Everything Is Going to Be Fine
Personal injury attorney Jason Fine might be better known by his alter ego, Big Al, but no matter how clients find him, he vows to provide them with vigorous representation that gets results.
When attorney Jason Fine set out to establish his own law firm in 2014, he knew the venture would succeed. He already had years of experience in personal injury law and a well-honed commitment to doing right by any client who has had life upended by an accident or other traumatic event. He also knew he had to get people’s attention—and for that, he turned to his alter ego.
Now, almost a decade later, “Big Al”—as he’s known on billboards, television commercials, and, most prominently, radio spots—has helped spread the word by making J. Fine Law a resource throughout the entire state for those hurt in motor vehicle accidents, slip and falls, workplace incidents, and more.
“Big Al has been a great campaign that has provided services and helped out a lot of people, from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh,” Fine says. “Plus we do community events, giveaways, and really try to get into all communities, especially urban ones, to make them aware that they can have a voice without paying anything up front.”
People can call the Big Al hotline—1-800-HURT-123—any time of day and receive assistance. Many have been known to do so right from the scene of an accident.
“Calls automatically are sent directly to me 24 hours a day, so the caller gets to talk to an experienced lawyer from the second they call, not a call center or a paralegal,” Fine says. “As long as I’m not fighting for my clients in a trial, flying, or sleeping so hard that I don’t hear the phone ring, I pick up the phone and help the clients myself.”
Anyone in the tristate area who spends an extended amount of time in the car each day or enjoys listening to the radio while they work has almost certainly heard the “Big Al Gets Big Results” spots, which air on multiple stations daily. The spots are meant to amuse but also to inform.
“The ads are memorable and we change them once a week,” Fine says. “We don’t make light of the situations people are enduring or families are dealing with, but just try to make them smile as they are going through one of the worst moments of their lives.”
A native of Bucks County, Fine had a typical suburban upbringing and was drawn to the law at a young age. He clearly made the right choice, as evidenced by his selection to the list of Pennsylvania Super Lawyers in the area of injury law eight years in a row. Involving a rigorous, multi-phase selection process, this designation is awarded to only 5 percent of all lawyers in the state.
“I don’t remember exactly when, but I knew for a long time that I wanted to do injury work and help communities,” he says. “I had a traumatic incident happen to me when I was 15—I got hit with a golf ball and lost vision in my left eye. But I think even before then, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer representing individuals who needed someone to fight for them.
“When I graduated law school, it was right around the time of the O.J. Simpson trial,” he continues. “I went to the Philadelphia [Public] Defender’s Office and worked in criminal law for five years, but I realized it wasn’t for me and got back into injury law. Ever since then, I’ve been representing injured people for over 21 years.”
Fine jokes that his goal is to visit every county courthouse in the state, and he is well on his way. While a large concentration of the firm’s work is in Philadelphia, Delaware, and Montgomery counties, he and his team are willing and able to handle cases across Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
“We’re not afraid to drive on behalf of our clients or sit in Erie for a trial, like I did last summer,” he says. “We’re a full-service firm, not just a Philadelphia firm.”
J. Fine Law has been involved in high-profile cases, including those involving a food truck explosion in Philadelphia and a child’s serious injury suffered at a daycare facility. Whether it’s a complicated matter or a simple one (big or small), the team goes all out and is ready to go the distance.
“The statistics show that the majority of cases end up settling or going to mediation (actually never seeing a jury), but going to trial keeps you on your toes and makes you a better lawyer,” Fine says. “It’s difficult to work 18-hour days, but I like the trial aspect, improving my skills, and talking to the jury. It definitely has its benefits to pick a jury and develop strategies, and I’m always trying to hone my skills to be the best I can be for my clients.”
Fine and his staff—fellow attorneys include Joe LaRosa, Michelle Mall, and Matt White—stay up to date on the latest developments in injury law and insurance regulations, such as the ever-changing rules for ridesharing accidents. The attorneys are also well-versed in the procedures involving major insurance companies they’ve been battling for decades.
“Insurance companies are taught to delay, deny, and defend, so we have to work the cases to the end before they’ll do anything,” Fine says. “Going against these big corporations, you have to know how to maximize the situation and understand that first and foremost, the goal is getting the client better and second is to get them and/or their families justice for the negligent acts of others.
“I tell my lawyers, we have to build these cases for our clients,” he continues. “We have to know what experts and medical providers to use to get the clients better and build their case for the best and biggest results.”
When their dedication to those clients ends in a favorable outcome, there is no greater reward.
“I just heard from a man who was in a serious accident, broke his leg, and continues to have significant medical issues, and we settled his case for well into six figures,” Fine says. “He was crying on the phone he was so happy. It’s like every job: You have good days and bad days, but when we hear from clients who thank us and appreciate us, it means a lot.”
J. Fine Law
1628 JFK Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(267) 888-2960
JFineLaw.com
1628 JFK Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(267) 888-2960
JFineLaw.com
Photo by Alison Dunlap
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, April 2023.
