A Message from Robert Hicks, Certified Civil Trial Attorney at Javerbaum Wurgaft, and member of the American Association for Justice - New Jersey chapter

Many of the lawyers at Javerbaum Wurgaft are members of the American Association for Justice, whose mission is to promote a fair and effective justice system - and to support the work of attorneys in their efforts to ensure that any person who is injured by the misconduct or negligence of others can obtain justice in America's courtrooms, even when taking on the most powerful interests.

In a December 2006 letter to the membership of the American Association for Justice, Lewis S. "Mike" Eidson, the association's current president, explained that the organization fights to ensure that every person has access to justice and can get a fair shake. He continues to say, "Our opponents - the drug and oil industries, big insurance companies and other large corporations - have spent billions of dollars over the past decades to wage an unprecedented attack on justice. Their plan is simple. They want to eliminate the only thing left holding them accountable - the civil justice system, often the last resort for many Americans. As attorneys, we work to make sure any person who is injured by the misconduct and negligence of others can get justice in the courtroom, even when taking on the most powerful interests."

At Javerbaum Wurgaft, we believe that our role as trial lawyers supports our philosophy that every person is entitled to protection and redress for injury. Sometimes trial lawyers are criticized for their role in the justice system, but the truth is that while the big companies dislike the lawsuits against their products, devices and workplaces, when a person has suffered an injury, the court system is the place to go for resolution. We of course want to obtain financial reimbursement for injuries and other violations, but we also want to push defendant-companies or individuals to do their jobs better: to create safer products, to uphold the standards of workplace and environmental safety, to provide quality healthcare. As trial lawyers, we ensure that people have access to our civil justice system, and knowing that many families cannot afford to take on the risk of fighting for their rights, we use our resources to take their cases to court.

Often the defendants can be intimidating to a victim; our role is to support the victim and seek recourse in an ethical way, using the court system to resolve the dispute. Everyone has the constitutional right to a trial by jury. Wrongdoers should be held accountable.

The criticism against trial lawyers comes primarily from the well-funded and well-organized companies and organizations whose only goal is to increase their own profits. The fact is that anyone injured by the negligence or misconduct of someone else has the right to use the court system. As members of the community of trial lawyers, we are proud to assist our clients and seek justice, and to push companies to be accountable for their wrongdoing.