When you’re hurt and an insurance company controls what happens next, you want to know who is really on your side. In our Overview of Services video, Attorney Martin Haxel talks plainly about where he comes from, who he serves now, and how his experience with insurance companies shapes the way we practice law today at Haxel Law.
The video offers a direct look at how we think about car crashes, workers’ compensation claims, and other injury cases in Springfield and throughout central and southern Illinois. Before you decide what to do next, hearing that story in Martin’s own words can help you understand your options and what kind of advocate you want by your side.
From insurance companies to injured people
One of the first things Martin shares in the video is a turning point in his career:
“For the majority of my years practicing law, I actually represented insurance companies. Ten years ago, I went into business for myself, and ever since I've opened up my own office, the majority of my work has been representing injured people. And as of this moment, that's 100% of my work.”
That shift says a lot about who we are. We know how insurance companies operate because we used to sit on that side of the table. Today, we use that insight to stand with injured people who feel outmatched, ignored, or pushed into unfair outcomes.
Real problems people face after an injury
In the video, Martin talks about what many of our clients live through in the weeks and months after a crash or work injury. He doesn’t speak in legal terms. He talks about real pressure:
“Most of those people are hurt. The bills are rolling in. They're getting all this pressure from the insurance carrier. Or the flip side of the coin is they're being completely ignored and they don't know how to get their car repaired. They don't have a vehicle to drive. The medical bills are coming in. The collection agencies are starting to call, and they just need someone to take the pressure off of them and deal with the insurance companies [and] make sure they get a fair shake.”
We build our work around that reality. At Haxel Law, we guide injury victims through car accident claims, workers’ compensation matters, slip and fall incidents, motorcycle and truck collisions, and other injury cases. Our legal team steps into the process, handles communication with the insurance side, and pursues fair results so our clients can focus on getting better instead of battling adjusters and collection calls.
The kinds of cases we handle every day
In just a few sentences, Martin lays out the range of cases we see:
“We take a lot of car accident cases, anything dealing with worker's comp, we will also handle slip and falls, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, any variety of things that might come into the door.”
Those aren’t just labels. They are the kinds of events that turn a normal day into a crisis. Whether someone drives a motorcycle to work, drives a truck for a living, or works in a state office, when an injury happens, they suddenly face forms, deadlines, and insurance decisions that can affect their health and their income.
Because we’ve handled these matters for decades and have seen them from both the injury and insurance sides, we know how to build cases, gather evidence, and push for meaningful settlements or court results. Our background with insurance defense helps us anticipate tactics and prepare responses, from low settlement offers to efforts to downplay the seriousness of injuries.
A blunt look at how insurers see your claim
The video also includes one of the most candid lines Martin shares with injured workers:
“If you get hurt on the job, you're going to be at the mercy of an insurance company adjuster or third party administrator… And their job is to get rid of you as quickly as they can and pay as little as they can.”
That straightforward truth lines up with what many of our clients already sense but haven’t heard said out loud. At Haxel Law, we treat that reality as our starting point. We prepare each case with the understanding that an adjuster or administrator wants to close it for as little as possible. Our job is to use the law, the facts, and the right strategy to counter that drive and work for a better outcome.
Serving central and southern Illinois, one person at a time
Haxel Law sits in Springfield, but our work reaches across central and southern Illinois. In the video, Martin explains how far that commitment goes:
“I will take cases throughout the state of Illinois, but primarily central and southern Illinois… In central Illinois, I've got cases from the Indiana border all the way to the Missouri border on the other side, and all the way down into deep southern Illinois. It is nothing for me to take a case where I might have to drive 2 or 3 hours to actually meet my client, and it doesn't matter whether it's a civil case or a work comp case, that's where I will go.”
We live and work in the same communities we serve. We meet clients where they are, and we handle cases from the first conversation through trial or appeals before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission when a case calls for it. Over the years, our firm has handled more than 100 trials and appeals and recovered millions of dollars for injured workers, first responders, truck drivers, motorcyclists, and families dealing with serious injuries.
Along the way, we’ve earned repeat referrals from former clients and recognition from peers. Our firm has been peer-review rated as “Distinguished” for high professional achievement by Martindale-Hubbell in 2024. We are members of the Illinois Bar Association, the Sangamon County Bar Association, and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association. We have also been honored in the past by organizations such as the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys and Avvo for client satisfaction.
Why this story still matters today
Medical costs keep rising. Insurance policies grow more complex. Collections move faster. In that world, having a legal team that once stood on the insurance side and now uses that insight for injured people carries real value.
The video gives you a straightforward snapshot of how we think and how we work:
- We know the insurance playbook because we used to see it from the inside.
- We focus our work on injured people in personal injury and workers’ compensation cases.
- We offer free consultations and work on a contingency fee basis, which means clients do not pay attorney’s fees unless we recover money for them.
- We stay available 24/7 and keep Saturday office hours, because injuries do not wait for business days.
- We combine strong legal advocacy with personal attention, clear communication, and community involvement.
As Martin notes with a touch of humor, “truth is stranger than fiction” in this line of work. We have seen many unusual and difficult situations. What matters to us is how those situations affect real people, and how our work can help them move forward.
Watch the video and think about your next step
When you watch the Overview of Services video, listen for the moments that sound familiar: the pressure from the insurance carrier, the silence when you need answers, the fear of mounting bills. Then consider what it would mean to have a legal team that understands those pressures and knows how to respond.
If what Martin says in the video reflects what you or someone you care about is going through, we invite you to reach out. You can call Haxel Law at (217) 215-4166 to schedule a free consultation. We can talk about your situation, walk through your options, and see how our experience on both sides of injury and workers’ compensation law can make a difference for you.