Business Profile: Attorney Kevin Crockett

He did not plan to become an attorney. As the youngest of eight, he comes from a family of attorneys, and eventually, he became the sixth attorney among his siblings.

But initially, Kevin Crockett wanted to work in law enforcement. “I did the personal history questionnaire, the background check, the physical examination, and the written examination. And then, the 2008 economic downturn came, and law enforcement went into a hiring freeze,” said Crockett, founder and managing partner of Crockett Law Group.

He shelved the project and graduated first in his class from the University of California, Irvine, with a Criminology, Law and Society degree. “People typically do one or two things with that degree. Generally, they go into law enforcement or become an attorney,” Crockett told California Business Journal. He waited for law enforcement to start recruiting again—but it did not happen. So he did the Law School Admission Test and furthered his studies at the University of California, Irvine School of Law.

“During law school, I interned at Lionsgate Movie Studios—twice over the summer and then during a semester. When I graduated, I thought I wanted to enter entertainment law. But I was told nobody starts their career in entertainment law; you need at least five if not ten years of experience to do that line of work.”

He started exploring the market and sending unsolicited mass applications to many places. “I wanted to be in control. I thought that if I sent out many applications, I’d have a handful of responses from which I could choose,” Crockett said. And he did.

“And I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he said.

Car accident cases involve navigating complex legal procedures, paperwork, and regulations. Victims require the expertise of skilled attorneys who understand the intricacies of personal injury law, insurance policies, and liability. These legal professionals guide victims through the legal process, ensuring they meet deadlines, file necessary documents accurately, and adhere to legal requirements.

Albeit accidentally swerving into the field, Crockett is content with his career curve. “In my line of work, I deal with many different people and personalities. They’re individuals from different walks of life; they’re the general public. I represent them in a fast-paced environment where they’re up against an insurance company. I must win so they receive the funds they deserve to ensure their lives go through no disruption.”

His personality serves him in his legal battles; he admits that he does not get embarrassed. “I’m like a dog nipping at their [the insurance companies’] heels,” he says. He is also persistent, ensuring he gets “the most compensation possible” for his clients while keeping their costs low.

Traffic accident-related personal injuries plummeted in 2020 as the pandemic sent people to lockdowns. However, since then, statistics have been increasing. Publicly available data suggests that in 2023, far more accidents were recorded in California than in 2021. The California Highway Patrol reported a total of 216,366 accidents in 2022. Out of these, 3,854 resulted in fatalities, and 165,978 caused injuries. Despite the increase, however, figures still have not reached pre-pandemic levels.

In California, people mainly depend on driving cars due to the impracticality of public transportation. The state also receives an increasing influx of new people; accidents will occur. However, Crockett does not expect further hikes in the statistics. “Smart vehicles are making a difference. The cameras and alerts—technology is changing the landscape. It’s making car driving and parking safer for people, which is great,” the attorney said. “Car accidents appear to be leveling off.”

Nevertheless, driving under the influence and using smartphones while driving are tendencies that still cause issues. Many of Crockett’s clients are from Palm Springs—a tourist destination where people go for a night out and drive back to their hotels after drinking. “As long as people can drink and drive, they’re going to—despite ride-hailing services. And people are still texting on their phones while driving,” he said. Crockett believes that as long as humans are behind the steering wheel, car-related personal injuries are unavoidable, no matter how elevated technology becomes.

But technology is in a rapid evolution. Autonomous driving cars available to the public are in level three, which means software handles two or more simultaneous driving functions. Some carmakers have reached level four, where most driving functions are automated, with human intervention needed only in unusual circumstances. However, these are limited to pre-defined routes under specific conditions, such as campus or employee bus routes. Level five autonomous driving, where cars are fully self-driving under all conditions, not requiring human intervention, remains a topic of speculation. Pundits expect technology to reach such a stage around 2040 or 2050. It seems far, but it’s close enough.

How will level five change Crockett’s market? “I think you’ll see fewer personal injury lawyers. Because at that point, you’re looking at product liability, a segment of personal injury but not necessarily practiced by most personal injury lawyers,” he said. In such an incident, the market would see liability claims against the vehicle manufacturer or the city that installs the infrastructure of autonomous public transportation vehicles. “But in terms of liability against individuals, I think that that would be nearly, if not entirely, diminished altogether. And personal injury lawyers would probably move on to do something else,” Crockett said. The attorney believes it is likely to happen in his lifetime.

But for now, micromobility is causing issues, especially with electric kick scooters and electric bicycles. These vehicles are available to anyone without age restrictions or insurance requirements. They can easily travel around 25 miles per hour, and the riders usually lack protective gear.

“People drive these vehicles, sometimes costing around $5,000, so the property damage is high. They’re often not properly insured. These are factors creating problems. I believe you should be required to insure such vehicles, as I’m seeing a huge increase in e-bike accidents, especially among the youth,” Crockett said.

Legislation, which was created long ago, only exacerbates the issue. “In California, we do not have the most favorable laws or policy limits compared to many other states, which is interesting because we tend to think of ourselves as a consumer-friendly state,” Crockett said. Drivers in California are required to have specific minimum insurance coverage. Bodily injury liability coverage is $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident, while property damage liability coverage is $5,000. Liability coverage compensates victims when a covered driver injures others. However, it doesn’t provide compensation for the at-fault driver.

“Those minimums were created almost half a century ago. The average vehicle right now is about $40,000. Granted, the minimums are soon finally going up, although still not enough. They’re going up $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. But the legislation’s outdated; it’s the second lowest in the country; Florida is the worst,” Crockett said.

He also harbors strong feelings about Proposition 213, also known as the Personal Responsibility Act of 1996, a California state law that significantly impacts the rights of individuals involved in car accidents. “It states that if drivers are uninsured during the accident, they’re not entitled to pain and suffering, only compensation for their medical expenses. The law essentially punishes them, even if they didn’t cause the accident.”

Crockett also notes that California has legislation prohibiting policy stacking, a practice available in other states. “We have much legislation in place that’s just problematic, in general,” he said. At the same time, many people are unaware of what they are insured for, which is another issue.

“There could be more uniformity, certainty, and public education. I think the lack of these is a failure. There are many problems in the car accident market regarding insurance. The system’s leaving many people uninsured, which is terrible for them–if they get injured, they can’t get compensation for their pain and suffering. And then it’s awful for the general public. The legislation is behind,” Crockett concluded.

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