MEET APRIL
ABOUT APRIL BONIFATTO, ESQ.
Hi! I am April, a born + raised Las Vegas native! First, let me tell you who I am in detail and how that translates into my work. For some reading this, what college/law school I went to, what judge I worked for, or which awards I achieved may be important. I decided to save the “resume stuff” for the end because none of my resume line items count if I cannot be a strong backbone for you in a manner that creates respectable results. As my client, you are treated as nothing less than one of my most important family members. A “family member” who needs my firm to obtain important results during a chapter of turmoil.
To begin, I do not fit into the stereotypical lawyer box for several reasons and I am proud of it. I know lawyers generally do not have a good reputation and I can understand why. If you have this perspective, I hope to change your view during our time working together.
My Grandfather, a member of the “Greatest Generation” and U.S. Navy World War II Veteran, was, and in spirit still is, my greatest mentor. He taught me to walk around with an open, but strong heart and always treat people how I would want to be treated. He encouraged me to keep learning through formal and informal education, and to have a remarkable work ethic that never compromises integrity and honesty. These teachings are mainstays in my practice.
So, what does this mean for me as your lawyer? Communication with you, my client, is the heart of my practice. You will speak to me directly, always. I do not sign up clients and pass them off to my staff and check in every couple of months – this will never happen at my law firm. I will connect with you on a human level to understand your story and who you are as a person to be the best advocate possible. Together, we will get you through this chapter of turmoil successfully.
Your trust and loyalty are my highest priorities. I work very hard to achieve both for you. With these, I am armed with passion, energy, and creativity to intelligently pursue your case. From our consultation to the end of your case, you always receive clear and honest advice. Bending over backwards to protect you throughout the process is automatic. If a promise is made, it will be delivered. Taking on a case gets full commitment and nothing less.
“Tough as Nails,
Warm as Toast.”
What about who hurt you? Concerning the person or company we are holding responsible for the harm they caused, I will not waiver when standing up on your behalf regardless of the company or person. Big corporations and insurance companies do not frighten me. Put differently, I will never disintegrate case values or principles out of fear of who stands on the other side. During all aspects of your case, my approach with the adversary is to be pleasant, but calculated with our legal strategy, while at the same time making sure we do not agree to or compromise something unnecessarily - the “Tough as Nails, Warm as Toast” approach. I have found that cases resolve quicker and with greater value this way. If the defendant does not want to pay what is deserved, we will not hesitate to go to a jury trial on your behalf.
I have spent all of my adult life fostering relationships with mentors, judges, experts, colleagues, and doctors allowing the development of a large repository of resources for the law firm. These resources, in Nevada and nationally, benefit my clients and most challenges that present themselves.
I hope I have been able to provide you with some insight into who I am and how that reflects in your representation. If you engage my law firm, you will hire a trustworthy capable lawyer who will help carry your burdens, provide you clarity during a time of turmoil, and move relentlessly through the legal process to deliver everything you are entitled to.
ABOUT APRIL INJURY LAW
April Injury Law was founded by April Bonifatto, Esq. in 2015 to serve clients across Nevada. A Las Vegas native, April established her boutique law firm to stand up for YOU and resolve every case efficiently, fearlessly, and most importantly, compassionately. April Injury Law does not cower down to corporate giants. We fight to obtain the highest value for your case.
April Injury Law works intimately on all cases. We pride ourselves on getting to know our clients very well. We dive deeply into every case no matter the size. We strive to fully maximize results for each of our clients. To us, anything less is not acceptable.
As a boutique law firm, direct communication is the cornerstone principle of our practice. April Injury Law will be your partner throughout the entire litigation lifecycle. With a "Tough as Nails and Warm as Toast" approach, April Injury Law will never disintegrate the case value or principles out of fear of who stands on the other side. We will always maintain a warm and down-to-earth persona.
At April Injury Law, you are guaranteed a trustworthy and capable lawyer to help carry your legal burden, providing you clarity through the chaos while relentlessly fighting for your case.
To date, April Injury Law has prevailed in and successfully resolved matters against some of the largest corporations on a national and international level. A few corporations include STIHL Incorporated, Caesars Entertainment, Inc., and Tropicana Las Vegas. April Injury Law has obtained several 7-figure settlements in pre-litigation and while preparing for trial. With a small, but mighty team, April Injury Law runs towards bully corporations/defendants and prepares every case from day one as if it were going to trial ~ no stone goes unturned, no leaf is left unfolded.
April's door is always open! She welcomes new clients, referrals, and inquiries.
Admitted: State Bar of Nevada; U.S. District Court of Nevada; and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, District of NV.
Judge Clerkships: April worked as a civil and criminal law clerk for the Honorable Elaine Streger, Superior Court of California, County of Orange in Southern California.
Notable Cases: Estate of Blakely v. Eighth Judicial Dist. Court , No. 73267 (Nev. App. Jun. 20, 2018)
Other Licenses: CA Real Estate Lic.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How we do things differently … We do everything differently. We do not follow old modules, we have a modern approach to law, structuring the case, and presenting the case.
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YES - ALWAYS.
