Originally from Brooklyn, New York, I came to Sacramento after 4 years in the U.S. Air Force, including combat service in Southeast Asia.
My time in the military and especially my youth in the streets of New York has taught me much about dealing with difficult situations. I am grateful for that education and I employ it to help my clients.
I wasn't born with a silver spoon and relate well to others who worked their way up.
My practice is devoted solely to Personal Injury and Wrongful Death cases on behalf of injured persons. I have never nor will I ever represent insurance companies.
I've experienced several near death experiences myself and believes an injury or an illness can enable someone to focus on the deeper meaning in their lives.
My passion is to help my client's achieve the maximum fair settlement from the at fault party and to explore
the physical, emotional and psychological effects of their injuries. Those injuries rarely affect just the injured person.
Their spouses, significant others and children are also adversely impacted.
For years I appeared on the Award Winning TV show, ASK A LAWYER.
I'm the author of several legal articles, including "Top 20 Internet Sites for Attorneys" as well as the Amazon Kindle Books below.
-The Ultimate California Auto Accident Handbook.
-The California Motorcycle accident handbook.
I'm a frequent lecturer at legal seminars on the impact of the Internet and On-Line Services on the practice of Personal Injury Law
When I'm not in court, I enjoy reading, traveling, scuba diving, art, music and gardening.
I like to spend time with my son and daughter in law, Brant and Sheila Smith as well as with my grandson, Mason.
I am active in the Aspire Foundation in Sacramento, an organization devoted to helping people live their lives with passion.
I am also a sponsor for the Sacramento Blues Society. I love the blues and put on 4 concerts a year. All clients and friends are invited.
- University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law
- J.D. (1982) | Law
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- University of California - Davis
- B.A. | Political Science
- Honors: Magna Cum Laude
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- Founder
- Edward A Smith Law Offices
- - Current
- How to Determine Whether You Need to Pay a Medical Lien or Reimbursement on Your Accident
- Self
- The Attorney's Guide to Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Legal Guide
- The Ultimate California Auto Accident Handbook
- Legal Guide
- Hiring and Training Paralegals, Sacramento, ca
- St. Mary's College
- Workshop training personal injury paralegals in the intricacies of day to day practice.
- Best practices in Managing Chronic Disease and Trauma
- INstitute for Brain Potential
- The Brain injury case: What the trial lawyer needs to know
- Brain Injury Association
- Certificate of Accomplishment 2016
- Capital City Trial Lawyers
- 10.0 Rating
- Avvo
- Member
- Million Dollar Forum
- Lawyers in the US who have Multiple Million Dollar Awards or Settlements
- National Association of Distinguished Counsel
- Top 1%
- Attorney's in the top 1% of personal injury lawyers nationally in terms of verdicts, settlements and reputation.
- Sacramento Top Lawyers
- Sacramento Magazine
- Litigator Award
- Trial Lawyers Board of Regents
- California State Bar # 105263
- Member
- Current
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- Sacramento County Bar Association
- Member
- Current
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- Consumer Attorney's of California
- Member
- Current
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- Capital City Trial Lawyers Association
- Member
- Current
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- American Trial Lawyers Association
- Member
- Current
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- San Francisco Trial Lawyer's Association
- Member
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- Los Angeles Trial Lawyer's Association
- Member
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- California
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Free Consultation
See us in our office, or, if you cannot travel, we'll either come to you or Uber you here. Never a charge for initial consultation. -
Contingent Fees
29% Attorney fees for cases settled without litigation. -
Rates, Retainers and Additional Information
If you have have very high medical bills and the other insurance has a relatively minimal policy, we will work with you.
- Personal Injury
- Animal & Dog Bites, Brain Injury, Car Accidents, Construction Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Premises Liability, Truck Accidents, Wrongful Death
- Products Liability
- Drugs & Medical Devices, Motor Vehicle Defects, Toxic Torts
- Car Accidents
- Auto Accidents
- Chinese: Spoken
- English: Spoken, Written
- Greek: Spoken, Written
- Hmong: Spoken
- Russian: Spoken
- Serbian: Spoken, Written
- Serbo-Croatian: Spoken, Written
- Spanish: Spoken, Written
- Ukrainian: Spoken, Written
- Q. Adjuster want to pay separately for my compensation $2000 and medicals up to reasonable amount directly to provider.
- A: The adjuster is trying to bully you. There is no law requiring an insurance carrier to pay medical providers separately from you, the person injured. Insist that he pay you directly. If he refuses you can file suit yourself against the insured or hire an attorney to do so.
- Q. If I was injured during work, is my only choice for compensation Workers comp? Why couldn't I get a private attorney?
- A: I'm a little bit unclear about what you mean by “employer ignored your constant requests for help". However As a personal injury lawyer and workers compensation attorney, I would advise that your best recourse for compensation at this point would be to pursue a workers' compensation claim against your employer. Workers' compensation is a system that provides benefits to workers who have been injured or become ill as a result of their work, regardless of fault. A workers compensation attorney who is very experienced should help you get help you need immediately. Although it may be frustrating that your employer ignored your requests for help and that you feel your employer is at fault for your injuries, the workers' compensation system is designed to provide a streamlined process for injured workers to receive benefits without having to go through a lengthy legal battle to prove fault. In some cases, it may be possible to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer if they engaged in intentional or egregious behavior that led to your injuries. However, these cases can be difficult to prove and can take a long time to resolve. In addition, workers' compensation benefits are typically available more quickly than in a personal injury lawsuit. Often, you can pursue both claims simultaneously. I would advise that you speak with a workers' compensation attorney who can evaluate your case and help you navigate the claims process. They may be able to help you get the benefits you need to cover your medical expenses and lost wages.
- Q. Should you agree to release liability limits?
- A: There is little or no downside to revealing insurance policy limits. Most times it will keep the insured out of litigation and a long drawn out fight. If they file a lawsuit, they can find out almost immediately. So if you do not want to be drawn into a lawsuit give permission to reveal no matter how inflated you feel their demand is.
How To Really Choose a Personal Injury Lawyer