Trial lawyers run in Jackson Pahlke’s family. He and his dad, brother, and sister are personal injury lawyers—and Pahlke has even tried cases with all of them.
Pahlke, ’17, handles catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases with Connelly Law Offices in Tacoma, Washington. He remembers meeting some of his dad’s clients while growing up. “Getting to watch my dad help folks when they were injured and needed help was really motivating, and that’s what drew me to it,” he says.
When Pahlke first meets a client, something has gone wrong for them—it’s often the worst thing that has ever happened to them, and they’re looking for a way to put their life back together. “It feels good to give them solid ground to stand on—‘Here is a clear roadmap of our options and what litigation and trial will look like’—and give them the knowledge and power to decide what they want to do about this wrong. That’s the first part of restoring our clients’ dignity,” he says.
Going to trial
The best part of the case is telling the client’s story, Pahlke says. “I’m always moved by the moment when the client gets on the stand and tells their story to a jury of their peers. They get some of their autonomy back and get to say, ‘This is why I’m here.’”
But it’s often difficult for clients to share their story, particularly in sexual abuse cases. Pahlke says he has learned a lot about how trauma affects people and how to avoid re-traumatizing them. “Getting them to a place where they can talk about their story and say what happened is a powerful moment for them. It allows them to take some ownership of what happens next. They didn’t have that before,” he says.
One of his recent clients was injured while walking down the stairs, carrying his child. A rotten stair gave out, and he fell, injuring his lower spine. He was a steelworker, and he kept going to work because he had to provide for his family. The defense hired investigators to secretly follow and film him, to argue that he wasn’t injured.
The defense disclosed video of the client carrying long pieces of metal, contending that they were quite heavy and an injured person couldn’t lift them. Pahlke and his team took this new evidence and introduced the video before the defense could, explaining that the metal pieces were lighter than 10 pounds. “It felt empowering to take the truth and present it squarely to the jury,” Pahlke says. “And the jury was like, ’Gosh, you’re following this guy, and you have no idea what’s going on.’”
After each trial, Pahlke reflects on not just the litigation and what was helpful, but also his role in his client’s story. “One of the best things about this work is being there for someone who needs and deserves help, and delivering it,” he says.
Jackson Pahlke, ’17Getting them to a place where they can talk about their story and say what happened is a powerful moment for them. It allows them to take some ownership of what happens next. They didn’t have that before.
Trying to right wrongs
In plaintiff law, “You are outnumbered by large corporations and insurance companies who have a lot of resources and benefits that you don’t have. It makes winning for the person who trusted you to help them even more worthwhile,” Pahlke says.
In one case, Pahlke’s client was in the back of a truck at a warehouse dock when the driver drove away. “She fell and had significant injuries, and it turned into complex regional pain syndrome, which is a really painful disorder,” he says. It left her unable to work.
The jury awarded her $8.5 million. “They heard her,” Pahlke says. “This verdict means she can get the medical care she needs, will have a roof over her head, and won’t have to worry about being unemployable.” Without this verdict, “it would be really, really hard for her to get through life.”
The lawyer representing an injured person may be able to help their future look hopeful, Pahlke says. If they win the case, the client can “turn the chapter on a difficult part of their life and open the next, more hopeful, chapter.”
