Areas of Practice: WV Personal Injury Law and Social Security Disability

Accident and Injury

Unfortunately, over the years, many insurance companies have gradually changed the public's opinion about claims for personal injury damages as something that the injured party should be ashamed of or embarrassed about. As a result, many people view injury attorneys and even more unfortunately, their injured clients, with a somewhat jaded opinion. The harsh reality of life is that sometimes bad things happen to good people through no fault of their own and they deserve to be made whole again.

Our goal at The Johnson Law Office is to seek fair and just compensation for those who are injured through the neglect of others in an effort to return their lives and their family's lives to some semblance of normalcy. West Virginia laws allow for compensation as a result of the injured person's loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, past and future medical expenses and permanent injury. Often, these cases are settled out of court, but it is important to be prepared to present your best case to a jury; this preparation can be an expensive, complicated, and time consuming process.

The Johnson Law Office will front the expenses for personal injury cases. In the unlikely event that you lose at the trial level, you owe us nothing for the attorney's time invested in your case. The Johnson Law Office has reasonable contingency fees of thirty three and one third percent for simple auto accident cases with a discounted rate if the case is settled before suit is filed.

At the Johnson Law Office, we can save you money! We don't have to hire as many outside medical experts, as Michelle Johnson is a Professional Registered Nurse uniquely qualified to evaluate medical conditions in most injury and accident cases.

Attorney Michelle Johnson has extensive legal experience including representing clients in federal district, state circuit, and magistrate courts. She aggressively represented clients in numerous bench trials, jury trials, and before Administrative Law Judges.

Ms. Johnson also has experience in a variety of personal injury cases including: auto and trucking accidents, premise liability, wrongful death, intentional acts, mandolitis, product liability, nursing home negligence, traumatic brain injury and medical malpractice.

Types of injury clients Ms. Johnson has represented:

- Clients with back and neck injuries treated by Chiropractors
- Clients with Traumatic Amputations
- Clients requiring complicated Lumbar, Thoracic and Cervical surgeries
- Clients with Fibromyalgia
- Clients with Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Clients requiring total joint replacements
- Clients confined to a wheelchair post accident
- Estates and families of those wrongfully killed in auto accidents.
- Estates and families of those who died as a result of the negligence of physicians, hospitals and nursing homes.
- Clients suffering from traumatic stress syndrome as a result of a traumatic accident.

Social Security Disability (SSD) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Have you been told that you must be wheelchair bound, severely physically disabled or unable to walk to qualify for SSD or SSI? Well, that is just not true. In fact, many disabled West Virginians receive SSD or SSI solely as result of mental issues or as a result of a combination of mental and physical problems. Depression and anxiety can affect your ability to work, as much, if not more than physical ailments. It's important to seek medical and psychological evaluations and/or treatment if you are unable to work as a result of these conditions. The Social Security Administration and Administrative Law Judge will be reviewing your medical records to determine whether you are eligible for benefits.

Social Security Disability (SSD)

You may have worked hard all your life and paid into Social Security believing that if you were ever injured or suffered from a severe illness that you would be taken care of out of the Social Security premiums that you and your employer paid to the Government. Regrettably, a large majority of disability claims, regardless of their merit, are denied the first time. Don't get discouraged though, many of the clients previously denied Social Security Disability benefits will later be awarded those benefits. To be awarded benefits, the administration or Administrative Law Judge must find that you will be disabled for at least one year. If you're denied benefits, it's important to contact an attorney and discuss your case. If you wait too long after becoming disabled to file a claim or fail to file the correct paperwork, you may lose some if not all your Social Security Disability benefits.

Michelle Johnson from the Johnson Law Office is a trained Registered Nurse with over 20 years combined medical legal experience. She understands your physical and mental illnesses and resulting disabilities. Michelle is a member of the largest organization of Social Security Attorneys, The National Organization of Social Security Claims Representatives (NOSSCR). It's important to understand that only Licensed Attorneys can appear in court if your case goes to Federal Court. Social Security Disability benefits are available to you regardless of your assets or your spouse's income.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

Supplemental Security Income or SSI is available to disabled citizens if they haven't worked a sufficient number of quarters in the past ten years to qualify for SSD. SSI is also available to those who have never worked at all as long as they are found to be disabled. When the Social Security Department determines whether you are eligible for SSI, they look at the incomes of both you and your spouse. Accordingly, the SSI award may be much less than what is available for some recipients of SSD ,or you may not qualify as a result of your spouse's income. Some disabled West Virginians may also receive a combination of SSI and SSD benefits, depending upon their situations.

Family Law and Divorce

NEED A WEST VIRGINIA DIVORCE ATTORNEY ? MARRIAGE DISSOLUTION ?

At the Johnson Law Office we know that your divorce involves much more than simply pulling up stakes on your marriage. We practice family and divorce law with compassion for your emotional needs. We turn that compassion and empathy into aggressive, tenacious representation of you and protection of your rights.

We know that you may be facing child support, property, and financial considerations that will carry long-term consequences for everyone involved. Will you be able to survive on your income alone? Will you still get a legal say in your children's upbringing? Will you be able to afford rent after paying child and spousal support? The Johnson Law office can help answer those questions.

When you need an aggressive divorce and child custody attorney who cares about how your final settlement will affect your future, contact the Johnson Law Office.

We help with:

• Divorce and child custody
• legal separation
• separation agreements
• dissolution
• alimony, spousal maintenance
• support guidelines
• orders of protection
• modifications

Contract Cases

Defective construction, health and disability insurance litigation, bad faith insurance claims, multiple insurance issues, erisa claims, negligent burial, ownership disputes over real property employment disputes and sexual harassment. Corporate Law, represented businesses in litigation and advertising negligence, collections, bankruptcy, wills, and powers of attorney. Criminal defense, dui's, domestic violence , abuse and neglect and divorce. Assisted with defense of physician complaints to the board of medicine and issues regarding the National Practitioner Data Bank.

In many of life's unexpected glitches, hiring an attorney can make all the difference in the world between a tragedy and a positive outcome. Call or email the Johnson Law Office for more information on how we can help. We are a small town West Virginia general law practice, committed to providing our clients with nothing less than "The Best Law in the Valley". We are dedicated to providing quality, "big city" legal services in a friendly, "small town" way, for individuals and businesses in Southern West Virginia.

The Johnson Law office can help you get the outcome that you deserve.