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David A. Neely
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David A. Neely
David A. Neely, Attorney at Law
320 College Avenue
Suite 2
Beaver, PA 15009
Phone: (724) 774-5099 | Fax: (724) 774-1841
http://havewesuedsomebodyyet.com
Making the world a safer place, one person at a time.
Legal Topic
Business Law
Preferred New Clients
Persons injured in accidents of any kind. Persons who are having a dispute with their insurance company.
Sub-Categories
Business Law
- Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
- Liquor Licenses
- Breach of Contract
- Contract Disputes
- Contract Drafting & Review
- Employment Contracts
- Construction Defects
- Construction Disputes
- Bad Faith
- Casualty Insurance
- Commercial Insurance
- Directors' & Officers' Liability
- Errors & Omissions
- Insurance Malpractice
- Insurance Subrogation
- Motor Vehicle Insurance
- Property Insurance
Legal Topic
Personal Injury
Preferred New Clients
Persons injured in accidents of any kind. Persons who are having a dispute with their insurance company.
Sub-Categories
Personal Injury
- Dangerous Property
- Construction Site Injuries
- Slip & Fall
- Petrochemical Accidents
- Whiplash
- Felony Auto Accident
- Design Defects
- Manufacturing Defects
- Amputation
- Birth Injury
- Burn Injury
- Head/Brain Injury
- Paralysis
Bar Admissions
PA, May 1987
Bar Number: 48832
Other Court Admissions
Pennsylvania Supreme Court, Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, and U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Association Memberships
Beaver County Bar Association and Pennsylvania Bar Association.
Continuing Education
I attend continuing legal education classes that deal with personal injury due to auto accidents and defective products, as well as classes that deal with insurance issues.
Example Cases
I represented a man whose arm got caught in an industrial paint mixer at work. His injuries were severe. While the paint mixer was designed in the early 1960s, we were able to prove that technology existed at that time so that a guarding device should have been included in the design of the machine; however, no guard was included. The case settled for $650,000.
Education
Degree:
Juris Doctor
School:
Duquesne University School of Law
City:
Pittsburgh
State:
PA
Year:
1987
Degree:
Bachelor of Arts
School:
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
City:
Indiana
State:
PA
Year:
1983
Honors:
Dean's List and Pi Gamma Mu Honor Society.
Focus and Accomplishments:
Political Science
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
Pennsylvania and West Virginia (inactive status).
Firm Focus and History
For thirteen years, I represented insurance companies. After seeing how they treated injured persons and tried to find ways to deny coverage instead of paying legitimate claims, I decided that I wanted to help people who have been injured get the maximum they are entitled to -- not what an insurance adjustor thinks their case is worth.
After practicing for seventeen years with two different firms in Pittsburgh, I started my own practice in May of 2004 and opened my office in Beaver in October of 2005.
Previous Employment Summary
For the first fourteen years of my career I practiced with a medium-sized insurance defense firm in Pittsburgh. It was great experience because I started trying cases within a year of being there. Then I practiced with a small firm in Pittsburgh and basically ran their litigation practice.
Activities and Awards
Held public office as a Council Person in Dormont Borough for 4 years.
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
It seems to me that most people who come to me have at least a working knowledge of the law as it concerns what they are coming to see me about, and that's fine. However, I would caution people not to have any preconceived notion as to what their case is worth. Just because some lady got a million dollar verdict for spilling hot coffee on herself in New Mexico in a ridiculous lawsuit, it has no bearing on what your case is worth. Western Pennsylvania is a very conservative area as far as jury verdicts are concerned.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
I gladly review any and all documents prepared by my clients. In fact, I encourage clients to keep a log of their medical treatment and their recovery after they have been injured.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
I do not give advice to people who want to represent themselves. If they want to represent themselves that is certainly their prerogative. However, once they make that choice they are on their own.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
Funny story: While my undergraduate degree is in Political Science, it was more of a Liberal Arts degree. My dad took me out to dinner one time when I was home for the summer after my junior year. He asked what I intended to do with my "Liberal Arts" degree after I graduated. I told him that I planned on moving to Madison Avenue and getting a job writing TV commercials. Well, after he stopped laughing he suggested that I take the law school admission test. So I did, and I scored high, and the rest is history.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
This goes back to my dad again. He was very politically active in Beaver County where I grew up. Beaver County was a blue-collar, hard-working county. My dad was always looking out for the little guy, the 'Average Joe,' and I guess that rubbed off on me.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
For the same reason as set forth above. I like helping the 'Average Joe,' whether it's fighting an insurance company to get fair compensation for an injury someone sustained or fighting the insurance company because it has wrongfully denied coverage.
What do you like best about your career?
The sense of satisfaction from knowing that I have really helped someone out. However, you don't win them all, and the losses are extremely frustrating. As my first boss once told me, "Any lawyer who says that he never lost a case hasn't tried more than two or three."
Tell us about your law firm:
The only one working here is me, and I am a hardworking, dedicated lawyer who tends to all of my clients' needs.
What are your strengths and style?
I believe my strength is in communicating the facts of a case to the jury. When I was with my second firm, the lead attorney would make all of the attorneys and staff come into the conference room and listen to him rehearse his opening statement when he was getting ready for trial. How tedious. Once I was preparing for a medical malpractice trial, and this guy wanted me to come into the conference room and practice my opening statement for the staff. I said that I don't prepare, nor do I rehearse opening statements. He asked why not. I responded that if you rehearse an opening statement then when you finally give it to a jury it sounds, well, rehearsed. Plus, it generally takes about two years from the time I take on a case to the time it goes to trial. If I don't know the case well enough by that point that I have to prepare and rehearse an opening statement, shame on me.
Personal Interests:
I try to spend one hour a day working out. I think that is absolutely vital to healthy living and stress reduction.
Fax
(724) 774-1841
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Weekends by appointment.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
For cases that I take on an hourly basis I charge $150 an hour. If a new client mentions Nolo, I will give a fifteen percent discount.
Hourly Rates
$150.
Free Initial Consultation?
Yes, for one hour.
Typical Retainer
$1,500.
Nolo's Licensing Check
Attorneys have passed a licensing check. Nolo has confirmed that every member attorney has a valid license and is in good standing with the applicable bar associations upon joining the directory.
Directory lawyers are required to notify Nolo immediately if they become the subject of any disciplinary action by any bar association.
