Benson & Bingham take pride in their work as personal injury attorneys in the State of Nevada. The Clark County Bar requires each attorney to answer the below questions to gain entry to their referral list of attorneys.

Joseph L. Benson II, Esq.
Attorney, Managing Partner

Why did you become an attorney?
The underlying education was the primary reason for the desire to first become an attorney. Obviously, to make a good living and enjoy what you do is the ultimate career. I have found that becoming an attorney was half the battle, becoming a great attorney involves mastering the art of legal persuasion, which is best acquired by experience, and years of training. The reward of client satisfaction truly makes me happy. I had a very strong influence with my Father, Joseph L. Benson, Sr. who also is a personal injury lawyer (and recently received the 2011 Nevada Lifetime Achievement Award). He was instrumental in my decisions throughout my young adulthood and early law practice.

What experiences (work and personal) help you to be a better attorney?
Certainly, every case has different legal issues, which mold a better legal mind. Handling thousands of different cases helps me understand the legal issues that emerge in a new case. Trial and litigation experience has helped me formulate what is important in the litigation process so that unnecessary expenses are cut, and that crucial evidence is presented by the legal requirements under Nevada law.

What made you choose your primary specialty focus of law?
A drunk driver critically injured my brother in high school, and that experience helped me want to help others.

What makes your law firm unique?
We are a boutique law firm with only 13 employees. We give our clients 100% of our efforts and personal attention. Our Internet reviews tell the story: Client service is what we do best.

Describe your ideal client.
There is no such thing as an ideal client, but perhaps an ideal set of facts for a particular case. Given the business of personal injury, our clients are victims of other people's carelessness and bad choices. It is very rewarding to help those who need it most. We handle clients from every background and every economic group. Clients who can communicate effectively usually make better clients given they need to express their issues to a jury—this ultimately is the reason we are all here.

Ben J. Bingham, Esq.
Partner

Why did you become an attorney?
From a young age the thought of becoming an advocate always appealed to me. The mere idea of having a profession, the education, and the ability to appear in court to present an argument lured me in.  Upon turning 16 and obtaining a drivers license, I obtained employment as a runner at a law office. I maintained the same employment until the end of my college days at UNLV. Gaining experience from the attorneys and familiarizing myself with the court house. The influences I received throughout that opportunity sealed the deal. After college it was straight to law school. The practice of law presents challenges on a daily bases far from the mundane 9-5. Frankly, my personality is incapable of a day to day desk job without lashing out. The constant argument with insurance adjusters and defense attorneys over liability issues and medical records, fighting for what's right, suits me well.

What experiences (work and personal) help you be a better attorney?
Having broken numerous bones in my body on several occasions (right arm twice, left arm once, seventh cervical vertebra, torn off bottom lip, right ankle twice, left ankle, bruised and broken ribs to name a few) and having plenty of surgeries to correct the same,  I can relate to most of the pain and suffering issues clients present. When a client is in pain or doesn't have their health, it changes their eating habits, sleeping habits, creates depression and makes them sharp tempered. Having personally experienced the challenges associated with pain and suffering and rehabilitation helps me understand the healing process an injured client endures.

What made you chose your primary specialty focus of law?
In my early career as an attorney I primarily practiced in the areas of criminal defense and personal injury. While criminal defense provided me with great exposure to the court system, making 5-20 appearances a day, personal injury was my desire. Personally, I feel that an attorney must make the decision to focus on one area of law. It is impractical to be a jack-of-all-tades attorney with the intricacies presented in each area of practice. In 2006, I was able to make the transition and dedicate my practice exclusively to helping personal injury victims.

What makes your law firm unique?
Benson & Bingham is a small firm dedicated to our clients. We have made the decision to maintain our intimate size so clients receive the attention they deserve. From the time a personal injury client walks into our office they recognize "the difference". As attorneys we personally meet with each and every client to address their needs. In many cases we have staff member sit in on the initial consultation so our staff is properly informed of potential issues. We do not simply allow clients to meet with case managers.  While we typically sign up between 400 to 600 cases each year, we are not a volume firm. We have taken the oath to seek justice for each client individually. No law firm treats their clients better than Benson & Bingham.

Describe your ideal client.
While it may sound cliche, we truly gain satisfaction in helping the "little guy". In the past twelve years of practicing law we have seen such a shift in insurance companies going from the business of helping people into the business of denying people. The "little guy" doesn't stand a chance alone. Our ideal client is the average individual who simply becomes the victim of negligence and cannot get the wrongdoer or Insurance company to do the right thing. Perhaps it's easier to describe the ideal Defendant in a civil action...someone who refuses to accept responsibility.

Ryan Mortier, Esq.
Associate Attorney

Why did you become an attorney?
My older brother passed the California Bar and started working as a sole practitioner. I was 22 years old and he needed help filing and such. I started to help him part time. At first it was just a job but then I began to see that what we were doing was actually helping people. It was this 'realization' that made me want to choose law as a career.

What experiences (work and personal) help you to be a better attorney?
Each client has their own life experiences they bring to the case. Although each person is different , working with a wide variety of people benifits each new case I take on.


What made you choose your primary specialty focus of law?
Again, helping people brought me to where I am. When someone has an accident who can they turn to and trust? Most people would not say their lawyer, but I am trying to change that opinion one client at a time. Everyone drives, and so almost everyone is going to have an accident, but not everyone is experienced with the law to know what they are entitled to. It is this area of law that gives me the ability to reach people and guide them through the process so that when their case is closed they are in a better position then before the accident happened.

What makes your law firm unique?
Joe and Ben started the firm in 2003, and they set the tone for what we are now:  a small but powerful firm that focuses on individual client needs. The staff at B&B reflect this tone, and we are committed to being approachable and understanding while at the same time achieving the ultimate recovery for each case. 

Describe your ideal client.
Every one is different. America was founded on these differences and it is clearly reflected in this area of law. Different clients help keep things interesting but more then that, it challenges me to find a way to focus on the needs and concerns of each person and address those needs. Every client is an ideal client with a select set of facts and issues.

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