Experienced Insurance Defense & Personal Injury Defense Paralegal

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Litigation Paralegal specializing in insurance defense and personal injury defense to join our team. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience supporting attorneys in the defense of bodily injury, automobile liability, premises liability, and other insured litigation matters.

This is a substantive paralegal position for someone who understands the lifecycle of a personal injury defense case and can help manage files from initial assignment through discovery, mediation, settlement, and trial. The successful candidate will be highly organized, detail-oriented, proactive, and comfortable managing multiple active litigation matters and competing deadlines.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist attorneys with insurance defense and personal injury defense matters from initial assignment through final resolution.
• Review new case assignments, pleadings, claim files, medical records, accident reports, photographs, investigative materials, and other case documentation.
• Draft and prepare answers, discovery requests and responses, subpoenas, notices, authorizations, correspondence, and other litigation documents.
• Manage written discovery, including interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admissions, and responses to opposing parties' discovery.
• Obtain, organize, review, and summarize medical records, medical bills, employment records, wage-loss documentation, prior claims information, and other damages evidence.
• Prepare detailed medical chronologies, treatment summaries, damages summaries, discovery summaries, and case timelines.
• Identify potential issues involving causation, pre-existing conditions, prior injuries or claims, gaps in treatment, damages, and supporting documentation for attorney review.
• Coordinate depositions of plaintiffs, witnesses, treating providers, experts, and other parties.
• Coordinate independent medical examinations, record reviews, expert evaluations, mediations, settlement conferences, and other litigation activities.
• Assist with locating, retaining, and communicating with medical and other expert witnesses.
• Prepare deposition materials, exhibits, medical records, chronologies, and other attorney preparation materials.
• Maintain litigation calendars and monitor discovery deadlines, expert disclosure deadlines, motion deadlines, depositions, hearings, mediations, pretrial conferences, and trial dates.
• Prepare and coordinate electronic filings in state and federal courts.
• Communicate professionally with insurance adjusters and claims professionals, insured clients, opposing counsel, medical providers, experts, court personnel, and vendors.
• Assist attorneys with preparation for mediations, settlement conferences, dispositive motions, hearings, depositions, and trials.
• Prepare witness and exhibit lists, trial notebooks, exhibits, demonstrative materials, deposition designations, and other trial preparation materials.
• Regularly review assigned files to identify outstanding discovery, missing medical records, expert reports, approaching deadlines, and necessary follow-up.
• Maintain organized and complete electronic case files in accordance with firm procedures.
• Prepare accurate, detailed, and timely billable time entries in compliance with firm and insurance carrier billing guidelines.
• Assist with litigation reports, status updates, evaluations, and other insurance carrier reporting requirements.
• Proactively communicate case developments and potential issues to the responsible attorney. Qualifications
• Minimum of 3–5 years of litigation paralegal experience, with significant experience in insurance defense and/or personal injury defense strongly preferred.
• Substantial familiarity with bodily injury claims and the defense of automobile liability, premises liability, and other personal injury matters.
• Strong understanding of civil litigation procedures, written discovery, depositions, medical discovery, court filings, and litigation deadlines.
• Demonstrated experience obtaining, reviewing, organizing, and summarizing medical records and bills.
• Ability to understand medical terminology and develop useful medical chronologies and treatment summaries.
• Familiarity with insurance claims, carrier reporting requirements, and insurance defense billing guidelines.
• Experience preparing cases for depositions, mediations, hearings, and trials.
• Strong written communication, proofreading, organizational, and time-management skills.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to independently manage multiple active files, priorities, and deadlines with limited supervision.
• Ability to anticipate next steps, identify missing information, and follow assignments through completion.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience with legal case-management, document-management, electronic-filing, and time-and-billing systems.
• Paralegal certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience preferred.

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for someone who already understands insurance defense litigation and can contribute from day one. The ideal candidate knows how a personal injury defense file should progress and does not need to be reminded of every next step.

This individual takes ownership of assigned matters, stays ahead of deadlines, follows up on outstanding records and discovery, and recognizes when something in a file requires attorney attention. The successful candidate is equally comfortable analyzing a large set of medical records, preparing discovery, communicating with an adjuster, coordinating an expert examination, and helping an attorney prepare for trial.

Accuracy, responsiveness, good judgment, and follow-through are essential. Just as importantly, we are looking for a professional who works well as part of a team and takes pride in producing high-quality work for both attorneys and clients.

Core Competencies

• Insurance defense litigation experience
• Personal injury and bodily injury defense experience
• Medical record review and summarization
• Discovery management
• Litigation deadline and calendar management
• Deposition and trial preparation
• Insurance carrier communication and reporting
• Insurance defense billing practices
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Organization and attention to detail
• Initiative, accountability, and follow-through
• Ability to manage a high-volume litigation caseload