Jessica Alderman was enjoying dinner on May 3, 2014, when she received a call for a pickup downtown. Her job as a cab driver was often hectic and time consuming, so hopping in the driver’s seat and taking off for the next destination was just part of her daily life. As she was headed with her passenger to NAS Pensacola, she approached the intersection of Barrancas and Garden Street. Suddenly, her fast-paced, busy day lurched into slow motion. A driver was running the red light at the intersection, and was headed directly for her. Jessica recalls that time slowed to a crawl and she could feel “every millisecond” before the impact. She remembers feeling shock and disbelief that this was actually happening to her.
In the aftermath of the accident, when she was in pain and had a thousand questions about what to do next, a friend told her to call Michles & Booth for help. She was paired with attorney Andre Lama and paralegal Cynthia Walsh, and from the beginning she knew she was in good hands. She found Cynthia to be easy to talk to and accessible. The two of them were able to connect on a personal level, having shared similar experiences with pain and medical treatment.
Jessica found a new sense of comfort knowing that anytime she had a question or needed guidance, all she had to do was call or send an email, and she would get her answer promptly. She says that Andre and Cynthia made her case more of a “personal experience” that went “deeper” than what she expected from a law firm. In addition to her connection with Cynthia, Jessica also found a friend in Andre Lama. He often reached out to her, calling her after doctor’s appointments just to check in with her and make sure she was doing well. She feels he treated her with courtesy and respect, showing her that he cared on a personal level as well as a professional one.
Jessica’s brother had a motorcycle accident during the course of her time with Michles & Booth, and while she was at the hospital with him, Andre just happened to call her about her case. From then on, Andre took the initiative to keep up with Jessica about her brother’s recovery. It was this personal interest in her daily struggle and well-being that struck Jessica and made a lasting impression on her. She says that everyone, from the receptionist to Marcus Michles, were always courteous and kind, and just “so wonderful” to her. “I’m really glad my friend told me to come here,” she says.
Now, two years since the accident, Jessica says things are “taking a turn for the better.” Andre Lama was able to settle her claim relatively quickly, and Jessica got the medical treatment she needed so badly, as well as a significant financial recovery, which helped her regain balance in her life. Although she still “lives on Aleve” and has been taking things “day by day,” Jessica is feeling really optimistic about where her life is now. She, her mother, and her daughter have just moved into what Jessica calls their “dream home,” overlooking a lake, and she bubbles with happiness and excitement as she talks about how much she’s enjoying the process of making it her very own.
With patience, guidance, and kindness, Andre Lama and Cynthia Walsh helped Jessica fight through a difficult experience and come out the other side with her optimism and spirit intact. She’s looking forward to a new chapter in her life and ready for adventure again.
Although the best scenario would be to never have been in an accident, Jessica says that Michles & Booth helped make her bad experience into something positive that she can look back on with satisfaction. At Michles & Booth we strive to give every client a similar experience to Jessica’s, and we look forward to helping you or someone you care about if you ever have the need for representation.
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