That is the only way I work. Each of my clients gets attention because my firm only maintains a small number of cases to enable more personal attention and interaction with me, your lawyer. Every client is also provided with my cell phone number. I understand that sometimes a client needs immediate access and answers to questions when they are going through a challenging time.
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ALWAYS BE GUARDED UNTIL YOU CONSULT OR HIRE A LAWYER.
You should never speak to the defendant or their insurance company (if one is involved) until you consult with a lawyer. It may feel uncomfortable, but it is for your protection. If you are even thinking of hiring a lawyer, wait to communicate with insurance companies or risk managers until you speak to a lawyer. Never give a recorded statement to any insurance company if you are thinking about hiring a lawyer – insurance companies, even your own, may use this statement against you to later minimize your injuries. You are always allowed to freely speak to your treating doctors about your injuries, pain, and limitations.
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NO. IT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA IF YOU PLAN ON HIRING A LAWYER OR ARE NOT SURE YET.
Insurance companies do not have your best interest at heart, not even your own insurance company. Insurance companies know that many people who have been injured have not hired a lawyer within a day or two of an incident and oftentimes they will call you within that period to get information from you while you are not being protected by a lawyer. The insurance companies do this on purpose to potentially use the information against you later – you may wonder how they use this information against you if the incident was someone else’s fault. One way is that they will ask you about your injuries and how you feel only to use those words against you later to get you to discount your settlement.
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NO!
The only reason an insurance company wants to take your recorded statement is to find a reason to deny your claim or disintegrate your injuries. Even an innocent comment or a small detail may be used against you in the future regardless of whether you were not at fault.
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If you read April’s bio, you will see in more detail, why. In short, we provide very personal, detailed legal representation. If you want a personal touch and direct access to your lawyer, then we may be a good fit for you. Our law firm is nimble with a lot of experience in both pre-litigation (no lawsuit) matters and litigation matters giving it the ability to prepare a case early on as if it were going into litigation and trial. We do not focus on hundreds/thousands of auto-only cases and have successfully handled a wide array of different types of injury cases from serious injury matters to wrongful death. We always handle matters with the utmost compassion, legal intelligence, and creativity tailored to your case, and with the perseverance and confidence required to obtain what you deserve.
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YES, ALWAYS.
We never charge for consultations and do not limit the time of the consultation so that we may get a good idea of your case and provide you with a detailed preliminary evaluation. It is important to know that you will have your consultation with April Bonifatto and not her staff. She will give you a well-rounded evaluation and will spend as much time as needed so that you have a very good understanding of your options, how a case is valued, and how the law applies to your case. This is the same even if it is found you do not have a case or where your case may be a better fit with a colleague.
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NO, BECAUSE WE WORK ON A CONTINGENCY
Rather than having to figure out how you can afford to pay for legal representation out of pocket, contingency fees allow you to hire an attorney without having to worry about the cost. Most personal injury and wrongful death plaintiffs are unable to afford attorney fees unless or until they obtain a settlement from the insurance company or a verdict in court. After all, plaintiffs are normally facing large medical bills for treatment of a serious injury, in addition to the fact that they are probably trying to figure out how they will make ends meet during a period when the family has been deprived of its source of income. Even if they did not have to deal with these problems, most people do not have the financial resources to comfortably afford to pay out of pocket for legal representation. For this reason, and to ensure access to justice for anyone with an injury claim, the Law Office of April N. Bonifatto operates on a contingency fee basis. In simple terms, this means that I do not get paid unless you get paid. Our interests are aligned—we both desire to maximize your recovery.
You do not have to pay any up-front attorney fees and we do not charge per the hour. You do not need to think about money until we settle your claim or get a jury verdict. A client pays a fee to a lawyer only if the lawyer handles the case successfully.
In a contingency fee arrangement, the lawyer agrees to accept a fixed percentage of the total recovery collected for the client. The lawyer also pays for all the costs associated with investigating and litigating your case, regardless of the amount. Claims and. Lawsuits can easily get very expensive, arriving at the hundreds of thousands should there be litigation. Once the case is settled, or won at the jury trial, the lawyer’s fee is deducted from the money collected on your behalf. If you lose, neither you nor the lawyer will receive any money. But what about the costs the lawyer spent, do I owe them money? You do not owe your lawyer anything ~ this is the risk the lawyer accepted when taking on your contingency case and you will not owe the law firm any money for the costs the attorney spent on your case.
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YES.
Many clients do not have health insurance or have health insurance with co-pays or limited coverage that they cannot afford. Sometimes a client’s health insurance is simply not accepted by many doctors and/or requires a primary care physician to refer you to a doctor – which often takes a lot of time and can cause unnecessary delays in treatment. We can help serve as a comprehensive guide in finding you the medical treatment you need with excellent medical providers, specialists, and facilities that can help you with your injuries. Some of these providers / specialists / surgeons will agree to work online and not charge you anything until your case is resolved. They will provide all the billing information to your lawyer for review to make sure all the charges were for the incident and are reasonable. Our office also has the resources to help you with medical care whether you live in Nevada in another state altogether. We know medical care can be challenging and we are equipped to help.
