Chris Finney remembers the moment clearly. Sitting across from his pregnant wife near their first anniversary, telling her he was leaving his comfortable insurance defense job. He couldn't continue representing the very insurance companies that too often denied fair compensation to injury victims.
"I didn't care if I never got paid. I figured there was a way to make it work."
What began with small claims cases has since evolved into one of St. Louis's most respected trial firms. The first settlement was a $20,000 case from a client way down in Doniphan, Missouri. The next was a $1.25 million case that jump-started everything. Today, the firm has secured numerous multimillion-dollar verdicts including a $20 million wrongful death verdict in a trucking case where the insurance company started with a $0 offer.
Insurance companies decide what cases to pay and how much based on which firm is on the other side. A firm that settles fast gets fast settlements at lower numbers. A firm that prepares for trial gets either fair settlements or actual trials.
Most plaintiff personal injury firms are volume firms. They sign up large numbers of cases, settle most of them quickly, and operate on a model where individual case preparation is constrained by case volume. This model works for the firms. It does not maximize value for the injured person.
Finney Injury Law was built around a different model. We hand-select cases. We're trial-tested and proven. Most settle, but they settle at higher numbers because the insurance company knows the alternative is a real trial, and we have the record to back that up.
When you choose Finney Injury Law, you get more than legal representation. You get a team that:
We only take cases we believe in and help clients we believe in. If we cannot provide value to your case, we will tell you and refer you to a firm that handles it well.
You'll stay connected to the attorneys handling your case, supported by a dedicated team. Your questions get answered and your concerns addressed promptly.
Even when the case ends in settlement, we bring a trial-tested and proven team to the table. That posture is what creates leverage at the negotiating table.
We believe in giving back. Through the Finney Injury Law Scholarship, we help deserving students overcome financial barriers to higher education and prepare for careers in law. We're also active in the community we serve, sponsoring local events and organizations, including MICA, throughout the St. Louis area.
Our intake specialists gather the details of your situation first, not an outsourced intake operator. From there, an attorney reviews every case, and the attorney who works on your case stays with it.
We do not take every case. If your case does not fit our practice, outside our practice areas, or unlikely to require the trial-preparation work that is our model, we will tell you and refer you to a firm that handles it well.
From day one, every case is handled by a trial-tested and proven team. We take depositions, work with experts, conduct full discovery, and develop the case theory. Most cases settle before trial, but they settle on the strength of that preparation, not on the absence of it.
When the insurance company refuses to pay full value, we try the case. The trial record is what makes the firm's settlement leverage credible on every other case.
Because we're trial-tested and proven, you'll never be forced to accept a low offer out of weakness. And you'll never be forced into a courtroom, either. When the time comes, we lay out your options honestly and you make the call. It's your case, your life, and your decision.
We believe that legal education should be accessible to deserving students regardless of their financial circumstances. The Finney Injury Law Scholarship is part of how the firm gives back, supporting smart, driven individuals as they pursue their educational goals and prepare for careers in law.
The scholarship reflects a principle that runs through the firm's work: making the legal system accessible to the people it is supposed to serve. We are proud of what the scholarship has helped students accomplish, and proud of the firm's role in supporting the next generation of attorneys.
Over the years, we have helped immigrants from Africa, Mexico, Bosnia, and many other places. Wealthy people and poor people. People whose loved ones' hearts will never beat again, and people with sore backs. All of them needed assistance, and we were lucky enough to be able to provide it.
We have cases where we are up against ten or more lawyers on the other side. We only take cases we believe in and help clients we believe in. Whatever justice means in your case, our goal is to help you find it.
Whether you're facing mounting medical bills after a serious crash, seeking accountability for daycare negligence, or coping with a life-changing injury, our trial-tested team is ready to help.