Melissa D Carter

My husband, son, and I were rear-ended in my Camry last Halloween (2014). I called 911 before I got out of our car and within a few days, all of us had been medically checked, with both adults suffering damage to our necks. It was clear to me even though I've never been in an accident before that it ...was relatively serious and I had no idea how to proceed. The other driver was a 19-year old from Oregon driving a borrowed $90,000 car... that also made me nervous that it might be hard to deal with them. A friend recalled an accident 20 years ago (!!) and she had great things to say about Adler Giersch, so I called them. From the very first phone call (answered by a real person, with knowledge and genuine concern) through today, everyone at the firm has been great. We were assigned to Melissa Carter, who specializes in the kinds of injuries we had, and she gave me good advice from our very first conversation. She helped me immensely, even before I decided to hire her because of complications caused by an uninsured driver and the significant medical expenses I was facing for needed neck surgery (C6-C7 ACDF March 02, 2015, a complete success). I never felt like she was in it for the money. Melissa called and checked on me when she knew I had significant doctor appointments and I felt genuinely cared about, which mattered to me a great deal; I've had medical procedures before but nothing with my spine, and I was really scared about permanent disability and all the ramifications of my injuries. She also always took the time to explain all the possible options, with her experience leading her to recommend a path that was likely to lead to the best outcome. When I emailed her at night or even on the weekend to provide a detail, she responded quickly... she was always "on" and immediately responded to my questions. Awesome! Melissa and Rachael worked hard to get my settlement quickly, which meant that I got to keep a lot more of what little money there was to get. They made sure that the medical bills were sorted out and paid bills before they got any money from the involved insurance companies, meaning that nothing went to collections. She also has helped my husband, whose case is simpler and probably doesn't require representation. I hope to never need Melissa's help again :-) but if I do, I will call Adler Giersch without hesitation.

I was referred to Melissa and Richard by a friend, and I will always remember my first conversation with them. They were so friendly and comfortable to talk to, and they immediately guided me on the steps it would take to clean up the mess that had been created after my accident. I have never been i...n an accident before, nor have I never had to hire an attorney before so this whole process was foreign to me. I was so overwhelmed dealing with the insurance company, and I felt I was at a loss with my treatment from the accident I was in. Melissa kindly took me under her wing and supported and fought for me for 4 years. She was there through some of the toughest moments in my life, and I cannot thank her enough. If I had any concerns or questions she was easy to contact, and I felt I could be completely honest with her. I will forever be grateful for the amazing work she did for me.

After being involved in a car accident, I was becoming increasing stressed about the cost and tried to handle negotiations myself while trying to care for my injuries. Not a good idea! Thankfully, a friend recommended Melissa's office. Melissa was very confident, professional and accurate. She m...ade the transition fluid and stress free. I really feel the settlement she helped me to reach was the maximum I could get in the situation. She had a very good grasp on how high the other side would go and kept me on path. Her office communicated with all of my healthcare providers professionally and respectfully and made sure their claims were paid as soon as possible. It took a huge weight off my shoulders to have Melissa and her team handle my case. I hope I never need another lawyer, but, if I do, Melissa was very good!

A year after the car I was driving was hit on the driver’s side by a driver that ran a red light while using his cell phone, I was told by many physicians and friends that I needed to hire an attorney. Though I was reluctant, because I really didn’t want this case to get “complicated” (I naively thou...ght that because the “other guy” was entirely at fault there would not be an issue with his insurance company paying my medical bills.), I finally called Adler and Giersch for help. I am so grateful that I did. I have never regretted that decision for a moment. Melissa Carter took over my case part way through the process and immediately made me feel that I was in good hands. She is a good listener, intelligent, insightful, attentive to details, compassionate and a wonderful conversationalist. I felt at ease with her from the beginning, because she is a great combination of self-assured and knowledgeable, but is also warm and accessible. If I had questions, Melissa answered them patiently and immediately. I felt very well informed through the entire process. I sustained several injuries that took me to many medical specialists for help in my healing. Melissa made appointments with most all of my doctors to interview them about the details of my injuries and their suggestions for my recovery. I saw the follow-up letters and notes she wrote after those interviews. They were clear, to the point, and powerfully supported with evidence. I know, at the end of the negotiations with the “other side’s” insurance company, they complimented her on how utterly thorough she was in her reports. Because I was, of course, so intimately involved with my own healing and the details of my case, every time I read her reports, I expected to find something to add, but I never did (and I am a very detail oriented person). All of this work took a tremendous amount of time and dedication. Karla Keele the Paralegal that worked on my case was amazing in her organization of all of the details of my case--keeping track of medical bills, dates, names and critical correspondence. She must be on line 24/7, because if I had a question for her, she answered nearly immediately every time. I appreciated her professional ism and attentiveness. In the end, I had a great outcome to my case. I would suggest Adler Giersch and Melissa Carter to anyone dealing with a person injury case. This is a truly remarkable team of well informed, powerful people and community-oriented attorneys.

Melissa Carter took over my daughter's case after 4 years of going around and around with the insurance companies. She had a clear view of the case and was determined to see it through to a satisfactory end for my daughter, which she did in a matter of a few short months. Before Melissa took over ...the case was going nowhere. I felt confident from the moment I met her that she could get "the job done". She has a very caring attitude, personable and competent. Melissa always kept us informed as to where the case stood, where it was going, our ultimate goals. She is everything I would ever look for in an attorney and I just wish that all attorney's were like her.