What is Board Certification?
Many professions evaluate individuals to ensure they meet the skill, experience, and ability requirements necessary to perform at the highest levels. Certifications are used in turn to help inform consumers in selecting professionals. A common board certification is in the medical profession. In seeking a doctor for heart surgery, a patient would want to ensure their cardiologist is board-certified. In the legal profession, board certification is less common but as important.
The National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) is a nonprofit organization devoted to improving the quality of trial advocacy and aiding consumers in their selection of experienced legal representation. The NBTA’s goal is to inform and educate the public concerning legal representation by board-certified specialists. The organization recognizes and promotes excellence in legal advocacy through a national program certifying specialists predicated on high standards of demonstrated competence and integrity. The NBTA certifies attorneys in specialty areas of practice. Among the most recent certifications is in Truck Accident Law.
An individual involved or injured in a truck accident should seek a board-certified Truck Accident Attorney who has been rigorously tested on trucking litigation and theories of liability in trucking cases. Rather than relying on social media presence and self-promotional marketing when trying to select an attorney, consumers should pay attention to qualifications such as board certification which substantiates an accredited recognition of an attorney’s skills, experience, and knowledge.
How does an Attorney receive Certification?
Certification is the culmination of an exhaustive process that requires years of experience, an extensive amount of knowledge in a specific area of the law and numerous recommendations from both colleagues and judges.
First, an application must be submitted establishing your qualifications and experience to sit for a test. References are contacted and asked to certify the qualifications and ethics of an applicant.
Then an applicant must successfully pass a rigorous all-day test on the area of the law in which you are seeking certification.
Tell us about the Process of Certification for you.
Over the course of my 35-year career as an attorney, I have handled hundreds of collisions involving semi-trucks and commercial vehicles. Most of these crashes have involved very serious or fatal injuries. I have always had a passion for representing those involved in any motor vehicle accident, but, in particular truck accidents.
I applied for certification and took that test in 2020. I am happy to share that I successfully passed the test and became one of the first 50 attorneys to obtain certification as a Truck Accident Attorney. I am the only certified attorney in the State of Washington.
Truck accidents require specialized knowledge. They most often involve Federal Motor Carrier Regulations or the state equivalent, specialized experts, and complex insurance issues. I have committed myself to comprehensively understanding the rules, regulations, and standards required of commercial truck drivers, as well as the insurance policies that apply to each case. I have worked with and continue to work with the best truck accident experts in the country.
Most people do not realize that motor carriers have experts on retainer who immediately go to an accident scene when a collision involving one of their commercial vehicles occurs. Their goal is to start building a defense to a claim as quickly as possible. It is important to have an attorney who understands how the process works on both sides.
In addition to certification, what other involvement do you have in the field of Truck Accidents?
I am on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys, a member of the Truck Litigation Group with the American Association for Justice, and a member of various other groups that are dedicated to representing those injured in truck accidents.
I also share my knowledge and experience in both articles and presentations. I am regularly asked by other lawyers to associate or consult on their truck accident cases. Assisting others allows me to continue to gain knowledge and experience for the benefit of those who come to me after they have been involved in a truck accident.
It is my goal to bring a great deal of empathy and energy to the claims of my clients. My knowledge, skills, and experience in truck accident law allow me to pursue the justice to which each of my clients deserve. No one can change what has happened when a truck accident occurs, but it is my hope that we can bring some closure and to make a difference in their lives.
My focus and commitment in the field of truck accidents is not just in courtroom victories or successful settlements, but it is also directed in making lasting changes – changes that will make our roads safer.
