Once a month, Anthem Injury Lawyers will be interviewing an employee for our Meet the Employee feature. This month we interviewed our Director of Prelitigation, Susy Novella. We had a wonderful time discussing her career in personal injury litigation, the growth of her current team, and her two fur babies at home. The transcript of the interview is included below.
Director of Prelitigation
AIL: What do you do at Anthem Injury Lawyers?
SN: I’m the Director of the Prelitigation Department. I oversee the case managers and the legal assistants. We also have a different department, which is the specialists and I oversee them as well.
I also meet with the clients. I talk to the potential new clients, I help them schedule with their medical provider, and I follow-up with them and the case managers on their cases.
AIL: Are you in the client’s initial intake meeting?
SN: Yes, along with an attorney, I’m the one that they meet in the beginning and in that same intake I introduce them to their case manager.
AIL: You mentioned the specialist department, what’s that?
SN: It’s our communication specialist who reaches out to the clients and keeps that communication with them along with the case managers.
Then we also have someone who is in charge of the property damage, so she’s a specialist in property damage. She’s the one that helps the clients when it comes to the repairs on their vehicle. For total loss and any loss of use, she’ll handle all of that as well.
AIL: Are you pretty much the initial point of contact for clients?
SN: Yeah, so initially I would be the one reaching out to them [clients], scheduling their appointment, and if they have any issues, they can always reach out to me.
AIL: How long have you been with Anthem Injury Lawyers?
SN: It’s been four years, my anniversary was last month. I’m starting my fifth year.
AIL: Happy anniversary!
SN: Thank you!
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A Client-Focused Career
AIL: What’s your favorite thing about working at Anthem Injury Lawyers?
SN: I think my favorite thing is helping the clients. Honestly, I love how—at this firm—the managing partners’ main focus is helping the clients. You know, making sure each client gets the right treatment, gets the right customer service. And we just want our clients to be happy because I think the ultimate goal is having our clients refer a friend, refer a family member because they actually liked the service that we provided.
AIL: What led you to this career? Was this your first job in personal injury, or have you been doing it for a while?
SN: It was my fourth law firm. So right after high school I got a job with a family friend who was a paralegal. He asked if I would be interested in being his assistant and I was like, “Sure.”
So, I started off with him and he was the paralegal for auto accident cases and in that firm I was assisting the paralegal as well as the attorney. I was translating for immigration cases, working in family law, and covering reception. So that’s where it kind of all started.
AIL: Oh wow, so you’ve been doing this for quite a while?
SN: Yeah, because I’m going to be 30 and it’s been since I was 18.
AIL: So, your entire career?
SN: Yeah, so it’s all I’ve known.
AIL: What’s one thing that surprised you about working at Anthem Injury Lawyers?
SN: The culture. The work environment. I have worked at different law firms, and it was like a 180, completely different. It just felt like the managing partners were really down to earth and they actually cared about their employees. They would ask you, “How are you doing?” Like I’m not asking you just because it’s polite, because I really care.
AIL: So the work culture and environment have been a really nice change?
SN: It has been honestly because it doesn’t matter where you live— if you’re happy where you work. You won’t mind driving the distance if you’re happy with who you work for.
Especially with the employees, I like that we all see each other as a team and we’re all willing to help each other out.
Fostering Growth
AIL: What’s a work-related accomplishment that you’re really proud of?
SN: I’m really proud of helping a part of my team grow. I have quite a few that started off as receptionists and then they moved up as legal assistants and now they’re case managers. That’s what brings me happiness, seeing them grow and being able to help them.
AIL: Has your team expanded since you’ve been here?
SN: Yeah, when I started with Anthem it was just me as case manager and now we have more case managers, legal assistants, and a runner. It’s really nice to see that growth.
AIL: What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?
SN: That I’m just bossing everyone around. *lots of laughter*
AIL: So how do you see your role if it’s not bossing everyone around? *more laughter*
SN: I’m here to help staff grow. It’s not like I want someone to stay in their position forever. I want them to grow. I want to train them and help them, and that’s the ultimate goal.
AIL: How do you prefer to start your day?
SN: I like to start it off by drinking coffee, listening to music. Getting ready, I love listening to podcasts and getting myself in a good mood so when I’m here everyone can perceive the energy. If you have good energy, it makes a big difference to starting off your day.
I am very much into affirmations and all of that. I really enjoy Healing it Forward, it’s a new podcast regarding mental health and how to be grateful for what you have.
AIL: What’s one of your favorite memories from the past year?
SN: Seeing the team grow. We had a legal assistant and we saw so much potential in her and
she didn’t see it in herself but we just kept encouraging her and we slowly started giving her work so she could feel confident that she could actually do the work. We worked with her until she said that she was ready to be a case manager. To me that was the highlight.
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Family, Self-Care, and Fur Babies
AIL: What’s your favorite way to unwind after a busy day?
SN: After a busy day, I enjoy sitting on the couch with my husband watching Netflix, or a nice movie or tv series.
We have two dogs so usually we play with them and take them on walks. We have Bambina, who is a Shih Tzu mixed with a Poodle. Our other dog is our new little puppy. She’s only nine weeks old and she’s a Golden Retriever, her name is Lola.
AIL: What three words would your friends use to describe you?
SN: Loyal, self-motivated, and hard-working.
AIL: What would we most likely find you doing on the weekend?
It depends. If I’m doing self-care I get facials, massages, and mani/pedis. Massages are the key to feeling recharged after a long week.
Otherwise, it’s me and my husband hanging out with friends. We enjoy going out to local breweries and restaurants and movie theaters. We love going to Cerveza which is downtown. We also enjoy North 5th Brewing.
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EXPERIENCED LAS VEGAS PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS
We hope you enjoyed learning more about the Anthem Injury Lawyers Team. Remember, if you are injured in a car accident, the most important thing you can do is to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer. A personal injury lawyer can help you protect your rights and navigate the complications that come with a car accident.
Sometimes people are unsure if they need an attorney, or if a car accident attorney can really make a difference in receiving compensation. Our experienced team of personal injury attorneys gives you the best opportunity to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Well-meaning friends may tell you that a car accident lawyer in Las Vegas is too expensive. This is not true! We work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you won’t have to worry about affordability. Plus, with our extensive car accident case experience, you have the best chance for a positive outcome for your case.
Remember—when it comes to seeking maximum compensation, you’ll want to put your case in the hands of the experts at Anthem Injury Lawyers. We have over 25 years of experience representing Las Vegas car accident victims. Contact us today at (702) 745-8172 to make an appointment for a free consultation.
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