A Journey into Personal Injury
Here we speak with Martindale Hubbell AV Rated attorney James Magazine, where he shares his journey into personal injury law and how it has changed over the years.
James’ journey into law
Can you share your motivation for specialising in law?
I became a personal injury lawyer because of my desire to help people. Fighting for justice is very much like a David vs. Goliath fight, which has always spurred me on; I like fighting against the ‘big guys’.
What challenges came your way when pursuing your education in law?
Funnily enough, I was rejected by every law school I applied to. I was blessed that my godfather was a prominent attorney in Cleveland and a prominent alumnus of Cleveland Marshall and so he assisted me with my applications which thus helped me in getting into law school.
What top three qualities make a successful lawyer?
The qualities that I believe make me a successful lawyer are: my desire to win; my work ethic, and my ability to get along with people and having compassion for my clients.
Personal Injury
What has been your flagship piece of work in this field and how did you apply thought leadership to this scenario?
I think some of my flagship work has come in the area of dram shop litigation and I have been very successful in getting a number of multi-million-dollar settlements. I have been successful in this area by developing a unique way to handle and build the cases.
What is the toughest part of personal injury cases for yourself and your clients?
The toughest part about this practice is how long it takes some cases to get through the system and watching my clients suffer until we are able to bring justice to them.
How complicated can personal injury cases become?
Personal injury law can be very complicated because each case is different; they involve different injuries and different medical procedures which require you to constantly learn about a field you are not necessarily specialized in.
Does it always work to a client’s advantage to proceed to litigation in these cases? Why?
I think litigation is the best way for a client to get the most out of the case. It gives the insurance company an opportunity to meet my client, evaluate how they will present to a jury and we are able to effectively demonstrate the effects of the injuries and the impact they have on our clients’ lives. This enables us to get a better result for our clients.
How have you seen personal injury law progress over your years of practice? What have been significant changes?
The difference I have seen in personal injury law over the years is now everyone seems to practice it regardless if that is their specialty or not. So many lawyers advertise that they specialize in personal injury when they have never even tried a personal injury case. The costs to try these cases has skyrocketed over the years. I wish potential clients would do their homework on the lawyers they hire. I would always advise clients to at least pick a board certified civil trial lawyer who specializes in personal injury law.
James (Jim) Magazine, Esq.
Managing Partner
Personal Injury Attorney
727-849-5353
James (Jim) Magazine was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Jim graduated in 1986 from Baldwin Wallace College, located in Berea, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. He received his Juris Doctor from Cleveland Marshall College of Law located in Cleveland, Ohio in 1989.
Jim was licensed to practice law in the State of Florida in 1990. He is admitted to practice before the United States Middle and Southern District Courts in Florida, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
In April of 2006, Jim joined Lucas & Magazine as partner, bringing with him more than 16 years of personal injury litigation experience. Jim is a Florida Bar Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer and National Board of Trial Advocacy Civil Trial Lawyer. Jim specializes in personal injury, wrongful death, and insurance bad faith claims throughout the State of Florida.
As a Martindale Hubbell AV Rated attorney, he is often called upon by his peers to litigate claims because of his experience inside the courtroom. Jim is a member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, National Trial Lawyers, Top 100 Distinguished Counsel, Clearwater Bar Association, West Pasco Bar Association, Trial Lawyers Board of Regents 2014 and 2015 Litigator Award recipient, and 2010 – 2019 named Florida Super Lawyer. Jim was also selected in Trends Legal Elite and recognized as one of the TOP 100 Trial Lawyers in the State of Florida. In August 2017 Jim was awarded the Lifetime Achievement selection to America’s Top 100 Attorneys®.
The Law Offices of Lucas & Magazine was founded in February 2000. Since its inception, the Lucas | Magazine Law Firm has grown considerably due to the basic principles of hard work and dedication to our clients’ needs. Our top-notch staff takes pride in handling every detail of our clients. Members of our support staff are also bilingual in Spanish, Portuguese, Polish and Greek.
At Lucas | Magazine, our attorneys are dedicated to aggressively representing their clients against powerful insurance companies. The firm litigates a substantial portion of its cases and often handles the litigation work for other attorneys.
