Kevin Crockett is Helping People Rewrite Their Stories

In some ways Kevin Crockett never left the theater, he simply found his niche “genre” in the courtroom. The award-winning lawyer once had his sights set on a life in the arts. He loved the theatre for the way it held space for the struggles and triumphs that mark a person’s life. So in some ways, it was a natural move for him to build a career fighting for justice for people suffering harm.  

As a personal injury lawyer Crockett is thrust into the action when a “plot twist” takes the main character of any given case on an unexpected and horrible turn. Crockett is a zealous advocate for wrongfully injured parties and will fight unrelentingly for his clients. When building his case, he delves into his favorite subject – the hero's journey.

“My decision to pursue a career in personal injury stems from a desire to help my clients rewrite their stories and achieve their version of a Hollywood ending,” says Crockett. “Our actions as personal injury attorneys directly improve our clients' lives and help them rebuild after tragedy.”

Crockett has been honing his skills and working in personal injury ever since he got his law degree from the University of California, Irvine School of Law. He opened his own firm, Text Kevin Accident Attorneys, in an effort to create the best possible environment for his clients. Crockett believes in the importance of client communication, and at Text Kevin Accident Attorneys, he’s able to offer a more personal touch, giving clients the one-on-one attention that they deserve.

There’s certainly an element of theater in the courtroom. You must clearly, articulately and emphatically communicate the story of the case in a way that makes it land with impact – one hopefully strong enough to alter hearts and change minds. Every case presents a unique set of circumstances with a wronged party or parties at the center of it. It’s Crockett’s job to ensure that the story is told properly, and it’s a job he doesn’t take lightly.

“Accidents, by nature, are unpredictable and indiscriminate,” says Crockett. “People who call a personal injury attorney have usually been seriously hurt and may be in one of the more difficult times of their lives. That is why I aggressively fight for every one of my clients.”

By helping other people rewrite the endings to the most challenging scenes in their lives, Crockett is living his own dream, in the courtroom, serving justice and impacting lives. And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lawdragon: Will you describe the mix of work you do at your firm?

Kevin Crockett: At Text Kevin Accident Attorneys supporting you after an accident is not just what we do, it’s all we do. I believe it is better to be exceptional in one area rather than mediocre in several. That is why at my firm, we do not have a mix of work but rather we specialize in one specific type of work – auto accidents. We understand the profound impact that even a single accident may have on an individual or their family. We know how important it is to hire an attorney who specializes in auto accidents to give our clients the best support possible.

Of course, other firms also specialize in auto accidents, so we had to find a way to distinguish Text Kevin Accident Attorneys from our competition. What truly sets us apart from our competitors is our emphasis on client communication. At the end of the day, clients want someone to have their back and fight for them. That is why we put a dedicated effort into listening, supporting, and spending quality time with our clients so that we can understand their full stories. Once we know more about our client's life story from before and after the accident, we can use that information to fight tooth and nail for them.

LD: How did you first become interested in developing this type of practice?

KC: Like many other kids, my dream growing up was to pursue a career in theater. My reason for wanting a career in theater was simple and has carried over into my career in personal injury law. It boils down to one simple belief: Nothing is more fascinating than people’s lives and the struggles they face and overcome.

In movies, we root for the heroes to succeed, hope the villains fail, and wish for a Hollywood ending. Similarly, I see each client’s case as a movie script with its twists and turns. The setup for the plot starts with what the client’s life looked like before they were in an accident, followed by the plot's abrupt change after injury strikes. Our clients reach out to us amid their own “hero’s struggle” as they seek legal guidance through adversity. My decision to pursue a career in personal injury stems from a desire to help my clients rewrite their stories and achieve their version of a Hollywood ending. 

Accidents, by nature, are unpredictable and indiscriminate – meaning they can happen to anyone. People who look for and call a personal injury attorney have usually been seriously hurt in an accident and may be in one of the more difficult times of their lives. That is why I aggressively fight for every one of my clients. 

I’ve been on the other side of it, too. Reflecting on my own experiences as a client, I remember feeling like I was just another case on the attorney’s docket. I knew that I wanted to establish a firm where clients would receive unwavering support, undivided attention, and personalized focus from their attorneys. While I cannot undo the physical and emotional toll our clients face after an accident, I can use my experience and legal know-how to offer guidance and support so that my clients find their Hollywood ending.

LD: What are some aspects of this work that you find professionally satisfying? What keeps you excited about it?

KC: There are a lot of aspects of my work that I find professionally satisfying. If there weren’t, I would have tried theater again long ago. The most satisfying parts of being a personal injury attorney are the diversity of the people I encounter, and when I pull off an unlikely win.

Each client presents a new and unique case for us, with its own challenges and complexities. The diversity and uniqueness of each case and each client’s life make the work never feel stagnant and like every day is a new challenge to overcome or a new question to answer. This continuously pushes me to refine my skills and strategies and never leaves me bored.

