in the small town of Cullman, Alabama, on the way back from an early morning deposition in Birmingham. I was solo at the bar next to an old farmer, who chatted me up. To be honest, I was a little frustrated with how talkative he was. Nice guy, but I was trying to check email. But he forced the conversation on and we got to talking about what I did for a living. This led him to bring up a dispute he has with homeowner’s insurance over hail damage from a well-known hail storm that we had in north Alabama last month. Two roofers say he needs a new roof due to the damage, but his carrier is denying it. I’m already handling two similar cases, same insurance carrier, same type of roof damage. So I signed him up on a handwritten fee agreement over black coffee, waffles, and hash browns (scattered, covered, and smothered, which coincidentally is the style the farmer and I both prefer.) Another moment that reminds me to always be present in the moment.