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What is Geisleman & Brown, LLP?
Geisleman & Brown, LLP is a personal injury law firm based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, describing itself as a small but prominent practice serving Northern Indiana. According to its website, the firm focuses its case selection on injury-related matters and offers a free consultation, working on a contingency basis with no attorney's fee unless it wins a financial recovery for the client.
What kinds of cases it handles
The site lists the following areas within its personal injury focus:
- Medical malpractice
- Trucking accidents
- Car and motorcycle accidents
- Nursing home negligence
- Dog bites
- Brain or spinal cord injuries
- Wrongful death
- Other personal injury claims
How it presents itself
The firm emphasizes personalized service, transparency and close communication through each stage of a case. It says it has more than 55 years of combined experience and that it handles both out-of-court settlement negotiation and trial work, aiming to obtain either a favorable settlement or a verdict. It also frames part of its role as "keeping the insurance companies honest."
Who it may suit
This kind of firm is generally worth considering if you are in or near the Fort Wayne area and your situation involves a serious injury, a death in an accident, or suspected medical or nursing home negligence. The contingency arrangement matters most for people who cannot pay hourly fees up front, since the fee is tied to a recovery.
Practical next step
If you think you have a claim, call the firm at the number listed on its site to ask about a free consultation, and have the basics ready: what happened, when, where, who was involved, what treatment you have received, and any correspondence from insurers. Before committing, ask directly who will handle your case day to day, how the contingency fee and case costs are structured, and what the firm sees as the main strengths and risks of your claim. For general background on injury claims in Indiana, the state bar or courts' self-help resources can help you prepare questions.
How does the contingency fee arrangement work for personal injury cases?
The contingency fee is the core of how Geisleman & Brown, LLP says it handles personal injury cases: the firm states it charges no attorney's fee unless it wins a financial recovery on your behalf. In plain terms, you owe legal fees only if money is recovered, typically from a settlement or a trial verdict, and the fee is usually taken as a percentage of that recovery rather than billed hourly as the case proceeds.
How it typically plays out
- You sign a written fee agreement at the start that states the percentage and how costs are handled.
- The firm advances case expenses — filing fees, records, experts, depositions — so you are not paying out of pocket during the case.
- If there is no recovery, the firm states there is no attorney's fee. Whether you still owe advanced expenses depends on the agreement, so read that clause carefully.
- If there is a recovery, the fee percentage and any reimbursed costs come off the top, and you receive the remainder.
- The percentage is often lower if the case settles early and higher if it goes to trial, since trial work carries more risk and expense.
A concrete example
Suppose your case settles for $100,000 with a one-third fee and $5,000 in advanced costs. The firm takes roughly $33,333 in fees, $5,000 is reimbursed for costs, and about $61,667 goes to you. If the case instead goes to trial and produces a larger verdict, the percentage may be higher, but so is the recovery it applies to.
Why firms use it
Contingency fees shift the financial risk from the injured client to the lawyer, which matters when you are already facing medical bills and lost wages. The trade-off is that a larger share of your recovery goes to fees than under an hourly arrangement, and the lawyer decides which cases to accept based on how strong they look.
What to check in the agreement
- The exact percentage, and whether it changes at different stages.
- Which expenses are deducted and whether you owe them if the case loses.
- Whether the fee is calculated before or after costs are subtracted. This difference can be significant.
- Who pays for expert witnesses, and what happens if you switch attorneys.
The firm offers a free consultation and can be reached at 260.420.2001 to discuss a specific claim. For general background on how these arrangements work, the American Bar Association at American Bar Association publishes consumer guidance on attorney fees, and your state bar association can explain the rules that apply where you live.
What types of personal injury cases does Geisleman & Brown, LLP handle?
Geisleman & Brown, LLP focuses its practice on personal injury claims, with an emphasis on serious and catastrophic injuries. According to the firm's site, its case selection centers on:
- Medical malpractice
- Trucking accidents
- Car and motorcycle accidents
- Nursing home negligence
- Dog bites
- Brain or spinal cord injuries
- Wrongful death
- Other personal injury claims
The firm describes itself as a small personal injury practice in Fort Wayne, Indiana, serving Northern Indiana, and says it handles cases both through out-of-court settlement negotiations and at trial. It also states that it works on a contingency basis, meaning no attorney's fee unless there is a financial recovery.
Next step: If your situation falls into one of these categories, call the firm at (260) 420-2001 to schedule a free consultation. Before you call, write down the date of the incident, the injuries involved, and any deadlines you've been told about — that information will help the attorney quickly assess whether your case fits their practice.
What should I do immediately after a trucking accident in Indiana?
Call 911 if anyone is hurt, get to safety, and report the crash to police before you leave. Then get medical care even if you feel fine. After that, treat the next few days as evidence-gathering time: photograph vehicles, debris and road conditions; collect names and insurance details from the truck driver and witnesses; and keep every medical and repair record. Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company's insurer or its investigators, and do not accept a quick settlement before you know the full extent of your injuries.
