As a successful trial and truck accident attorney, I am often asked why I became an accident and injury lawyer and why I focus my practice on representing victims of trucking accidents. Over more than a decade of running my own practice, I have pondered the answers to these very questions in light of my dedication and fierce commitment to helping victims of the negligence of others.
I cannot answer one question without answering the other. So, I’ll begin with the first question, which inevitably intertwines and will lead me into answering the second. More on this website
Why did I become an accident and injury lawyer?
I grew up in a small, blue-collar town. My family is blue-collar. I am proud of that. I learned a lot about hard work and perseverance from my mother and father.
When I was lucky enough to head off to college, something neither of my parents had the opportunity to do, I knew that I had to make something of myself, to contribute to society in some positive way, to give back for the opportunity that I have been given. How to achieve that goal was not readily apparent to me. I spent a lot of time over many years considering that goal.
When I graduated from law school, I joined a highly respected firm of defense attorneys. Over the course of a couple of years, I worked to defend those who were sued for negligence and causing harm to victims of automobile and trucking accidents and through medical malpractice. While that experience certainly taught me about accident and injury law, I found that my heart was not on the defense side of litigation.
I grew up in a small town. I grew up as a blue-collar guy. I was a little guy. Slowly the path to achieving my goal became clearer to me: I needed to fight for the other little guys in the world. I had to fight for justice for those people who had been wronged or harmed by the negligence of others. I needed to make sure that those little guys without access to big law firms and expensive expert consultants were able to fight for and protect their own rights. It was with that goal in mind that I started my own personal injury and accident law firm.
In the early days and years of the firm, I had more heart and energy than experience and knowledge. Over time, I gained the experience and knowledge I needed to deliver top-quality legal service to my clients, all without losing that passion and focus that drove me to fight for little guys in the first place.
Why did I become a truck accident lawyer?
Through more than a decade of fighting for the little guy, I have witnessed a lot of tragedy. I know how it can ruin lives and leave a lifetime of pain and suffering for victims and their families. Yet, I have also seen the power of the human spirit, and have experienced its incredible strength and determination. I have been humbled by the strength of character that many of my clients have shown during the course of our fight for justice.
Over the years, one area that has continued to astound, frustrate, and anger me has been trucking accidents. Time and time again, truck drivers and commercial trucking companies show a blatant disregard for the safety of others on the road. An alarming number of the big tractor-trailers on the road are operating in violation of the federal safety guidelines and violating rules that should keep them off the road. Still, further, many truck drivers ignore the speed and other safety regulations that would help ensure the safe operation of their rigs. All too commonly, these trucking companies and truck drivers put their own interests and profits in front of our safety, in front of the safety of the little guy who shares the roadways with them.
As a truck accident lawyer, I have committed myself to reducing the number of deadly and serious truck accidents on our roadways. I work with clients to pursue justice and compensation for wrongs done to them and to hold accountable truck drivers and trucking companies who have broken the law. Through my involvement with organizations like the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America and the Transportation Group of the American Association for Justice, I work with other leading legal experts to make the road a safer place through developing litigation strategies and legislation.
My firm has also assembled an emergency truck accident investigation team that can investigate a truck accident within hours of the collision. This quick response time is crucial in holding these careless truck drivers and truck companies responsible for the harm that they have caused our clients and their families.
For me, being an accident and injury trial lawyer, and concentrating on representing victims of trucking accidents, is about working for justice and truth to protect victims of these terrible accidents. Taking on that fight on a daily basis on behalf of the little guy is my life’s work and how I level the playing field for the little guy.