Clark Karell on Building Trust With Clients | The AICA Podcast Ep. 5

Jeff Shaw (00:00)

Welcome to the AICA podcast. I’m Jeff. And today we’re excited to welcome on Clark Karell as our guest. And Clark is the founding litigator of Karell trial attorneys, which was founded in 2021. He grew up the son of two disabled military veterans and their service has shaped his life and his mission in the law. Clark has lived abroad and throughout the United States, earning dual degrees in political science. And this one fascinated me, Clark.

Experimental psychology. We might have to get into that if we have time before getting his law degree from Georgia State. Clark lives in Brookhaven with his wife and daughter, and he is driven by a passion for helping others and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those he has the opportunity to represent. Welcome, Clark.

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (00:45)

Thank you very much for having me. It truly is a pleasure,

Jeff Shaw (00:46)

Yes, sir.

Well, let’s jump in. prior to founding Karell trial attorneys in 2021, what was the catalyst for wanting to start your own personal injury firm?

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (00:56)

So honestly, I was truly blessed. It didn’t seem like it at the time. I’d always wanted to, you know, launch my own practice. And there’s so many attorneys out there that definitely do. And it’s really hard, you know, especially when you got the job, you know, you’re getting the salary. You’ve heard the term golden handcuffs where you’re kind of locked in because you can’t get away. I was working for one of the big billboard firms doing a lot of litigation. That’s all I did. And like many at those bigger firms, the litigation mill firms, you know, you get stressed out. You’re really, they wear you down a little bit. And, uh, this particular one I was at, they sent out an employment satisfaction survey and I told the truth for better, for worse, you know, did a follow up phone call with HR and, and I kind of knew HR, you know, it wasn’t that large of a firm.

We were talking outside of work, not as she was in the position of HR and, ⁓ it was brought back to, know, the higher ups and, basically, I was a turd in the punch bowl and June 4th, 2021. I’ll never forget it. I was working with still kind of during COVID people are remote, but I’d always be in the office and, they called me to the conference room. Uh-oh that conference room. Yeah. And so I walk in, it was a head guy, the COO and a guy with a gun on his hip in the corner. I should have known better, but it truly was a blessing. They, see me out and I shake my hand, say thank you very much.

You know, because it really gave me the kick and the tail to, to say what, you know, let’s do it. You know, obviously I have issues. Let’s see if I can do it any better, you know, at least give it a try and I’d encourage anybody who’s thinking about it, give it a try. Cause you know, if it all went to hell and I could go find another job at another firm somewhere. But at least I can say I did it and I’m damn sure thankful I did.

Jeff Shaw (02:38)

I love that you got one of those unexpected life nudges that let you step out. Yeah. I can, I can imagine kind of seeing it done a certain way, developing your own kind of mantra and philosophy and then having the chance to actually step out and make something for yourself the way that you want to do it.

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (02:57)

Yeah, no, it was a blessing. I was lucky in that, you never thought being fired would be a blessing, but it truly was.

Jeff Shaw (03:03)

I appreciate your perspective and your honesty too. So in your experience now, so you’ve got the time with your own firm obviously, how long were you doing personal injury prior to launching Karell Trial Attorneys?

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (03:16)

So I’ve always wanted to do well, since law school, I knew after my first year summer, I knew I wanted to do a personal injury. I wanted to help people, obviously. My parents, you know, I witnessed what they went through with the VA and being disabled vets. And you would think I’d want to help that, it’s too close to me. I couldn’t go do that, but I wanted to help people in some form or fashion. Thought it was going to be criminal law initially. I did my first year summer, the 1L summer after the first year of law school at the Fulton County Public Defender’s Office.

At the end of the summer, the guy was like, and this can all be yours. And I was like, I’m going to do civil. I’m looking forward to down the road, going back and doing some pro bono work to help people. But it’s tough and, you know, working as hard as you work to get through undergrad and law school.

Yeah, it was kind of miserable work, all honesty to do that day in, day out. So I knew early on that I, you know, after that, that I wanted to do civil litigation and, ⁓ always wanted to help people. It was funny actually in law school there at Georgia state, we had superlatives, you know, and I was voted “most likely to have his face on the side of a Marta bus.” And in law school, actually they looked down on that, you know, people like, you know, trashy PI lawyers.