Trucking cases differ from ordinary car crashes because the trucking company often starts building its defense within hours, and federal and state rules govern driver logs, hours of service, maintenance records and electronic data. That is why early legal advice matters more here than in a simple fender-bender.
Practical next steps
- Ask the responding officer how to obtain the crash report.
- Write down what you remember while it is fresh, including time of day, weather and the truck's markings.
- Save your clothing and any damaged property; do not repair the vehicle before it is inspected.
- Note the names of treating providers and keep a simple symptom diary.
- Contact a personal injury lawyer before speaking with any adjuster.
How a law firm like this one fits Geisleman & Brown, LLP describes itself as a small Fort Wayne firm focused on personal injury, including trucking accidents, with more than 55 years of combined experience. For a northern Indiana truck crash, that local focus can matter because the firm says it handles cases in that region and works on a contingency basis: no attorney's fee unless there is a financial recovery. If you are deciding between firms, ask who will handle your file day to day, how quickly they can send a spoliation or preservation letter to the trucking company, and whether they have taken trucking cases to trial. You can reach the firm at (260) 420-2001 or through its contact form at Geisleman & Brown, LLP.
For general background on Indiana crash reporting and injury claims, the Indiana BMV site at State of Indiana and the Indiana courts site at Indiana Courts can help you understand official records, though neither gives legal advice about your case.
How can I determine if I have a valid medical malpractice claim?
A valid medical malpractice claim generally requires four elements: a provider owed you a duty of care, that provider breached the accepted standard of care, the breach caused your injury, and the injury produced measurable damages. If any one of those is missing, the claim usually fails. The hardest parts to prove are typically the standard of care and causation, which usually require expert medical testimony.
For a Fort Wayne, Indiana firm focused on this area, see Geisleman & Brown, LLP. Its page states that it concentrates on medical malpractice alongside trucking, car and motorcycle accidents, nursing home negligence, dog bites, brain and spinal cord injuries and wrongful death, and that it handles cases on a contingency basis with no attorney's fee unless it wins a recovery. That matters for malpractice screening, because these cases are expensive to investigate.
H3 Practical criteria to assess your situation
- Timing: malpractice deadlines are short and can run from the date of injury or the date you discovered it. Missing them can end a strong case.
- Standard of care: ask whether a reasonably careful provider in the same specialty would have acted differently.
- Causation: your injury must flow from the provider's error, not from the underlying illness or an unrelated condition.
- Damages: ongoing care costs, lost earnings, disability, pain and additional surgery carry more weight than a temporary setback.
- Documentation: request your full medical records, imaging, lab results and nursing notes before speaking with a lawyer.
- Informed consent: if a risk was never disclosed and you would have declined treatment, that can be a separate theory.
H3 What the first consultation should cover Bring a timeline of treatment, a list of providers and a written list of questions. A firm should explain whether it will front the cost of expert review, how it evaluates the merits before filing, and what happens if the case loses. Geisleman & Brown describes assessing merits, answering questions and explaining options at each stage, which is the right shape for that conversation. If a lawyer declines the case, ask why, since the answer tells you whether the problem is the deadline, causation or damages. Also compare a local firm with a broader resource such as LawHelp.org for general guidance, or Indiana Legal Help for state-specific information.
What is the process for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in Indiana?
Wrongful death claims in Indiana are usually handled by the personal representative of the deceased person's estate, not by family members directly. The process generally follows these steps:
- Confirm who can file. Indiana law limits who may bring a wrongful death action. Typically the personal representative of the estate files on behalf of the surviving dependents or beneficiaries. A probate court must usually appoint that representative first.
- Establish the estate. If no estate has been opened, an attorney can petition the court to appoint a personal representative. This step also identifies who will receive any recovery.
- Investigate and preserve evidence. This means gathering police reports, medical records, witness statements, and, where relevant, trucking logs, employer records, or nursing home charts. Evidence can disappear quickly, so acting early matters.
- Determine the legal theory. A claim may rest on negligence, medical malpractice, product liability, or another basis. Indiana has specific notice and procedural rules for certain claims, such as medical malpractice, that can shorten the timeline.
- File the lawsuit before the deadline. Indiana's general wrongful death statute of limitations is two years, but exceptions exist—for example, claims involving government entities or medical malpractice may have shorter notice requirements. Missing a deadline usually bars the claim.
- Negotiate or litigate. Insurers often make an initial offer before suit is filed. If settlement talks stall, the case proceeds through discovery, mediation, and possibly trial.
- Distribute the recovery. After settlement or verdict, the court oversees how the money is allocated among the beneficiaries and any estate expenses.
Geisleman & Brown, LLP describes itself as a Fort Wayne firm focused on personal injury, including wrongful death, with contingency fees—meaning no attorney's fee unless there is a recovery, per the page's "No Fee if No Recovery" statement. The page also lists a free consultation and a phone number, 260.420.2001.
Next step: If you are considering a claim, contact an Indiana personal injury attorney promptly to check the deadline and determine whether an estate must be opened. For general state court information, you can also consult Indiana's official state website or the Indiana Legal Help resource for low-income residents.
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