Our mission is to rebuild lives.
Thousands of families throughout the Puget Sound area have turned to AEL during some of the toughest times in their lives. We’re not here just to get them a quick settlement and move on to the next case. Instead, we take pride in the way we partner with our clients to get them the best possible medical care and move forward with their lives.
Here’s what many of our former clients have said about their experience with AEL.
Disability Denial Testimonials
Aaron G. has been suffering through back pain for a majority of his adult life from an injury he sustained in the United States Army and an automobile accident. After 31 years working for the same employer, Aaron reached a point where he was unable to return to work due to pain, so he applied for long term disability. Even though his company was behind him, the insurance company denied his claim. AEL helped him through the legal process to win his long-term disability case.
Aaron G. – Disability Denial
After being employed by the same company for many years, Don lost the ability to do his job due the onset of Multiple Sclerosis. Once his MS affected his system to the stage where he could no longer work, Don applied for disability and was denied coverage by the insurance company. Following the insurance denial, Don contacted AEL who convinced the insurance company to pay the disability benefits he was due.
Don – Multiple Sclerosis Disability Denial
Reidun Harjo and her husband were driving when a tractor collided with their car, throwing them off the road and into a ditch. Only moments after the impact, Reidun’s husband drew his last breaths and passed away in the seat next to her. Later that night at the hospital, Reidun was examined and found to have sustained a concussion and severe head trauma. Following the accident, she suffered extensive memory loss and was unable to read for a period of time. After talking her situation over with a friend, Reidun decided she could not handle her brain injury case on her own.
Reidun met with the AEL team to seek monetary damages for the pain and suffering her accident had caused her. Eventually, Reidun and her team decided to settle her case outside of court to avoid stressful and costly litigation.
Regarding her experience working with AEL, Reidun recalled the following: “My lawyer team [was] just the most amazing, compassionate people that you could ever work with. All of AEL and all his [Mike’s] staff, they’re just precious people; I just loved them all. We became like family. I am so blessed and my life is so different because of them. I’m so eternally grateful to Mike and his team.”
Reidun Harjo – Automobile Accident and Brain Injury/Death
Traumatic Brain Injury Case Testimonials
Adrien Gault suffered traumatic brain injury at the age of 17 while playing high school football. Adrien suffered a concussion but was returned to play football without receiving appropriate medical clearance. During the game, Adrien took a seemingly typical hit and collapsed on the field. He developed Second Impact Syndrome and was compelled to undergo a life-saving craniotomy. Adrien’s severe brain injury and Second Impact Syndrome occurred because he was not appropriately monitored and required to obtain medical clearance before returning to play after his first concussion. Hear more about his story and how AEL Law helped him.
Adrien Gault – Football Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury
Because Michaela Dennehy began playing on her high school soccer team after the regular season began, she was never given the necessary paperwork and medical forms to fill out. Without the information found in these forms, Michaela was unaware of the common signs and symptoms of sports-related concussions. Michaela suffered a concussion during a Friday night practice and was told to simply rest up and take it easy by her coach. Unaware of the severity of her head injury, Michaela played in a soccer game the following Friday. During this game, she was hit in the head with the ball and suffered a second concussion.
After receiving two sports-related concussions in just one week, Michaela suffered the significant and unpleasant consequences of migraines, light sensitivity, noise sensitivity, and difficulty concentrating. As a result of her brain injury, Michaela temporarily lost her ability to speak and write properly, and she was barely able to complete her senior year and graduate with passing grades. In addition, she was required to take a year off between high school and college to continue recovering.
Before Michaela and her family first met with the AEL team, they were apprehensive about working with an attorney and were unsure if a legal team could provide the compassion and empathy their case required. With the help of Fred Langer’s nursing experience and medical background, however, the Dennehys were able to work with, some of the best brain injury doctors in the area. The AEL legal team stayed with Michaela through every step of her recovery, and she now uses her experience to speak to others about preventing concussions in sports.
Michaela Dennehy – High School Soccer Concussion & Brain Injury
In 2013, West Livaudais broke his hip in a motor vehicle accident while serving with Medical Teams International overseas in Guatemala. West flew back to Portland, where his family was located, for hip surgery. He was given an epidural catheter – a needle in his spine that would control pain and allow him to participate in physical therapy to help his hip recover more quickly.
Instead, West suffered from high fevers and ascending paralysis, beginning with his toes and moving up his body. At one point, he was unable to push the call button in his hospital room. A nurse told his sister, who was with him in the room at the time, that she had to let West push the button or else he would never get better.
It turned out that West had developed an epidural abscess – an infection in his spine – which had to be drained. The surgery left him permanently paralyzed.
West’s experience was traumatic not only because his medical team mishandled his treatment and caused his paralysis, but also because they failed to communicate with him while he was in their care. He recalls that no one in the hospital told him about the abscess, the surgery, or the prognosis: that he would most likely be paralyzed for life.