You know, it’s the big law or, know, go work for a judge, but, know, I, I wore that as a badge of honor, whereas others didn’t quite see it that way. I loved it. And, know, I started a small, smaller practice. actually, got somewhat of like a, it was really like, I would say a pay cut considering, you know, when I was getting in loans and I was, you know, also working, waiting tables through law school and I took a job at very, very low rate just to get into the PI community and then went to another firm and then another firm, gradually learning more, getting more experience and I’ve taken something from everywhere I’ve went and it was good. I did nothing but litigation work and I definitely learned a lot.

Jeff Shaw (05:15)

That’s awesome. So I’m very curious to hear your perspective on this. So with AICA being on the medical side, you’re obviously trying cases and handling the process of litigation. What are some common mistakes throughout your experience or maybe misunderstandings have you seen crop up between attorneys or legal and then medical and the providers that are serving your clients on the other side?

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (05:40)

You know, it really all comes down to one thing and that’s just communication. The communication is so key. You know, it’s so easy to miss what we might see as simple things and you can’t think that somebody’s thinking the same way as you, you know, there needs to be a constant, you know, communication just like, this is what’s going on. You know, if the client says they’re good, you know, then just let them go.

If the client’s really in pain, having issues like, let’s make sure that we’re all on the same page to how to best go about treating the client. Cause at the end of the day, to hell with everything else, you know, helping, you know, the client, you know, them getting better is the most important part, you know, because something happens down the They’ll remember that you looked out for them. You took care of them and there is nothing again, you know, making sure that they’re in the best possible shape that they can be in for that specific instance. And in doing so, getting them there does require communication between the law firm and the medical provider.

Jeff Shaw (06:31)

That’s great. And I can imagine, you know, a lot of times the point at which someone is coming to you for help, might be one of the lowest moments in their life, right? Like they’ve potentially been in a traumatic car accident. They’re trying to figure out transportation, hold down their job. They’re working through their pain and they’re navigating a process that’s just unfamiliar to them. So a lot of times I can imagine your clients feel a very pressing financial need. So they’re thinking, okay, Clark, how do I get money quick? Like I’m in need, I’m in a pinch. And then of course, on your end of things, you’re looking and saying, hey, there’s an aspect of this that has to play out, right? It’s not always quite that simple. So how do you find yourself navigating that tension with your clients?

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (07:20)

Yeah. And to begin, we have to try to remind ourselves, we do this for a living. We see this all the time. And I think we really sometimes forget about where these clients are and the trauma they’ve really faced. When you do it day in day out, kind of, maybe not forget, but take it for granted the true significance of what they’re going through. And so first of all, step one is to remember the hardships that they’re facing in this instance and what this has, how this has impacted them.

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (07:46)

It’s not just about working the file and making sure they get the best result, but it’s also about coming to their level and meeting them and letting them know that you care and that you understand. And again, it comes back to communication, communicating with that client and saying, look, I’m here for you and I want the best for you.

The billboard guys love them or hate them. You know, they definitely inform the public as far as their rights and whatnot, but you know, they see these big billboards. I’m going to get you this quick settlement and get you this. And like to me, especially having done a lot of litigation work, like a quick settlement, you’re losing value. Like unless it’s just a $25,000 policy and it is what it is. Like, you know, quick settlement might not be in your best interest. And it’s about communicating with the client. Like, I know you want the money, but that money’s going to go sooner rather than later. At some point that money isn’t going to be there anymore. You’ll have went through it, but that pain and the issues that you’re facing are going to be with you for life. And so that’s why, you know, it’s most important to truly address the issues because the money be damned, your health should be number one. And so again, it’s just going back and like letting them, walking them through the process, explaining to them, I want to help you. I’m here to help you. Let me help you.

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (08:48)

Snd there, there are services that can, you know, get them some money or something if they need it. You know, we definitely try to keep the client reined in and, you know, it’s a tough process. It really is tough for them. And sometimes I don’t have a good answer and it’s just really just letting them know that I’ll open it honestly, rather than, you know, just blowing smoke and you know, Hey, this is hard, but you know, if you want to, this, this is kind of what we need to do.

But it comes back to getting back on their level and letting them know that you care to really get them to understand where you’re going. Cause at the end of the day, that’s what we’re focused on is making sure that we get the best outcome. And again, there might be some tough times and sometimes I don’t have an answer. that’s tough. It really is. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Jeff Shaw (09:22)

Wow, that’s real.

That’s real. So being, you yourself live in the Metro Atlanta area, you have your practice, I’m sure you cover the majority, if not all of the Metro Atlanta area and even beyond. We who have been here for a long time know that there’s all kinds of things going on, right? Like ride shares booming, bicycles, motorcycles, tractor trailers, the whole gamut. And there’s constantly, every time I’m commuting, there’s at least one accident.

