Seriously now, I have been thinking very hard about how I could put into words the way my husband and I feel about Bonnie Sawusch.  It is almost the seventh anniversary of my husband’s auto accident.  After being airlifted to U of M in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  I was given a brochure on the rights and benefits entitled to me by an auto insurance company.  It was a few days before I called the number on the pamphlet.  I was then put in touch with Bonnie.  

My days at this time were a blur as my husband was in a coma and not expected to make it.  Over the next few long weeks angels seemed to just come out of the woodwork.  There were people to hold me, listen to me, help me walk and sometimes let me rest on their shoulder and get a few minutes of much needed sleep.  I didn’t know that my angel Bonnie was already hard at work to help me through, not just days or weeks or months, but years of very trying and happy days. 

Bonnie and her assistant, Suzanne, were voices that I looked forward to hearing.  They told me that I could call them anytime whether it was for legal help or just to talk and boy did I!  I was facing battles that I had no idea how to prepare for or how to fight but they stood by me and helped me win not only the legal battle but more importantly the life changing battles that I faced then and now on a daily basis. 

Bonnie took what I thought at the time a very special interest in my case but as I have come to know her in the past years, it is just the person that she is.  She handled our case with legal knowledge that she was trained and educated for, but also with care and compassion for a person who was in emotional turmoil and knew nothing of what to do other than putting one foot in front of the other.

As I sit and write this, there are tears rolling down my cheeks There is so much that I have to be thankful for and I count my blessings every day.  We all will face sadness in our lives but ours was catastrophic and I am so very thankful for the aide and help and of course the love that I was and am still being shown by Bonnie.  

My husband made a miraculous recovery and he enjoys calling and talking to Bonnie about almost anything and she takes time out of her busy day to listen.

I find new angels in my path each day and in one way, shape or form they help me through.  Sometimes I just don’t know what I ever did to deserve them but I sure am glad they are here and helping me to be strong.   On the days that my life gets overwhelming I know that if I needed to call on Bonnie she would be right there for me only if it was just to hear her voice and know that she was smiling and concerned for me.  I am proud to tell people about my lawyer Bonnie and how blessed I am to be able to call her my friend. 

Victoria Parrish

White Lake,  MI

Yo estaba seriamente escaldado mientras yo estaba en una instalación de centro de salud en Indiana, con quemaduras de tercer grado en las piernas. Yo no hablo Inglés. Los abogados y el personal de Halpert, Weston, Wuori y Sawusch, PC fueron amables, cariñosos, y capaz de obtener traductores y trabajar conmigo y con mi familia a entender mi caso, mis lesiones, y obtener una solución favorable. Yo recomendaría este bufete de abogados para cualquiera, pero especialmente para alguien que ha sido quemada en un accidente.

Marco Antonio Chávez Rodríguez (2009)

Al Stratton

Christina Pheils and Mark Stone (2009)

Each person in the firm has become a true friend. Not only did they support me, but they supported my family and friends through my whole ordeal. They were very concerned about how I was doing and holding up, and they reassured me that we were going to get through the whole experience. They put our emotional state of mind and our physical condition before anything else.

Rick, Tom, Steve, Bonnie, Debbie, and everyone else in the firm are all amazing individuals. I have formed a special bond with these people that will never change. They have impacted my life so much that I can’t even express my gratitude. The firm stands up for what they believe in and fight for what is right. They support you 100% and reassure you that everything will be okay and in the end it is. Even though my case is over, I still go visit them all the time, talk to them on the phone, and email them. They have become family to me and they have supported me and stood by me since my accident.

On January 28th, 2000 I was burned in a chemistry explosion in high school. My teacher was doing an experiment trying to show us different colors of flame. He placed 6 Petri dishes, each containing different crystals, at the front of the classroom. Then he poured methanol in each dish and proceeded to light them. He was only about 6 feet away from the class while doing this. I could see he was being very sloppy. There was no ventilation, and the class wasn’t protected in any way. In a matter of minutes I was in the midst of a ball of fire. My whole life flashed before my eyes and I knew that day would change my life forever.

What I didn’t know at the time was that this firm would also change my life. Everyone has helped me in their own way. Rick became a father-like figure. He was there when I didn’t want to live anymore and talked me out of it. He and my doctor made a house call when I was really troubled and stayed for 2 to 3 hours. Not many lawyers or doctors will make house calls. Tom, he was someone I would go to for advice. He knew what I felt and wanted and he told me something that I will always take with me, “Autum, nobody can make you feel inferior but yourself” and I truly believe that. Steve was someone I could go to if I needed to laugh and forget about life and just kick back. Bonnie, Debbie, Megan, and Susan – they were my “girls.” They always found ways to lift my spirits up when I was down and they always made me feel important. All of them are amazing and all of them wear their hearts on their sleeves.

-Autum Burton

On October 3, 2005, my family’s life changed forever when my Dad was killed by a negligent semi-truck driver. Today, June 3, 2009, not a moment goes by that we don’t miss him; but with your help, we have achieved what justice could be gained through criminal prosecution and a wrongful death suit. Nothing could take the place of my Dad, and we would give anything to have him back. Full justice will only be achieved when we’re reunited with him in Heaven. Until then, we are trusting God to see us through this trial. The proceeds from the lawsuit will provide for my Mom to replace her lost income, and provide money for my Dad’s grandkids to attend college. Thank You.

I wanted to take a moment and share some of my thoughts with your team and any future prospective clients about this experience.

After the accident, my family’s top priority became protecting my Mom. We knew that we needed to consult an attorney. After several interviews in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, and Lansing, we were quite frustrated. None of the law firms even came close to meeting our expectations. We didn’t know who we could trust.

A family member referred us to HWWS. Right away, we knew we had found the right law firm. You and your team had already started an investigation to collect evidence that was quickly disappearing and offered to provide this evidence free of charge to a different law firm if we chose not to retain HWWS. This act of good faith stood in refreshing contrast to other law firms we had interviewed.

During our first interview, Steven described the firm’s “shock and awe” approach to handling their client’s cases. Basically, you explained that HWWS does all the work up front to prepare a case and are quite successful at convincing defendants and insurance companies to settle out of court. Throughout the process, I was impressed with HWWS bold tenacity when dealing with the insurance representatives. I learned early on that HWWS is not in the business of backing down from a fight; at the same time, knew how to wisely pick their battles to protect their client’s interest. Your assessment of the risks and benefits at each milestone made making the tough decisions possible.

HWWS dealt with compassion and integrity with my family throughout the process. Your professionalism and warmth helped us get through the greatest challenge of our lives. You prevented my Mom from any further pain and suffering by keeping this out of the courts, and maximized the settlement value of this case.

My Dad would be proud of how everyone did their job and I would recommend HWWS to any family suffering through a wrongful death.

Sincerely,

Troy Cole P.R. on behalf of the Family of Thomas Cole

I am sure I have not mentioned all of the individuals who played a role in the successful outcome of the trial. If I may, I would like to ask that you convey my sincerest “Thank You” to all those whom I may have omitted. Without their help, the task of presenting the facts would no doubt have been more difficult.

Your preparation, dedication, and presentation of the facts leading up to this traumatic incident gave credence to the overwhelming volume of information that was being heard by my peers. I feel that he true events leading up to the accident are now more widely known and understood by the citizens. They now know more than just the information that was printed in a newspaper. This helps me to believe in my own mind that Keith, Alaine, Connor, and Colin will not be forgotten as just a “tragic event” which occurred in Bangor, Michigan. Through your insight and diligence, the family will remain in the minds of all those individuals who sat through the trial.