I get asked the question all the time; “what do you like about representing accident victims?” Or sometimes, it’s phrased less delicately, as: “Aren’t you ambulance chasers driving up insurance premiums?!” Let me give you a little background. My name is Jim Holland, Jr. I am a second-generation trial lawyer and fifth generation Washingtonian. I grew up in blue-collar Vancouver, attended public high-school and lived in a modest home. I played sports, hunted, fished and learned the value of hard work from my father and through summers spent landscaping and working in rock pits. I graduated with good grades and a degree in business from the University of Washington. I then spent a year studying liberal arts at Oxford University in England where I played rugby and rowed crew. I attended law school on scholarship at Willamette University College of Law in Salem, Oregon.
During my third year of law school something was very wrong. I couldn’t eat, had terrible night sweats and hip pain that was unbearable. I began losing weight. Months went by and my family and doctors feared for my life. Finally, I went to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota where I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease and Ankylosing Spondylitis – two incurable autoimmune disorders. Fortunately a new miracle drug promised to save my life. My insurance denied it and the expense spelled a death sentence. My world was shattered. A brilliant career, a family, you name it gone.
I dug in and we went to war with the insurance company. Eventually, we prevailed and I received the life-saving treatment that allowed me to resume a relatively normal life. I went on to graduate in the top third of my class (despite taking my final exams in bed) and got a job at the prestigious law firm Perkins Coie. From there I went on to devote several years to serving the public as a King County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. Finally I returned to my calling in representing the injured, the weak and the vulnerable. People whose lives have been completely shattered, upended and who are terrified of an uncertain future without the ability to provide for their families or having lost a loved one.
At Holland Law Group we are committed to helping put our clients in touch with the best resources they need to deal with life after an injury or death in the family. Wage loss, mounting medical and household bills, uncertainty about the future, not knowing what to do next, it’s exhausting and overwhelming. My mission in life is to bring my personal experience and training to outline a legal and life plan to cope with the cards that have been dealt and bring hope to families at their lowest point. We are passionate about finding truth and holding those at fault accountable. Beyond this only lawyers who have walked in the shoes of the injured know that it takes a team to move through the stages of grief and shock into a survivor’s mentality. Our firm strives to get to know you on a personal level, you goals your fears your worries all are taken into account as we prepare a game plan for life after injury.
At the end of this process our clients often become longtime friends. We seek to obtain the resources they need to thrive in the face of often insurmountable odds and unimaginable tragedy. Progress can be slow but by connecting our clients with the best medical professionals in the area, getting them the counseling they may need and laying out a pragmatic plan for the whole family to deal with the new financial situation we can go about our job of giving people a voice against powerful insurance companies.
I am Jim Holland, Jr., I have walked in many of your shoes and you will get my absolute dedication to excellence and a sympathetic ear to your situation. While you have many options in this field, I find this profession to be the highest calling to those often experiencing the lowest moments in life. You will always get straight, candid, common-sense advice from all of my team and we usually get the same from our clients.
I look forward to seeing how I might be able to help continue to earn the privilege of representing the injured or those who have lost loved ones. Please don’t hesitate to call me directly.