Who Works on Your Case at West Injury Law

Short answer: At West Injury Law, an attorney reviews every case at intake and approves every demand and every settlement recommendation. Our paralegal and staff gather records, track bills and keep you updated at least monthly. Once you sign, we handle all communication with the insurance companies, and every client can reach someone who speaks Spanish.

Why "who works on my case" is a fair question

Injury cases are team work at every firm. Records have to be requested and chased, bills have to be matched to treatment, and adjusters have to be answered. None of that should be hidden from you. What you deserve to know is which decisions a lawyer makes, which tasks staff handle, and who to contact for what. This page lays that out for our firm.

The attorney: review at the start, approval at the key points

West Injury Law is a small Draper firm started by Christian West, a Utah personal injury attorney. His bio describes a practice centered on motor vehicle accidents, premises liability and other negligence claims, including negotiating medical liens so more of a settlement reaches the client.

Attorney involvement at our firm is built into three checkpoints:

• Intake. An attorney reviews every case before we accept it. That review looks at fault, insurance coverage, deadlines and anything unusual, such as a government vehicle or a work-related injury.
• The demand. An attorney approves every demand before it goes to an insurer. The demand is the case on paper, and it is not sent until a lawyer has signed off on it.
• Settlement. An attorney approves every settlement before it is recommended to you. Under Utah RPC 1.2(a), the decision whether to settle is yours. Our job is to make sure the recommendation behind it has been reviewed by a lawyer.

Between those points, attorney judgment is applied whenever the case needs it: when liability is disputed, when a coverage question comes up, or when a lawsuit has to be considered. Legal advice comes from a lawyer.

Our paralegal: the voice many clients hear

Gabriela Nielsen is our paralegal. She is originally from Venezuela, a native Spanish speaker, and often the friendly, upbeat voice clients hear when they call or text. As her bio puts it, she supports clients from the first intake call through demand preparation, settlement negotiations and final resolution, coordinating with medical providers, insurance adjusters and attorneys to keep every case moving. She holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice from Utah Valley University and has hands-on experience with car accident, slip-and-fall, dog-bite and pedestrian cases.

In day-to-day terms, paralegal work on your file includes:

• Requesting medical records and itemized bills from every provider you have seen.
• Tracking what has been paid, by whom, and what is still owed.
• Keeping you updated on where things stand, including your monthly update.
• Helping assemble the materials that go into the demand for attorney review.

A paralegal does not give legal advice or decide strategy. When you ask a question that calls for a lawyer's judgment, it goes to a lawyer.

Who talks to the insurance companies

Once you sign, we do. We handle all communication with the insurance companies, including the at-fault driver's carrier and your own. If an adjuster calls you after you have hired us, you can tell them you are represented and give them our number. You do not need to explain your injuries, your treatment or the crash to them. Our article on recorded statements explains why the other side's requests should go through us, and how we handle insurance claims covers the process.

How you reach us, and how fast we respond

• Monthly updates, at minimum. Every client hears from us at least once a month, even when the update is that we are waiting.
• Callbacks within 24 hours. Usually the same day.
• Texting. We have a general text line, and team members have individual text lines.
• Spanish. Every client can reach someone who speaks Spanish.

We record our calls

We want this to be plain, not buried: our calls are recorded. Recording lets us summarize each call into your file, so nothing you tell us gets lost between people, and so the right person can act on it quickly. It is one of the ways a small team makes efficient decisions without asking you to repeat yourself. See How We Keep You Informed for the rest of our communication standards.

What we will not tell you

We will not tell you that every task on your file is done by a lawyer. That is not how any injury firm works, and pretending otherwise does not help you. What we can tell you is where a lawyer is always involved: at intake, on every demand, and on every settlement. We are a boutique firm, battle-ready, which to us means a small team that prepares every claim to be taken seriously.

What this looks like across a case

For the full timeline, see What to Expect After You Hire Us and the steps in a Utah injury case.

Common questions

Will a lawyer look at my case before you accept it?

Yes. An attorney reviews every case at intake.

Who decides whether I settle?

You do. An attorney approves the settlement recommendation, and the final decision to accept or reject is yours.

Can I speak with someone in Spanish?

Yes. Every client can reach someone at the firm who speaks Spanish. Sí, hablamos español.

What does it cost?

Our fee is one-third of the recovery, and we advance case costs, which are repaid from the recovery. You pay nothing up front, and no attorney fees unless we win. See what a Utah injury lawyer costs.

What should I ask any firm before hiring?

We put our list in Questions to Ask an Injury Lawyer Before You Sign.

Want to talk it through? Call (801) 921-5134 or reach our legal team. Free consultation. No attorney fees unless we win. Hablamos Español.