How I Started A $6M/Year Law Firm That Focuses On Medical Malpractices
Hello! Who are you and what business did you start?
Hi! I’m James Wood, the founder of James Wood Law. I started my law firm nearly 30 years ago.
We provide committed legal representation to individuals, children, and families who need help fighting back against corporations, insurance companies, and hospitals that place profits above the safety and health of the people they’re supposed to serve.
Our practice focuses exclusively on medical malpractice, hospital negligence, and wrongful death cases. By limiting our practice to these types of cases, we have garnered a reputation as the go-to law firm in New Mexico, capable of providing outstanding representation in those areas of the law.
Recently, we obtained a $23.8 million verdict in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
What's your backstory and how did you come up with the idea?
I’m a Double Board Certified Trial Lawyer, admitted to practice law in New Mexico and Texas. I’m Board Certified as a Civil Law Trial Specialist by the National Board of Trial Advocacy and in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.
I graduated from law school with honors in 1992 and started working for a couple of personal injury law firms. I knew early on in my career that I wanted to branch out and run my firm, so I established a PI practice in Amarillo, TX.
Take us through the process of building the first version of your product.
We started as a general personal injury law firm and represented clients in all types of PI cases, including truck wrecks, car accidents, slip and falls, product liability, and premises liability.
In 2008, I relocated the firm to New Mexico where the law is more favorable to personal injury cases. Around 2015, I switched the focus of the firm to just representing medical malpractice cases.
We do not represent corporations, insurance companies, or governmental entities, which is something my team and I take great pride in. We only represent families, children, and the elderly who are victims of medical negligence.
Since then, we have developed a real niche in this market. Medical malpractice is one of the hardest areas of law to practice because of the complexity of the medicine (it changes all the time) and how much it costs to prosecute these cases (it can cost $100K just to get started because they oftentimes have specialty doctors come in to testify, etc.)
Despite the many challenges of this practice area, our firm has cultivated special expertise and developed cutting-edge techniques to successfully handle these types of complicated cases.
Focusing on internet marketing was a good decision for us, but it was ultimately our dedication to our clients that set us apart.
Whether it's utilizing witness workshops, expert-witness roadshows, or psychodramatic workshops, we do whatever it takes to hold insurance companies and hospitals accountable when they refuse to pay legitimate claims.
Describe the process of launching the business.
When I first launched my law firm, it was a challenge. I started with just one paralegal and two less-than-impressive cases. But, I was determined to make it work.
Our first attempt at advertising was through newspaper ads, which yielded no results. That's when we realized that we needed to shift our focus to internet marketing. We started taking advantage of social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn to reach a wider audience.
We also worked on our website, making sure it was user-friendly, professional, and informative. It wasn't an overnight success, but we slowly started to gain a client base.
It's important to note, however, that simply attracting clients was not enough. The key to our success has been how we treat those clients. We hold our clients in high regard and understand that they are going through a difficult time. We are here to help, and we try our best to make their experience with our firm as comfortable as possible.
We take the time to listen to their stories and understand their unique situations. We tailor our approach to each case and give it the attention it deserves. Our clients leave our office feeling satisfied and with the knowledge that they are in good hands.
Looking back on the process of starting this firm, I've learned that there are no shortcuts to success. It takes hard work, patience, and most importantly, a genuine concern for your clients.
Focusing on internet marketing was a good decision for us, but it was ultimately our dedication to our clients that set us apart. We are thankful for their trust in us, and that trust is something we strive to earn every single day.
Since launch, what has worked to attract and retain customers?
Building a community around our business is what’s worked best to attract and retain clients. We get involved locally through sponsorships, community events, and networking with other professionals in our field.
We also work hard to engage with local media. Positioning myself as the foremost expert in my subject area and being the first in the community to offer my expertise in situations that call for them attracts clients to our firm.
For example, when a new law is passed in my community concerning medical malpractice, I want to be the first qualified attorney offering advice to my community; whether it's through content or reaching out to local media outlets.
We target the full funnel in our marketing approach: awareness, consideration, and conversion. We target awareness through social media and display ads; consideration through content marketing and reputation management, and conversion through SEM, Paid Ads, and SEO.
We seek to have a good mix of digital media, including media we own, pay for, and earn. This works because we are building Brand Awareness and Name Recognition within the community. We want to be the first law firm people think of when they need our services, bypassing our competition and coming directly to us for help.
