Shawn focuses the majority of his law services on helping people who have been injured in some fashion obtain the full recovery to which they are entitled. This includes representing clients who have been hurt at work (workers’ compensation) and representing clients who have been hurt in auto accidents, motorcycle accidents, boating accidents, dog bites, pedestrian accidents, slip and falls, and the like (personal injury). In this capacity, he is in regular contact with insurance companies and their counsel. Over the years, he has developed a sound working relationship with various medical providers and healthcare facilities to better assist him in assisting his clients in these areas.
In aiding clients who have been hurt at work, Shawn strives to ensure that the injured worker obtains the full scope of benefits to which they are entitled under the New Hampshire Workers’ Compensation Law. In this capacity, he frequently attends hearings at the New Hampshire Department of Labor before hearings officers and before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board to advance and protect his clients’ interests and entitlements.
In the personal injury arena, Shawn helps his clients with all aspects of the process from start to finish as well. He assists in the interactions with the insurance companies involved throughout the claim and attempts to secure a recovery for the client through negotiation with insurance adjusters or claims handlers, through mediation or through arbitration. In cases where the parties cannot reach agreement as to a fair and just settlement of the claim and suit is necessary, Shawn will file suit in court on behalf of his clients to protect their interests and will take the case to trial if necessary to get a fair result.
Shawn also represents contractors, building material suppliers and tradesmen in helping to protect their interests. Having worked in the construction industry personally, Shawn also uses his advocacy and litigation skills to help clients in the construction supply trade, construction industry and landscape trades to collect accounts or settle disputes, whether through suit or otherwise. In this setting, he also helps clients secure mechanics liens or other attachments to facilitate collection.
Shawn obtained his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of New Hampshire, graduating in 1990. After working on a fishing boat for a summer in Alaska, he returned to New Hampshire in the fall to attend University of New Hampshire School of Law (formerly Franklin Pierce Law Center) where he earned his law degree, graduating in 1993. After successfully taking the New Hampshire Bar Exam upon graduation, Shawn began practicing law as an associate at a Laconia law firm where he ultimately became a shareholder and owner. The firm came to be known as Fitzgerald & Nichols, P.A. Following the firm’s merger in January 2009 with the local law firm of Wescott, Millham & Dyer, LLP, Shawn remained a shareholder and director in the merged firm of Wescott, Dyer, Fitzgerald & Nichols, PA.
Shawn is admitted to practice in the courts of the State of New Hampshire and in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire. He has served on various local boards and was secretary for the Belknap County Bar Association for several years. He is a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association and the New Hampshire Association for Justice.
Shawn resides in Gilford, New Hampshire with his wife and two daughters.
To contact Shawn directly click here.