5 Things I Would Never Do as a Personal Injury Attorney

I have practiced law for 17 years as a trial attorney and a victim advocate. Over the last 5 years, I have focused specifically on personal injury law. From my experiences with traffic accident victims, I have learned many things. Specifically, I have created a list of 5 things I would never do as a Personal Injury Attorney.

#1 – I would never ride a motorcycle as a Personal Injury Attorney.

First and foremost, I would never ride a motorcycle as a personal injury attorney. Look at other professionals who post “Top 5’s.” Neurosurgeons, plastic surgeons, and ER doctors all tell you, “Don’t ride a motorcycle.”

And there is a good reason! People who are in accidents while on a motorcycle are MUCH more likely to get significantly injured than those who are in a car or truck.

In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that motorcyclists are 29 times more likely to be killed in a traffic collision than occupants of other types of motor vehicles. Not only are motorcyclists more likely to be killed in a crash than drivers or occupants of other vehicles, but they are also four times more likely to be injured.

There is just too little protection between motorcyclists and the road, even with a helmet on.

#2 – I would never ride an electric scooter as a Personal Injury Attorney.

The second thing I would never do as a personal injury attorney is ride an electric scooter. I work in Maryland, Northern Virginia, and the Washington, D.C. area. I see people riding scooters all the time, especially in D.C.

However, there are not enough rules, regulations, or protections in place for the operators of these vehicles. And there is even less protection between these riders and the road than motorcyclists have! Most riders do not even wear helmets.

Many scooter riders are inexperienced and/or distracted. Even worse, according to a report by the Transportation Review Board (as mentioned in an article by SmartCitiesDive), few scooter riders wear helmets, even though they prevent injury.

SmartCitiesDive also mentioned in their article that, based on a review of 307 e-scooter injury cases, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that roughly only 52% of the injured riders wore helmets.

#3 – I would never ride a bike without a helmet as a Personal Injury Attorney.

In a similar vein, I would never ride a bike of any kind – motorcycle, scooter, bicycle – without a helmet as a personal injury attorney. Double-check my statistics in point #2.

If you ride a scooter, motorcycle, or bicycle without a helmet, you are just asking for trouble. Talk about some head injuries!

You are more likely to be injured if you are wearing no helmet than if you have one. So, protect your head.

#4 – I would never jaywalk as a Personal Injury Attorney.

My personal favorite thing I would never do as a personal injury attorney is jaywalk. You may not believe it, but I do NOT jaywalk.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the Highway Loss Data Institute, “A total of 6,516 pedestrian deaths occurred in 2020. Pedestrian fatalities increased 4 percent from 2019, and account for 17 percent of all crash fatalities.”

I call jaywalkers “Mr. Squishy” because they are more likely to get hit than pedestrians using a crosswalk. If they get hit, they are going to be dramatically injured. Honestly, they will be lucky to survive. If they do, they will have multiple complications from their injuries. And personally, this is not the way I want to go. So, don’t be Mr. Squishy.

#5 – I would never have minimum insurance coverage as a Personal Injury Attorney.

The fifth and final thing I would never do as a personal injury attorney is have minimum insurance coverage. Paying for “bare bones” coverage is a poor decision. You want as much insurance as you can – auto, homeowners, umbrella, etc. Ask for Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM), Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UIM), and Personal Injury Protection Coverage (PIP).

Buy it all. More coverage is not that much more expensive than minimal coverage. And you cannot depend on other drivers to have decent coverage or any coverage at all. So, take steps to make sure you are adequately covered by insurance, whether the other driver is or not. In the end, it will cost less than receiving no reimbursements to cover your injuries.

Conclusion

Those are the top 5 things I would never do as a personal injury attorney. Be safe out there. But if you are injured in a traffic accident, call me for a free consultation.