How are you doing today and what does the future look like?
The future is looking bright for our firm! Our track record speaks volumes and gives us confidence in our abilities. In addition to the $23.8 million medical malpractice verdict we recently obtained, we've also secured several other multi-million dollar verdicts and settlements for our clients over the years.
It's amazing to see the positive impact these outcomes have on our clients' lives. They are finally able to get the medical care they need and start the healing process after enduring traumatic injuries.
Our success is no accident, though. It's the result of our team's dedication and expertise in handling complex cases. We stay up-to-date with the latest legal developments in our practice area and constantly innovate new strategies to best serve our clients.
And it shows - we have a loyal client base who are consistently referring their friends and family to us. We're humbled by their trust and truly honored to be able to help people through some of life's toughest challenges.
Looking forward, the future is bright for our firm. Our reputation is growing, and we're seeing an increase in the number of cases that come our way. But with this growth comes the responsibility to maintain the high level of service our clients have come to expect from us.
We're committed to continuing to prioritize our client's needs above all else and to do everything in our power to get them the best possible outcome in their cases. We're optimistic about what's next for our firm, and we can't wait to keep fighting for justice for our clients.
Through starting the business, have you learned anything particularly helpful or advantageous?
As a law firm owner, I've learned that it's crucial to have a solid contingency plan in place for any unexpected events. This could be anything from a major legal case that doesn't go in your favor, to a sudden loss of a key employee or a significant client. By being proactive and anticipating potential scenarios, we can create a plan that ensures business continuity and minimizes the impact of any unforeseen circumstances.
One crucial aspect of contingency planning is having strong financial management in place. This means regularly monitoring cash flow, setting realistic budgets, and ensuring that we have a financial buffer to meet any unexpected expenses.
It's also vital to have a diverse client portfolio so that we're not over-reliant on any one client or practice area. This helps to mitigate the risks associated with changing client demand or economic shifts. By implementing these strategies, we can ensure that we're always prepared for the worst, even during the best of times.
What platform/tools do you use for your business?
I use Scorpion to handle my firm’s marketing, SEO, PR, and web design. Scorpion helps us pump out new blogs about recent news, developments in the law, and important stories, as well as happenings at the firm (new cases, victories, etc..)
Scorpion’s SEO experts also develop new pages of content targeting important practice areas and topics, improve existing content to expand upon search terms, improve optimization, and even track keywords that keep us on Google’s first page.
Scorpion’s PR experts have helped to improve our firm’s branding and position me as an authority in the field through guest appearances on podcasts and interviews like this! All of this work that Scorpion does brings in cases for us every month and enables us to continuously rank well for our niche search terms.
I use Expert Institute to help us find medical experts and legal-minded physicians who can review medical records and validate the merits of cases we are working on. Expert Institute also organizes medical records into smart, digitized, hyperlinked, and searchable documents that make it much easier to review.
We also employ an in-house jury consultant and a medical consultant. These consultants conduct jury research, assess the strength of the case, evaluate and prepare witnesses, and much more.
What have been the most influential books, podcasts, or other resources?
The Trial Lawyers College Podcast is one of my go-to resources for the latest on courtroom strategy, communicating with jurors, and connecting with clients. This podcast features leading attorneys who share their business advice and discuss the issues that are affecting trial lawyers today.
Psychodramatic workshops have also been a highly effective tool for trial preparation and presentation. Participating in these has been a great experience because it has helped me become more empathetic and communicate more effectively with my clients.
Advice for other entrepreneurs who want to get started or are just starting out?
One of the best things you can do is to hire the right people who share your values and goals. When you have a team of people who believe in what you're doing, you'll be able to inspire greater productivity, creativity, and collaboration.
But building a strong team isn't enough. You also need to take care of your people. Show them that you appreciate and value their contributions, and work hard to maintain a positive work culture.
This includes being transparent about mistakes and taking responsibility for your actions. By creating a work environment where people feel respected, supported, and empowered, your employees will be more likely to stick around and work hard to help your business flourish.
Remember, happy employees will always work harder and be more productive than those who feel overworked and underappreciated. So, make sure to take care of the people who are helping you build your dream. Take care of your team and they will take care of you.
Where can we go to learn more?
If you have any questions or comments, drop a comment below!
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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