A FAN of Success for the Seriously Injured asked me a question. “What lessons have you learned representing people with serious injuries?” I have often asked myself what I would have done differently after a case was over. In my book, Insider Secrets to Winning Your Personal Injury Battle, I reveal lessons others have taught me about trial strategy and what people with serious injuries go through on the way to court and what happens afterward.

So, this morning, on a walk, I thought about the question.

I have learned that there is nothing that makes me more effective in court than taking a long walk in the morning. It puts me in a good frame of mind for the rest of the day, especially if I have tossed and turned and got up at four in the morning thinking about the day in court.

Not to try to be who others think I should be, but to be me is a lesson I learned the hard way!

Early in my career, anger controlled me if I hung on to it. Eventually, I exploded. I learned that anger is not a problem. It is what I do with it.

From my brave survivors, I learned that life is a succession of moments and to live each one is in itself to succeed. They also taught me not to be afraid of my fears, but rather to embrace them, deal with them, and then they become, after a while, less than they once seemed.

Reflecting, I think the most important lesson I learned advocating for people with serious injuries is that grief is so often used as a safety valve, but the tighter you hold it, the sadder and more all-consuming you will feel.

Besides competent service, seriously injured clients want:

9. Financial advice. Seriously injured clients want a lawyer to tell them about the advantages and disadvantages of a settlement are, what is the value of their case in dollars, and what to do with their money if they win a settlement or verdict.

To read Parts 1-8, go to www.personalinjury411.com

For forty years, I advocated for people with serious injuries – brain, spinal cord and burn injuries. I witnessed what it takes to survive the legal system and life after the verdict – favorable or unfavorabe. I met a cast of characters that can best be described as Shakespearean. They have enriched my life beyond description. During the past three years, I interviewed clients, catching up with many with whom I had lost touch. I wrote their stories as a monument to their lives and mine.

During the month of March 2010, I launched my latest book, Insider Secrets to Winning Your Personal Injury Battle – A Seasoned Trial Lawyer Reveals All -and embarked upon a journey. It celebrated Brain Injury Awareness Month, presenting seminars with my partner, Bruce Stern.

With the advent of the Internet and Social Media, my new journey has let me walk in many more shoes. Sherman Jones and I talked about his wonderful book about the horrors of war and brain injury, Garry Prowe introduced me to a guide that helps people with brain injuries navigated from the acute stage to rehabilitation. Karen Wilson showed me what it was like to be a devoted advocate for people who have suffered brain injury from domestic violence. They have given me a better understanding of others’ journeys. Lee Woodruff and I discussed what is like to be a victim, then a survivor, and then a warrior for victims.

Readers like Tom Dempsey and Bob Voogt and Carolyn Feigelson have written that Insider Secrets is meaningful to lawyer colleagues, rehabilitation professionals and survivors. The Trentonian newspaper has seen fit to carry my blog.

To those of you who have met me on the Internet, I thank you for your time and comments.

It has been a wonderful two-month journey. Where it will lead and end, I have no idea.

I invite you to walk with me.