For attorney Kenneth Millman, helping those who have been injured through no fault of their own is his career mission. Millman concentrates his law practice on personal-injury litigation, which includes automobile, motorcycle and trucking accidents, medical malpractice claims, wrongful death claims and premises liability actions.
“I help victims of the negligence of others,” he said, “people who were hurt in all kinds of accidents. I represent people who have been injured, people who have suffered tremendous harm. That’s what I do.”
An attorney with Fanelli, Evans & Patel, Millman has lived and practiced law in Berks County for almost a quarter of a century. He recently was appointed managing partner of the Pottsville-based firm’s newly opened Wyomissing office, 867 Berkshire Blvd.
Millman, a lawyer for more than 25 years, graduated from Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, and Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg. He started his career as an appellate law clerk to the Honorable John T.J. Kelly Jr. of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania and served as Assistant District Attorney in Berks County. He has been in private practice for nearly 24 years.
In many ways, Millman said, his time in the Berks D.A.’s office prepared him for the work he does now: building cases to help those who have been victimized or hurt by the actions of others. It’s work he revels in.
“I enjoy putting together a case from scratch,” he said, “getting out there and getting it prepared and ready to go, but even more than that, I enjoy helping people.”
Millman’s background and trial experience set him apart in his field. “I don’t think there are too many attorneys in the Berks County community who have as much trial experience as I do,” he said. “Over the course of the last 20-plus years, I’ve tried almost 100 cases through trial to verdict.”
More than that, he said, he has been successful in the court room, getting good results and large settlements for his clients. “I look forward to bringing that success with me to every client I represent,” he said.
Millman said when someone is injured, there can be harm beyond the physical injuries. These can include financial injuries due to significant medical expenses and the temporary or permanent inability to work and earn wages. Harder to quantify is the pain and suffering, both physical and emotional, that can be endured by victims following an accident. There are all kinds of emotional distresses for victims, he said, these may include the inability to participate in the recreational activities and hobbies they formerly enjoyed or the inability to perform daily activities of living.
“I am not really the suing type,” Millman sometimes hears clients say. “I never thought I would want to do this, but I didn’t realize how bad it is. I didn’t realize how much pain I’d be in. I didn’t realize how much this is affecting my life. I didn’t realize how much money it was going to cost me.”
People sometimes do not understand the devastating impact of a serious injury until it happens to them or a loved one, he said.
“It turns their whole life upside down,” he said. “They are entitled to get compensation for all of that, past, present and future, and I think I’m in the best position possible to help them out.”
In some cases, Millman said, claims can be resolved without filing a lawsuit, and just because a lawsuit is filed, it doesn’t mean a case will go to trial. He has successfully represented clients in both arbitrations and mediations when it benefitted those clients.
“Our court system is still the best system we have for resolving disputes,” he said. “Even though not all cases will go to trial, I prepare every case as though it is going to trial because I want to be ready if it does.”
Many people do not realize that even though their negligence claims are against the individuals who caused them harm, the recoveries are made through insurance companies, Millman said. Insurance companies are businesses, he noted, and more inclined to collect premiums than to pay out claims.
“That’s why you need an attorney,” he said. “If you don’t have an attorney, the insurance companies are going to take advantage of you. I’ve been dealing with insurance companies and insurance adjustors my whole career. I know how to negotiate. I know how to bring claims to a successful resolution. I know how to maximize compensation.”
When a case does go to trial, Millman said, it is essential that a client have a lawyer experienced in the courtroom, one who can get good results in front of a jury and make sure the client receives justice.
“That is really what it is all about,” he said. “The fact that I have been representing people in this situation for more than 20 years has instilled in me the understanding of exactly what it is they are going through, the ability to guide them through the process and, most importantly, make sure that the result is the best possible result that can be achieved.”
About 15 years ago, Millman also started representing individuals who were victimized by sexual assault. He helped many survivors of sexual abuse, both men and women, bring claims against their perpetrators and those who enabled the perpetrators. Obtaining justice through the legal system, he said, helped many of these clients in their recovery from such a horrific experience.
Although Millman is newly associated with Fanelli, Evans & Patel, he has practiced in Berks for most of his legal career and considers himself a part of the local community. He and his wife live in and raised their two sons in Exeter Township. He coached youth sports in both Reading and Exeter for more than 15 years and formerly served as a trustee and president of the Exeter Community Library Board.
“I enjoy living here,” he said. “I think it is great place to raise a family and a great place to operate a business. It’s a great place to live, work and play.” Millman also said he understands what it takes to be successful in the greater Berks community and is happy to answer questions from potential clients.
“I am always willing to talk to someone about any of their legal issues,” he said. “I am happy to answer questions on the phone. I am happy to sit down and meet with someone in person.” Initial consultations are free of charge.
It is not unusual for Millman to visit clients in their homes to better assess their situations and needs. This helps give him understanding of what his clients may be going through, he said.
“I like to get to know my clients,” he said. “I feel that the only way I can truly help them is if I actually know who they are as a person.”
His hope is that all his clients completely recover and are able to resume life as it was prior to the injury, he said. But that is not always possible.
“I truly wish what I could do is take your case in front of a jury and get a verdict for you and have the award be to make you better, to get you healthy, to get you back to where you were before the injury occurred. Regretfully, I can’t do that. I can’t make this injury magically disappear. The only way that I can seek any type of justice for my clients is to get them fairly compensated.”
If you have been injured, call Kenneth Millman at 484-869-2113 to schedule your free consultation.