Scott Duquin from The Carey Firm Discusses the Changes in How Law is Practiced in 2020
The team at Case Engine, a public relations and digital marketing company for lawyers, sat down with Scott Duquin, from The Carey Firm, to learn how he and his firm have changed how they practice law during a time of social distancing, in 2020. Like many attorneys, Duquin and his team have had to make significant changes to the way they practice law and learn to adapt to important social distancing practices that ensure both client and staff safety.
When Cases are at a Standstill
Scott Duquin, from The Carey Firm, primarily focuses on working as a plaintiff personal injury attorney, in addition to handling medical malpractice cases. In 2020, due to social distancing protocols, The Carey Firm has learned how to handle cases differently.
Because of the pandemic, many cases have been put on hold. For many, such as attorney Scott Duquin, this meant changing up their strategy and waiting patiently for courts to reopen their doors. When Case Engine asked Duquin what were the major changes he encountered in 2020 he stated “No trials. When you are a trial attorney and a plaintiff’s attorney, an adjourned trial is generally a bad thing. Unless you are requesting it. It just gets kicked down the road.
It always does not necessarily mean “I won’t settle a case before it’s on the courthouse steps”. Someone may have it valued. The people who are affected most are the plaintiffs and plaintiff’s attorneys. He stated that trial attorneys were not needed at his previous firm due to the courts being closed down. Duquin mentioned that being in New York during the pandemic really took a toll on trial attorneys.
Courts are Beginning to Open Their Doors
He states that New York is slowly opening the courts, but with the state’s population density, it was really hard for attorneys to proceed with cases because of the policies they implemented.
When asked if companies have been settling more on the insurance side due to the courts being closed, Duquin explained “I think that what they’re willing to offer has actually gone down a little bit, and I don’t have a metric to support that. Initially, in March, once all the trials started to get adjourned, I looked at my inventory of cases and I worked hard on ones to try and get them settled. But I think because of different stages in the litigation, they just weren’t willing to pay as much as they would have the year before. I’m not saying it’s a huge amount. It might be 5%, 10%, 15% less, and in part, it depends on the defense attorney. Some defense attorneys might want to resolve a claim as quickly as they can, because they believe that’s going to get them more business from the insurance company.”
Duquin also noted that video conferencing has been heavily relied upon for depositions and the handling of cases in general. This is something that many courts, lawyers, and clients have also taken advantage of, as it allows for safer social distancing practices and also allows cases to move forward. Because the firm has done a stellar job in terms of focusing on case progress and meeting with client’s to discuss the status of cases, the team at The Carey Firm have managed to push through these challenging times, with a focus that remains on obtaining the best settlement possible for their clients.
Contact The Carey Law Firm
Duquin, and the other attorneys at The Carey Firm remain dedicated to working closely with their clients and adjusting to the many changes that have taken place this year, whether it’s a matter of handling cases out of court, attending depositions via video conferencing programs, or staying on top of client outreach and communication. To learn more about the firm or to meet with one of the attorneys to discuss a case, the team can be reached directly by phone, or interested parties can fill out an online contact form found on the firm’s website.
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