So as you’re kind of looking at the lay of the land and here in Georgia, we’ve gone through some recent tort reform, right? As you look ahead, maybe a few years, is there anything on the landscape that you see coming that will be relevant to the personal injury community?

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (10:06)

Well, first of all, absolutely. there was the whole tort reform thing. ⁓ you know, SB 68 was, you know, coming after your right to a civil justice and, whoever’s listening to this podcast, you know, understand, you know, people, first of all, think, ⁓ my insurance rates are going up because these PI attorneys are just suing everybody. And that’s not the case. I mean, they’ve done plenty of studies in other States who have really enacted it. And, you know, our right to a jury trial is enshrined in the constitution. This is seventh amendment. And, you know, it is very important and that should be held to the same account as the first and second amendments, but it’s not, it’s, it’s under attack. I, you think this was the first part, they’re still coming. They, they, know, that, is the tip of the iceberg. They are coming after us. you know, with the larger insurance lobbies, you know, are, are really coming after us. And so it’s important to stay engaged and understand the importance of your right to civil justice. And just know that the reason I have my position is not because, you know, not because I like sought it out and we made it a thing. It’s because the insurance companies really just screw people over. If they did the right thing and treated people fairly, I wouldn’t have a job. I’d be right and wills are doing something else, you know? And so it’s very important to understand that the insurance company does not have your best interest. It is the shareholders and stockholders of, you know, their corporations. Those are the ones that they really look out for and they will do what they can to make sure they’re bottom line and not care about you. So first of all, I say make sure to stay engaged. That’s because they’re still coming after us with the tort reform and we have to stand up because it’s not about us. It’s about the community and their benefit because I truly believe, you know, civil justice, when we go and make these, you know, we get compensation, we get verdicts. It drives social change.

You know, they, will modify their behavior, but if they can get away with screwing people over, it’s just going to get worse as far as other conditions that we have to live in. you know, with that SB 68, I will say that it’s unfortunate, but you know, if you’re injured on a premises, as far as not necessarily slip and fall, but, you know, there’s the security breach, a security issue, negligent security. Good luck. You likely won’t recover anymore in Georgia. mean, it’s the bar is so high. and, you know, with the Ubers and stuff as well, we talked about those, you know, they are really limiting. They’ve kind of capped, even though they’re a commercial carrier, they should be considered a commercial carrier. They’ve been able to cap how much, you know, they’d be on the hook for insurance policy wise. so, you know, again, with them coming after you, it’s important to stay engaged. And it’s also very important to have uninsured motorist coverage because.

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (12:27)

You know, they’re, they’re, they’re fighting like crazy to, to continue to limit how much you can recover from the at fault party. So it’s very important to protect yourself moving into the future. And, know, Hey, if you have any questions on that, feel free to look up Karell trial attorneys. I’d be happy to go over that with you because that’s something that is really going to matter as we continue down the road, as they continue to eat away at, you know, your, your chances for justice against the true at fault party.

Jeff Shaw (12:52)

So Clark, with all of these changes in the landscape and some of the challenges and the tensions we talked about navigating the personal injury space, do you see yourself in this particular field for much longer? Are you planning a transition? Where are you at with all that?

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (13:08)

No, I love it. mean, this is truly a blessing. I reinforce with the team, we do the Lord’s work. I mean that. And how much of a blessing is it to be able to help people? You know, we truly, we fight for them. We come in daily and knowing that our work is meaningful to individuals. I mean, we hand people checks that truly change their lives.

And I couldn’t ask for anything. I’m blessed. I’m lucky to be where I’m at. I’m truly blessed. I don’t know why, but to be able to do what we do is just beyond rewarding. And I couldn’t ask for anything more because, you know, being able to change people’s lives, know, doing the right thing, doing the Lord’s work and you know, we, we, we enjoy doing it. It’s a, a, know, we have a good time trying, you know, that’s what the, know, getting the insurance companies to pay. I mean, they might say, we’re going to offer this. And we say, okay, we’ll see about that. And I couldn’t ask for anything better. it really is a, a gift that I’m able to do this day in day out.

Jeff Shaw (14:03)

Well, it is very clear in a short time that you still have that fire in your belly. No question about it. So Clark, I want to thank you for joining us today. To all of our listeners, viewers, thanks for tuning in. Take care and we will see you next time. Bye.

Clark R. Karell, Jr. (14:18)

Thank you, Jeff.