
Biography
Christa Binstock Israel is a trial attorney and partner at Atwood Law, P.C., L.L.O., where her law practice is devoted to workers' compensation, personal injury, and wrongful death litigation. Raised on her family's farm/ranch in North Dakota, Christa has what we at the firm have termed "farm charm," which is strong work ethic, compassion for others, humility, and a fierce, unwavering commitment to her clients' interests. Those qualities coupled with her legal intellect, keen perception, and detailed analytical abilities have led to accomplishments both in and out of the courtroom, including successful outcomes in the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court and Nebraska Supreme Court and millions of dollars for her clients via settlement.
Christa is a seven-time Super Lawyers Great Plains Rising Star (2016-2022), an honor recognizing top up-and-coming attorneys and bestowed on no more than 2.5% of attorneys in the State annually. In 2021, she was elected by lawyers throughout the state to serve a 4-year term on the Judicial Nominating Commission for the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court. She is admitted and licensed to practice law in Nebraska, North Dakota, and the United States District Court - District of Nebraska. She is also a trained and certified mediator and a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association, State Bar Association of North Dakota, and Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys.
Christa and her husband, Jarryd, reside in Lincoln with their daughters. When not in the courtroom, Christa enjoys traveling, pushing a stroller around the local farmers markets, attending concerts and Husker sporting events, and sipping coffee.
Testimonials
Christa prides herself in fighting for her clients with the same vigor as she would fight for her loved ones, and her skill in the courtroom and compassion for her clients are echoed in what her clients say about her:
"Christa and her team were exactly what I needed to handle my car accident case. After struggling for a year or so handling the case by myself, I reached out to Christa to take over. She was very knowledgeable, explained everything very thoroughly, and was overall very pleasant to work with. Her and her team were timely with their responses and made me feel that my case was being properly handled. I would gladly hire Christa and her team again!" - Tyler C.
"I am grateful for the day I walked into Atwood Law Firm. I really liked working with Christa, and I am so glad she represented me in court and handled my settlement. Christa makes you feel at ease in tense situations, and her paralegal, Rebecca, was always courteous, friendly, and helpful in obtaining and relaying information. Christa truly looked out for my best interests and put a lot of work in preparing for court hearings, depositions, and trial. My husband and I were very impressed with her knowledge of the law and her legal arguments, and Christa handled herself very professionally and knowledgeably in court. Christa won my trial, hands down. A big THANK YOU to Christa for everything you did on my case. I tell everyone what Christa and the firm did for me and recommend her to anyone who needs help." - Becky C.
"I cannot express how blessed I was to have Christa on my side. My case was always a priority and she explained every detail and made sure I was understanding everything with my work comp case. She is one of the good lawyers that will battle for you when you need her to -- she has her client's best interest in her heart 100% of the time. Thank you to Atwood Law, P.C., L.L.O., for having such a star Lawyer like Christa at your firm! I am from Illinois, but know of many people in the Nebraska area, and I will gladly refer the firm to anyone who is in need of great attorneys who represent with heart and fight for their clients. Once again thank you so much Christa. I was blessed to have you on my side and will forever be grateful for everything you did for me." - Flavio G.
"I met Christa while I was in the hospital recovering from my work injury. From that point forward, Christa went above and beyond for me. I was overwhelmed with my injuries and did not know what to expect. Christa explained the legal process step by step. I knew Christa cared about not only my case, but me personally. There were times when I was upset and frustrated with the legal process, and Christa intervened immediately to make sure the issue was taken care of appropriately. Christa is honest and detailed in explaining the law. I was impressed with the time she took with me, because I know I was not her only client. I have already referred two friends to Christa, and I would not hesitate to refer others." - Dylan P.
"Christa and Becca were extremely thorough and kept me informed until the very end. No matter what questions I had I always got a quick response with in depth answers in terms that I understood -- not all this legal talk. Christa never brushed me off like I was just a paycheck and truly cares about what she is doing and who she is representing. She cares about you as a person and your well-being. Late night calls getting prepared for trial and making sure everything was on the right track. She is truly authentic and genuine person and I couldn't have asked for anyone better to work with!" - Dustin P.
"Christa is very capable and knowledgeable of the work she does and will go out of her way to help you. I am extremely pleased with the outcome of my case. Thank you!" - Jacob D.
"I am very pleased with the representation I have received from Christa. She kept me informed every step of the way and answered my questions in a very informative way! I don't just consider her my lawyer, but a friend." - Richard P.