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ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING YOU HAVE RELATING TO THE INCIDENT… MOST MAY BE ON YOUR PHONE.
Do not feel overwhelmed, we get a lot for you that you cannot get or do not have. To start, we want everything you have so far in your phone or papers you received like medical receipts, police report number, photos/videos you or someone with you may have taken, and insurance card when applicable, a list of witnesses, if any.
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WE PROVIDE AN HONEST RISK ASSESSMENT.
In many cases, clients are faced with large corporations and/or insurance companies who are wealthy and well-versed in fighting claims, even the most deserving and straightforward injury claims. The unfortunate bottom line is that most corporations and insurance companies, even your own insurance company, fight to pay less than the claim value or nothing at all. With this said, our law firm is not in the business of sales. We are in the business of pursuing viable legal actions for individuals who have been hurt by someone or something else. Whether your case is a simple case that can be resolved without filing a lawsuit (pre-litigation) or must go through a lawsuit in court, there is always some element of risk. To ignore the risk factor would be a grave disservice to our clients. Before we agree to representation, we make sure our clients understand all the benefits and risks, small or large, involved in a course of action. Our goal is to give you the tools necessary to make an informed decision for yourself. At April Injury Law, you can expect an honest, straightforward evaluation of:
• The legal merits of your case;
• Case value (Ms. Bonifatto will go through each item you are entitled to recover money from in detail with you);
• The drawbacks and/or hurdles, if any, in your case;
• The timing of your specific case taking into consideration your unique circumstances;
• The types of tactics the individual defendant, corporate defendant, or insurance company for the defendant may attempt to use to weaken your case.
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NEVADA LAW WILL GOVERN YOUR CLAIM AND WILL NEED TO HIRE A NEVADA LAWYER.
Nevada law will govern your injury (tort) claim, regardless of how you were hurt since you were hurt in the State of Nevada. Federal law may also apply depending on the case. A person who is a resident of another state, but hurt in Nevada, must engage a Nevada licensed attorney to assist with the lawsuit.
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IT COSTS $270 TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN CLARK COUNTY, NEVADA IN THE GENERAL CIVIL DIVISION, PLUS ANY APPLICABLE JURY FEES. IT IS $402 FOR FEDERAL COURT IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT OF NEVADA
Our office files lawsuits in several jurisdictions, including northern Nevada. Once a lawsuit is filed, the Defendant(s) is required to be personally served and those fees may range anywhere from $60 – $300 per Defendant.
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IN THE CIVIL UNLIMITED JURISDICTION (NOT SMALL CLAIMS OR JUSTICE COURTS), THE RECOVERY AMOUNT VARIES GREATLY DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF CASE, YOUR SPECIFIC INJURIES, AND EVIDENCE.
There are several components of your injuries and life we look at during the case evaluation to begin a discussion of case value with you. The value of the case will undoubtedly be discussed with you on the consultation call/visit. Our office will discuss what kinds of damages you are entitled to and the difference between those damages, such as medical bills, pain and suffering, lost income, and other types of damages that may apply to your claims.
Some types of cases, such as medical malpractice cases where a person is hurt by a medical provider or government employee, have caps/limits on the amount of recovery the victim can obtain and sometimes gives the victim a shorter window to obtain their recovery. In Nevada, tort reform has been in effect since 2004 and applies to medical malpractice claims. Tort reform restricts the amount of money an injured person can receive for non-economic damages (known in part, like pain and suffering).
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REST ASSURED, THAT WE DO NOT DELAY, AND WE DO NOT PLACE CASES ON THE BACK BURNER AND FORGET ABOUT THEM.
Because the firm is not a volume practice and works on every case.
PERSONALIZED ATTENTION & CARE IN EVERY CASE
Typically in a high volume injury practice, clients mostly work with the law firm’s staff and rarely speak to their attorney. Many successful law firms operate this way, but April Injury Law is not a high volume practice and prepares each matter as if it were going into litigation. April stands firm in her decision to work intimately on every case—all the time—and she wants to speak to clients as often as needed. Speaking to clients often and touching their cases daily allow April to learn the fine details of each case and resolve the case efficiently for its true value, not at a discount. Within this, April is an experienced litigator, and is not intimidated by the potential of litigation. Having a boutique personal injury practice allows April to work on your case from A to Z giving her time to personally communicate with you, develop creative and intelligent legal strategies for your case, and confidently push the case forward until each morsel of justice you deserve is obtained. When you work with April Injury Law, you are hiring a trustworthy, capable lawyer who will carry your burdens, provide you clarity during a time of chaos in your life, and be relentless in the legal process to get you what you deserve.
LET’S TALK
During a difficult time, you deserve one-on-one attention from your lawyer and I offer no less. When you call my office, you will talk with me directly or I will return your call/communication within one day. As a boutique injury law firm, I get to work with my clients personally and foster a working relationship that, in my experience, gets better results. You do not have to face this legal struggle alone. I am here to handle all aspects of your injury claim so you can focus on your recovery.
To begin your complimentary injury case evaluation (for you or someone else), please fill out the form below. All responses will be kept confidential.
Do not worry, the form is sent directly to April. April will personally review your request and be in touch with next steps.