West and his family didn’t know what to do next, but his brother-in-law, Jeremy, referred him to Aaron Engle, Fred Langer and the team at AEL Law.
West described his experience with AEL Law: “[Fred and Aaron] did all the work. They gave me the space that I needed to do the recovery I needed to do to become independent. And they helped me and my family process the trauma that had happened.”
Thanks to AEL’s representation and his own hard work in the recovery process, West has put his life back together. He has finished his Master’s in Public Health, gotten married, bought a home and started a nonprofit, Oregon Spinal Cord Injury Connection, where he now works full-time.
West Livaudais – Epidural Abscess Causing Paralysis
On her son’s 15th birthday, Rhonda was injured in an auto accident while driving in the rain. The collision left her with a compressed spine and two ruptured discs, and she was unable to return to her job as a software test engineer due to the damage to her arms and legs.
Rhonda had every reason to believe that she would be taken care of. After all, she had insurance. But the insurance situation quickly grew complicated. Her employer changed medical insurance companies multiple times. She retained AEL to help with her claim.
AEL calculated her long-term expenses at close to $2 million and secured her liability and uninsured/underinsured motorist compensation. However, the case didn’t end there. When an insurance company took a portion of her recovery in an ERISA subrogation claim, AEL fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Rhonda Rose – Automobile Accident and ERISA Subrogation
“We are still in shock! It’s hard to believe that this is really over! Brandon and I are so thankful for all of your hard work on our behalf. This is an enormous blessing and we know we would not be here without you. You have been a tremendous pillar of support, confidence, strength and tenaciousness seeing this case through while seeing us through the storm. You have acted as a friend, advocate and cheerleader while maintaining a professional and optimistic attitude. There are not enough things I can say to express the gratitude that Brandon and I feel for your HUGE role in our lives over the past 2 years. This is a little bitter sweet. Thank you!!! We pray that you can continue to be such a consistent blessing in the lives of your current and future clients. It has been an enormous pleasure working with you, in and out of the office.
With my respect and adoration,
Amy
Amy & Brandon – Automotive Accident and Brain Injury
Client Reviews
June, 2015 – Seven months after the accident … I was frustrated … struggled to function and communicate, and could barely write an email. Your team helped me get on a care path that got me the medical attention and support that I needed to get well. Without the peace of mind that you had my back, I can honestly say that my prospects would be bleak right now. I think anyone that has had an injury needs to have the care and support of a competent legal team, and I fully endorse AEL Law…
Mary
I just want to reiterate how much I appreciate your prevailing with the subrogation stuff. It’s still amazing to me… I want you to know that it helps reduce my anxiety, and I view it as an heroic effort, not just business as usual. I am grateful for the effort you made on my behalf.
Thanks again,
Anna
Dear Aaron,
Yes, the Hartford has provided us with a monthly check x 2 months so far, and I expect they will not try to contact me directly again. Thank you so much, Aaron, for all you have done.
Sincerely,
Debra
To the entire AEL team – I’m so very thankful to each of you for all your hard work, dedication & support – I can’t tell you how much this win means to me & my family. Enjoy!
Sue
Dear Aaron,
I wanted to “Thank You” for all the hard work you did on my case. I sooo appreciate it. I know that you read every single last page of my case and I also know that it’s also not the most important case you have. You were so amazingly prepared and so professional. No wonder Fred & John snapped you up to work with them. From teasing you about being a “2nd year” to the final minutes of the mediation, I was struck by how well you had everything – and I do mean everything – under control.
Aaron, my biggest regret is this: I wish you had come to my firm several years ago before my disability hit, because you are a lawyer I would have really enjoyed working with. You have a wonderful sense of humor, you’re prepared and professional. The best of luck to you in your career (although you really don’t need it, you are going to do very, very well.) I truly enjoyed having you as my attorney, and I want to thank you so much for the time you not only put into reading my case, but the time you took with me on the phone explaining things.
Best!
Jolyn
Mike, Aaron, & Staff
Thank you for all you have done for us and all you continue to do! You are all awesome –
Don & Karen
Hello All!
Just a quick note to let each one of you know that you are very much appreciated! Despite our short… but… sweet… relationship… I can honestly say that each one of you made a significant mark on the pages of my life story. I never anticipated having to dig so deep within myself for strength… will… courage… and trust. Historically… I have not known such fear… or felt so overwhelmed by entities I was conditioned to trust. So… through it all… you as individuals as well as a team, cautiously, accepted me as a client… and methodically, with confidence, integrity, compassion, humor lead me, directed me & finessed me as we progressed from one step to the next. Ultimately ~ our goals did change ~ and you guided me… in conclusion, to the best action for all – and for that I am so very blessed & thankful.
Krystal