"Christa and her team helped me with my workers' compensation claim and guided me through the legal process. My calls never went unanswered, and they treated me like I was their only client. Christa is very professional and her work on my case was extremely well done. I will not hesitate to recommend Christa to any of my family or friends who may need her in the future." - Jerry M.
"I am very satisfied with how Christa handled my workers' compensation case. I knew nothing about workers' compensation initially, and I was very grateful that Christa took the time to make sure all of my questions were answered. There is no doubt that I would recommend Christa and the Atwood firm. Thank you!" - Thomas P.
"Very early on in my personal injury case, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Christa for an encompassing question and answer session. I was pleased to know that Christa and the firm had a very firm grasp of my particular situation and the law. Ray, Christa, and Kathy battled on my behalf for a number of months until the successful culmination of my case. They took care of the legal aspects of my dilemma, so that I could concentrate on the long term healing process. I will sing their praises to all who will listen." - Jane S.
"I am so happy that I was able to have Christa as my lawyer. She and Rebecca where very kind and explained everything I needed to know. Christa knows the laws and works very hard for her clients. You couldn't ask for a better lawyer/person to help you with workers' comp. I will and have told people about Christa and her firm. Thank you Christa, Rebecca, and your firm. Thank you for your kindness and all that you did for me." - J. Clark
"Christa was professional and courteous from beginning to end. She kept me informed every step of the way. Her professionalism and promptness is an asset to the firm, and it would be my honor and a pleasure to recommend her to anyone who is need of legal representation. I would add that Christa's paralegal, Becca, was also instrumental in keeping me informed. Five star rating! Thank you for your assistance."- Eugenia B
Education
- University of Nebraska College of Law, Lincoln, Nebraska
- J.D.
- Dickinson State University, Dickinson, North Dakota, Dickinson, North Dakota
- B.A., Bachelor of Arts
- Honors: Summa Cum Laude
- Major: Writing and Political Science
Bar Admissions
- Nebraska
- North Dakota
- U.S. District Court District of Nebraska
Professional Associations
- Nebraska State Bar Association, Member
- Nebraska State Bar Association - Workers' Compensation Section, Member
- Nebraska Association of Trial Attorneys, Member
- Nebraska Judicial Nomination Commission - Workers' Compensation Court, Attorney Member (elected position), Present
- Nebraska State Bar Association - 2019 Leadership Academy Graduate, Member
- State Bar Association of North Dakota, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
Practice Areas
- Personal Injury
- Workers' Compensation
- Wrongful Death
- Medical Malpractice
- Insurance Settlements and Mediation
Honors
- Seven-Time Super Lawyers Rising Star (2016 through 2022)
Recent Noteworthy Judgments/Settlements
- $1,500,000.00+ Lifetime Value Trial Victory: “Porter v. Hormel Foods Corporation, Doc. 217 No.0062 (Award entered on 2/26/2020) Trial victory in the Nebraska Workers’ Compensation Court results in an award to client (injured worker) of lifetime disability and medical benefits valued at approximately $1.5 Million over client’s projected life expectancy. Client sustained severe spinal cord injury as a result of a work accident. Defendant denied liability and refused to pay any benefits prior to trial.”
- $415,000.00 Settlement: “Party Information Confidential. Successfully negotiated resolution of disputed claim of injured worker who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in addition to other physical and psychological injuries. (2021)”
- $450,000.00 Settlement: “Party Information Confidential. Successfully negotiated resolution of claim of injured worker who suffered physical and psychological injuries. (2021)”
- $325,000.00 Settlement: “Party and Case Information Confidential. Successfully negotiated resolution of claim of injured worker who suffered significant physical injuries. (2020)”
- $300,000.00+ Value Lifetime Award: “Schroeder v. Genoa Community Hospital, et. al., Doc. 217 No. 243 (Award entered 3/17/2021). Trial resulted in payment of past incurred medical and mileage expenses, permanent disability, lifetime medical expenses, and penalties (attorney fees, waiting time penalty, and interest) for employer’s failure to timely pay indemnity benefits owed to injured worker.”
Presentations and Seminar Lectures
- How to Stop the Other Side from Derailing Your Case: Ex Parte Communications, Meddlesome Nurse Case Managers, and Last Minute Reports (NATA 2020 Workers’ Compensation Webinar, February 2021)
- FELA Cases: The Basics (NATA Seminar: Pretrial Strategies for Successful Resolution of Personal Injury Cases, December 2020)