Many of our clients are referred to us by other attorneys or because they are looking for a new attorney after their case was dropped. These cases can be quite difficult and require a certain level of creativity to achieve the desired outcome. I learned to love these types of cases early on in my career. When I started working with my previous employer, I wanted to learn as much as possible as quickly as I could. To do this, I asked my coworkers if I could take their lower-value cases off their hands. They were considered lower value because they often had gaps in treatment, injuries that looked to be unrelated to the accident, or liability issues. Many attorneys happily gave these cases up because they thought they were not worth their time or effort. Through these cases, I learned how to make a lot out of a little by using my creativity and determination. When I win these types of cases and get my clients compensation for their injuries, I feel a great sense of satisfaction. Not only because I won the case, but also because I know how scared, confused and frustrated my clients may have been when other attorneys dropped their cases and left them in the dark.

Our actions as personal injury attorneys directly improve our clients' lives and help them rebuild after tragedy. Whether through heartfelt reviews, letters, phone calls, or emails, expressions of gratitude and affection serve as a powerful reminder of why I do what I do. Even on the toughest days, these tokens of appreciation make every effort worthwhile.   

LD: Out of all the work you’ve done in your career, what would you say is the most interesting matter you’ve handled?

KC: There was one case that I handled early on in my career, within the first six months or so. There was a boyfriend and a girlfriend who had been involved in a major car accident. Not long after the incident, and after finishing their medical treatment, they split up and sought legal help to get compensation for their injuries. The boy hired my firm and the girl hired another attorney. Although they were involved in the same accident and sustained similar injuries, the ex-couple had two very different outcomes in their cases. My firm was able to settle for two times the amount the other attorney was able to get. The other attorney had been practicing for over 30 years while I was just getting started in my career. This case stands out to me not only because we settled for more than the other attorney but because it gave me tangible evidence that I could succeed in the career that I had just begun.

LD: Is this the type of practice you imagined yourself practicing while in law school?

KC: It is not. I had envisioned a career in a few different fields while I was in law school. At one point in time, I wanted to work in law enforcement. I took the personal history questionnaire, completed a background check, finished the physical examination, and passed the written examination. I was ready, willing and able to begin a career in law enforcement, however, the economic troubles in 2008 set forth a hiring freeze in law enforcement.

Soon after that, I began to envision myself as an attorney practicing entertainment law. I interned at Lionsgate Movie Studios a few times while in law school, and I enjoyed it. My childhood dream to pursue a career in theater and the idea of working as a lawyer for the entertainment industry meshed well together. After I graduated, I thought that entertainment law would be the next step in my career, but I was told that nobody simply starts their career in entertainment law and that you need around ten years of experience before you can start in that line of work.

While I still think about what a career in law enforcement or entertainment law may have looked like now and then, I am happy with the career path that I have taken. In personal injury law, I have been able to use my legal knowledge and talents to make a real difference in the lives of my clients. I am glad that through my career choice, I can help people feel less worried about their circumstances and start focusing on their healing journeys.

LD: What advice do you have now for current law school students?

KC: I have plenty of advice for current law school students, much of which I wish I had followed more closely during my academic career. Once I committed to improving in these areas, I started seeing considerable growth in my career as an attorney.

The first piece of advice I would give is to start building a strong foundation. If you understand the core principles of law during your years in law school, you’ll lay the groundwork for a successful career as an attorney. If you put dedicated effort into this, you will begin your career equipped with the knowledge and skills that are needed to thrive in the legal field.

Another piece of advice I would give is to seek out practical experiences. Make the most out of internships, clerkships and externships. While it is vital to learn all you can from case studies and law books, practical and real-world experience will provide you with invaluable insights into a career in law.

Arguably the best pieces of advice that I can give to law school students is to cultivate professional connections and to utilize your network. Invest in professional relationships with mentors, peers, professors and practicing attorneys. These contacts can offer you support, guidance and networking opportunities throughout your legal career. After all, your network is your net worth.

LD: How would you describe your style as a lawyer?

KC: My style as an attorney is characterized by persistence. I have been described as a dog nipping at the heels of insurance companies in the past because of this. I think that’s what makes me stand out from other attorneys. I have always been more persistent than the average person or the average lawyer. I’ve seen other attorneys settle their client's cases for amounts that are not sufficient for their clients. That may be due to them needing to close the case to get to work on other cases, so they settle for an amount they think is “fair” or because statutes are coming up and they don’t want to continue fighting. I will never stop fighting for my clients until I am certain that we have received the best compensation possible for them.

It is my responsibility to help my clients to the fullest extent of my ability. Sometimes that means that I have to redemand cases several times. I have redemanded cases two times, five times, seven times, and when needed even more than that. I will continue to redemand as many times as I can until I run out of arguments so that my clients can get fair compensation for their injuries. I think a lot of other attorneys won’t do this because they either don’t have the time or because they want to save face. When it comes to fighting for my clients, I don’t get embarrassed or feel shame. I will happily act as a dog persistently and consistently nipping at the heels to help them.

LD: What do you do for fun when you’re outside the office?

KC: I am fortunate that I genuinely enjoy my work. When I am not in the office, I dedicate time to reading, learning and delving into the intricacies of personal injury, California law and search engine optimization. Personal injury is a fiercely competitive market with plenty of skilled attorneys whom I am grateful to count among both my friends and competitors. To ensure the success of my firm in this market, I strive to stay one step ahead of them. Steve Jobs once said, “Learn continually. There’s always one more thing to learn.” That quote has stuck with me since I first heard it. I know that there is a wealth of knowledge and new information that I have yet to learn, and that excites and propels me.