A car wreck client of McMath Woods P.A. recently won a jury trial against his underinsured motorist carrier, Shelter Insurance, in Pulaski County Circuit Court. The client was represented by McMath Woods Partner Will Bond. Shelter had denied payment to the client of underinsured motorist coverage policy limits claiming that the injuries the client suffered in the rear end collision pre-existed the wreck and he had been fully compensated. Shelter hired an expert and aggressively defended our client’s claims of injuries and permanent damage. Luckily, a Pulaski County jury decided in favor of the client and against Shelter and awarded the policy limit of $50,000.

This case highlights a couple of very important facts for all insurance consumers. First off, you should always carry uninsured and underinsured insurance coverage on all your cars, trucks, motorcycles… every motorized vehicle that you can. You cannot control whether someone runs into your car or truck, and you cannot control if they have insurance coverage or how much insurance coverage they have. Call your insurance company or agent today and make sure you have these coverages. It is incredibly important if you are in a car wreck or even if you are hit as a pedestrian.

It’s official!

You may remember back in November when our law firm announced some exciting news: An unheard-of six attorneys from McMath Woods P.A. had been selected for inclusion in the 29th edition of The Best Lawyers in America®️.

The announcement of our law firm’s accomplishment has officially been made public (take a peek at McMath Woods P.A.’s new write-up in U.S. News & World Report), and we couldn’t help but share the news again!

McMath Woods P.A. is honored to announce that Sidney S. McMath, founding partner of our law firm and former governor of Arkansas, was inducted into the 2022 inaugural class of the Arkansas Legal Hall of Fame. We are pleased to see the exemplary contributions Governor McMath made to the legal field recognized alongside those of Philip S. Anderson, Senator David Hampton Pryor, Secretary Rodney E. Slater, Justice Annabelle Tuck, Judge Richard S. Arnold, Scipio Africanus Jones, and the Little Rock Nine. Governor McMath is among three individuals who were honored posthumously.

A ceremony was held by the Arkansas Bar Association at the Governor’s Mansion on Sept. 15, 2022. The purpose of the ceremony was to honor those who have made exceptional contributions to society, the law, legal education, and the administration of justice.

We are saddened by the passing of McMath Woods partner John Coulter. John passed away on April 22, 2022, after having lived with lung cancer since January 2020.

John was truly a “lawyer’s lawyer” and a tremendous advocate of the civil legal system. He believed that everyone deserved to have legal representation. John really cared, and you could see that care in every case he handled and everyone he helped. He always put his family and community first. He served as Pro Bono Counsel as well as volunteered at the Little Rick School District where he never missed an opportunity to read to a roomful of students or pitch in wherever help was needed.

John leaves behind a legacy of kindness and generosity toward others. Our thoughts and prayers are with Laura, Jonathan, and the entire Coulter family.

To learn more about John and his memorial services which will take place on May 16th, 2022, you may view his obituary here.

We’re proud to continue the McMath Woods P.A.’s annual scholarship campaign aimed to help first-year undergraduate and graduate students. We were humbled by the amount of responses and applications we received. The quality of the essays was outstanding.

We’ve chosen a winner for Fall 2021!

Congratulations to Andrew Ballard of Georgia!

Andrew will be attending Bethlehem College and Seminary this fall.

This was the essay topic:

If aliens came down to earth today, what is the first thing you would show or tell them? Would it be a story, a song, a news article, a particular snack? Why would you pick that thing to show or tell them?

At McMath Woods P.A., we take the health and safety of our clients, team members, family members, and local community seriously. As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic continues to spread, we want to reassure everyone that our lawyers remain hard at work providing legal services to those who need it.

Last week, we made the decision to work remotely in order to do our part to limit our community’s exposure to the virus. We are asking that our clients and anyone who needs to reach out to us do so by telephone or email. All of our staff members are equipped to handle requests in this manner.

Will Bond and Carter Stein of McMath Woods, P.A. authored articles in the most recent publication of Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association’s “ATLA Docket.” The ALTA Docket is a quarterly journal featuring informative and practical articles on the latest trends in law, law office management, legal research technology, and significant Supreme Court decisions.

The Winter 2020 ATLA Docket, “ Drilling Down: Mining Strategy,” features a number of articles and perspectives on a variety of law topics. Will Bond composed the feature article “Pre-Trial Bull$#+% – Omnibus Motion in Limine” and Carter Stein wrote reviews of “Show the Story: The Power of Visual Advocacy” and “Beyond Bullet Points.”

Safety Town, a fun, five-day safety awareness program designed for rising kindergartners, hosted and graduated over 310 children within the Little Rock community this month. The program expanded this year to offer an additional week and an optional location to accommodate the community’s interest for the educational experience. Pulaski Academy and Episcopal Collegiate School served as the two Safety Town locations. McMath Woods P.A. was again a proud lead sponsor of this essential community program.

“Thanks to Safety Town Mayor, Wendy Saer, Safety Town is well-oiled machine operated by a dedicated crew of volunteers, and now delivering lifelong safety lessons to even more children within our city. The program’s reputation and growth are a testament to Mayor Saer’s hard work and to the impact Safety Town has on the families of the children who attend,” says Carter Stein, McMath Woods Managing Partner.

The Arkansas Bar Association held its 121^st Annual Meeting in Hot Springs over the weekend. The three-day conference, themed “Game Changers,” included a diverse array of continuing education sessions, keynote speakers such as Olympic gymnast and law graduate Shannon Miller, and various awards acknowledging outstanding service of lawyers in Arkansas. Sarah C. Jewell was recognized for her year of service as 2018-2019 Chair of the Arkansas Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section (YLS). YLS is the primary service arm of the Association and provides leadership opportunities for young lawyers within the organization and in the community.

The Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA) Awards Committee and Board of Directors recently recognized McMath Woods P.A. attorney Sarah Jewell with the 2019 ATLA Outstanding Young Lawyer Award at the organization’s annual meeting. Jewell was chosen to receive the award for demonstrating the skills, ethics, and dedication to advancing and protecting the rights of individuals and the American Justice System.

“If every young lawyer had Sarah’s drive, ability to problem solve, and her passion for the legal system, our world would be a better place. She’s incredibly deserving of this award. We’re grateful to have Sarah on our team,” says Carter C. Stein, managing partner of McMath Woods P.A.