David’s Story

When I was 17 years old, I had a motorcycle accident, and the impact of that accident has stayed with me my entire life. I was injured in the accident and spent four nights in the hospital with a serious neck injury, though at the time, we didn’t realize how severe it was. As time went on, I began experiencing neck pain that started to affect my ability to do everyday activities, like playing sports or even sitting at a desk to do homework. In 2006, I had a severe flare-up, and several doctors recommended surgery. However, I wasn’t ready to face it at that time, as I had a family and a business to manage. The thought of neck surgery was overwhelming, so I tried to work out and manage the pain as best I could. Eventually, it became clear that surgery was unavoidable, so in 2010, I underwent the procedure. Since then, I was involved in a car accident where a woman hit me head-on, leading to a second neck surgery. Fortunately, my work as a lawyer, whether at a desk or in the courtroom, doesn’t require heavy physical activity, which would be difficult for me now. The impact of my motorcycle accident and everything that has happened since has profoundly influenced my life. It even led me to become a lawyer because I felt I could truly understand what people go through when they are injured in accidents. Being a personal injury lawyer, working for people and families, and having experienced my own physical challenges has given me a better understanding of what my clients are facing. I believe it helps me be a much better lawyer because I can empathize with my clients’ situations. While I never put myself in their exact shoes, I believe they sense that when I speak to them, it’s from both my professional experience as a lawyer of 35 years and my personal experience as a human being who has faced physical challenges that continue to this day.