From the Desk Of: Scott M. Tilley, Esq. Managing Attorney, San Bernardino Certified Specialist, Workers' Compensation Law, The State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization
I recently had a trial at the Riverside WCAB. The applicant was without transportation and was coming in from Compton, California. During the morning session, the applicant's attorney told me the applicant would be taking public transportation including a bus and the MetroLink train. The applicant's estimated time of arrival was 1:00 PM. The trial had been set for 8:30 AM. The parties had some distance between the demand for settlement and the offer. My client had a good case and was sticking to their offer amount. There was an attempt by the judge to have the parties split the difference but we said no thank you.
Over the course of the morning, the applicant was in contact with her client. By the time the applicant's train was arriving in Riverside, it became apparent that if we were to go forward we would need at least one more day of trial. The applicant was dismayed that she might have to take this journey again and she finally agreed to settle on our offer amount. Nothing like a long train ride to make an applicant reasonable! It was still hot in Riverside and the idea of the applicant walking over a mile from the train station to the Board seemed a bit much. I quickly drafted the settlement documents and drove the applicant attorney to the train station so that her client could review and sign the settlement documents. Once we have the signed settlement documents, the applicant jumped on the train back home and the applicant attorney and I returned to the Board.
This is the first time I gave an applicant attorney a ride to a train station so that her client could sign settlement documents. However, it has always been the policy of Parker & Irwin to go the extra mile to achieve a closed file for our clients. When the applicant's attorney and I returned back to the Board, the judge for the trial was impressed by our efforts. He quipped "you two took the train to Settlement Town." All in a day's work, Judge.