Ferrell

James “Jami” Ferrell, the founder of The Ferrell Law Firm, recently published a book titled “Seven Deadly Mistakes That Can Kill Your Memphis Accident Case.” A personal injury attorney, Ferrell provides first-time clients with his book, a CD about accidents in Memphis and other special reports.

Formerly an investment adviser, Ferrell made the transition into law soon after marrying. He attended the University of Mississippi School of Law and graduated in 2006. Ferrell first opened his firm in Olive Branch, and upon becoming licensed in Tennessee, moved his practice to Germantown in 2009.

Ferrell represents only seriously injured victims of car wrecks, animal attacks, workers’ compensation claims, medical malpractice, catastrophic injuries and wrongful death claims.

Ferrell is a member of the American Association for Justice, Tennessee Association for Justice, and the Memphis, DeSoto County, Tennessee and Mississippi bar associations. Ferrell practices with one associate, Christopher Johnson.

Q: What do you believe is different about The Ferrell Law Firm compared to other personal injury firms in the Memphis area?

A: My firm is different in many ways. I’m extremely selective in what type of cases I will handle. I have people call my office all the time and want to hire us for what I feel may be questionable injuries. I refuse to take these cases and tell them that they can call someone else and that they should be thankful to God that they are not more seriously injured. Secondly, I often tell people with minor injuries not to hire me and that they are sometimes capable of settling their case on their own. Sometimes, victims can end up with more money in their pocket when they settle on their own and don’t have to split the money with an attorney. But don’t get me wrong, anytime someone has more than a couple thousand dollars worth of damages, they are usually much better off in hiring an attorney to help them.

Q: Does The Ferrell Law Firm spend much money on advertising, or do you rely on obtaining clients through word of mouth or other means more?

A: I can say that I don’t spend anywhere close to what a lot of other lawyers here in Memphis spend on advertising. But in order to get our message out and to help as many people as possible, I do have a small advertising budget to work with. … Now we are at the point where word of mouth – about what we do and how we help people – has really begun to spread quickly here in the Memphis community.

Q: How does your book help new clients understand their personal injury case?

A: In the book, I give injury victims good, accurate information on how the claims process works and how to navigate among the real sharks out there – insurance adjusters. This book isn’t (just) for new clients. It’s for everyone, especially those who don’t have a lawyer and don’t know how miserable this whole process can be. I walk them through the entire claims process and show them the pitfalls to avoid, as well as give them information on how to find and choose a lawyer for their case if they feel they need to hire one.

Q: You practice with just one associate. Do you have plans to expand your firm in the future?

A: We will probably expand with another lawyer at some point in the not-too-distant future. But we also have a great relationship with another firm here in Memphis that we often work with on cases. This allows us the benefit of having additional attorneys to help us with some of our clients. I’ve found the key is to surround yourself with great people, and that’s what we do.

Q: On your Web site, you say that several other personal injury lawyers have never been in court, instead settling their cases out of court. Is this common?

A: It’s not necessarily a bad thing to settle cases out of court. In fact, the vast majority of cases are settled before going to trial. However, in order to keep insurance companies honest and to make sure you are getting the most for your client, you must be able and willing to go to trial if you can’t get a fair settlement for your client. … Insurance companies are smart. They keep a record of every attorney and law firm that they have worked with. And they know which ones are willing to go to trial and which ones simply want to settle as quickly as possible. If you are interviewing potential attorneys for your case, make sure that you find one that is willing to take your case all the way.