Jason D. Lazarus, J.D., LL.M., CSSC, MSCC If you are confused by the myriad of government benefit programs that many clients receive as a result of being a personal injury victim, don’t worry as you are not alone.  Most times personal injury victims are not sure either about the benefits they receive and can confuse…

B. Josh Pettingill The feeling can be overwhelming for any claimant who receives a large windfall of settlement money, but more so for an unbanked, undocumented worker who is unfamiliar with common banking laws in the United States. There is a large contingent of undocumented workers living in the US, most notably from Mexico and…

In this two-part article, we are discussing the most common types of mass tort cases. By design, mass tort cases help trial attorneys consolidate the best interest of several people (claimants) who suffered damages into a civil action against the entity that caused this occurrence (the defendant). Because this is an extremely tedious and time-consuming…

For catastrophically injured clients, cash requirements which are immediate, as well as those in the future, need to be considered when devising the settlement plan.  This is so because without taking it into account, many settlement plans are devised with insufficient liquid assets to properly address the needs without significant market losses.  Investopedia defines liquidity…

What happens when someone suffers a serious or catastrophic personal physical injury causing permanent disability? Do they get the proper counseling regarding the form of the settlement so as to protect their current assets, preserve public benefits and safeguard the physical injury recovery? Will the recovery be sufficient to pay for all of the victim’s…

By Anthony F. Prieto, Jr., CFP® I consider myself to be a very fortunate person. I have a supportive family and friends. I have a job that allows me to meet, and more importantly help, great people who are in need on a daily basis. I was recently asked what is Synergy and what do…

By Jason D. Lazarus, J.D., LL.M., MSCC, CSSC Attorneys and clients alike get very confused about which governmental benefits are involved in a case as a result of the accident related disability.  The acronyms for the programs are similar and governed by the same or similar government agencies.  For example, a disabled client might get…

An update on Meaghan | It has been  two years since we first told you Meaghan’s story. Her big question was “How am I going to deal with my finances for the rest of my life?” Meaghan’s question is one that plagues many injury victims at settlement. She was facing extraordinary liens, potential loss of public benefits and…

By Jason D. Lazarus, J.D., LL.M., MSCC, CSSC In the confusing landscape of public benefits and planning issues that arise today for trial lawyers, finding your way can be a daunting task.  Should the client seek Social Security Disability (“SSDI”) benefits and become Medicare eligible?  Doesn’t that trigger the need for a Medicare Set Aside? …

» Synergy FAQ – Understanding Settlement Planning Options & Public Benefit…

Synergy creates holistic settlement plans that meet our client’s needs while presenting the least possible amount of risk. We work tireless for our clients, helping attorneys and their seriously injured clients to plan for their post settlement future by attending mediations and helping navigate through the complexities that arise at settlement. The majority of financial…

An update on Meaghan | It has been  two years since we first told you Meaghan’s story. Her big question was “How am I going to deal with my finances for the rest of my life?” Meaghan’s question is one that plagues many injury victims at settlement. She was facing extraordinary liens, potential loss of public benefits and…

Given the potential importance and impact on tort litigation, the Affordable Care Act implementation is an important subject.  Here is a good overview piece from a Synergy client.  To view click HERE

Stories like this are exactly what we try to prevent with our settlement planning services.  It is a tragedy that this little girl wasn’t protected by those that should have been looking after her. Of course there are circumstances where everything is done right and things like this still happen, but proper planning for those who…

As has been well publicized, it was revealed last week on healthcare.gov that fewer than 27,000 people signed up for private health insurance last month in the 36 states relying on a problem-filled federal website.  States running their own enrollment systems signed up more than 79,000, for a total enrollment of just over 100,000. 

Even more concerning then the technological challenges with the system, is whether consumers have the necessary knowledge of health insurance to be making these decisions by January 1, 2014.  According to poll results released in August 2013 by the American Institute of CPAs, more than half of Americans are not equipped with the rudimentary knowledge of health insurance concepts and definitions to understand the basics of health insurance plans.  Read more ….