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Personal Injury Attorney Josh Branch of The Law Offices of Joshua W. Branch joins us for Personal Injury Marketing Minute podcast #107 to discuss getting into the field to make a difference.
Josh is driven to a life of service through the practice of personal injury law.
Visit Josh online here: https://www.thegeorgiainjuryattorney.com/.
Visit Extra Special People, Inc here: https://www.cityofwatkinsville.com/185/ESP.
See all episodes or subscribe to the Personal Injury Marketing Minute here: https://optimizemyfirm.com/podcasts/.
Transcript:
Lindsey:
Welcome to the Personal Injury Marketing Minute, where we quickly cover the hot topics in the legal marketing world. I’m your host, Lindsey Busfield.
Even though there are some bad players in the personal injury world who are more interested in profit than people, most personal injury lawyers get into the field because they want to make a difference.
Josh Branch of Josh Branch Law in Georgia is one such lawyer who is driven to a life of service through the practice of personal injury law.
Thank you so much for joining us today, Josh.
Josh Branch:
Thank you for having me, Lindsey.
Lindsey:
Well, tell us a little bit about yourself and about your practice.
Josh Branch:
A little bit about myself, we have a current operation or base. In Athens, Georgia, that’s the primary location, the law office of Joshua Branch.
We also have satellite offices in Atlanta and on the Georgia coast where you accept cases throughout Georgia and in the Florida accident, licensed to practice in Florida as well.
About me, that’s as far as wide of a question as we can go. It’s the worst question I could possibly ask.
No, no, no, it’s fine. It’s absolutely fine. To kind of piggyback on the topic, I have been around law since the time I was 15 or 16.
My church league basketball coach was a lawyer, and he said, you argue so much. You’re going to become a lawyer.
And everybody else in my family and friends said the same thing. I think I was a little bit apprehensive of doing what everybody else already foretold as my future.
But actually, they were right. And so I’m very blessed to be in this position and helping others.
Lindsey:
I mean, to be able to… To argue, you know, when you’re a kid, it can drive everybody else crazy.
But if you can harness that energy for good and put it to the benefit of others, then that turns into a superpower.
I’ll agree. So, I mean, clearly you loved to argue when you were a kid and you went down this path.
But why did you want to become a personal injury lawyer at the end of your educational career?
Josh Branch:
It’s a great question. Once I finally decided I did want to go to law school, I initially thought I wanted to go into environmental law.
That was my pursuit when I entered into law school. However, as much as I got into it, more I realized that I’m not, and this is most things about me, I’m not on the extreme on either side.
So in environmental law, I didn’t see myself working for a large oil company. And also at same time, I didn’t see myself, you know, working for Greenpeace.
They both have places in this world. And, you I didn’t feel my heart for myself one way or the other.
I worked for an entertainment lawyer. I was in law school. It great. We had incredible experiences. I helped put on a seminar at the Russian Consulate in Manhattan in New York.
Great experience. Got to meet a lot of A&R reps and reps from different bands and things of that sort.
But when it really came down to tracking towards what I want to do the rest of my life, there is a proverbial David versus Goliath day in, day out when you deal with injured victims dealing with insurance companies.
And even though insurance companies and their complete wherewithal and financial backing of which no individual really has outside of a few on the top of the Forbes list, they need help.
And the course interest companies. We’ve done a really good job of influencing politicians to make sure that they’re able to continue along the lines of massive profits.
And I’m all for capitalism, but I’m also for fairness. And I bring that up because if you go into a trial where you see someone has caused a car wreck, it’s the easiest example.
Well, 99.9% of the time, the insurance company behind the individual is the one who’s calling the shots. Even though the style of case might be Jane Doe versus John Smith, it’s John Smith’s insurance company that’s going ahead and dictating the terms or trying to dictate the terms.
And so knowing this behind the scenes, David and Goliath battle is always going on and you need, these people need help.
And so I found myself really gravitating towards that. And the more I do it, the more I just feel so grateful for the opportunity to help these people because I’ve got a wonderful team.
you. you. So probably the best team I’ve had ever. And I’ve been practicing for 20 years, as evidenced by the great starting to come in a little bit here and there.
But at the same time, wonderful team and we’ll make a difference in people’s lives. And it really is gratifying, even if it does have a tendency to take a toll at times.
Lindsey:
Well, and I think it goes back to a point that you made a little bit earlier where you’re not, you know, an extreme person.
Like you’re not on the Greenpeace side. You’re not on the big oil company side. And when it comes to personal injury, anybody could be injured.
And so it doesn’t cater to, you know, one demographic or another, one extreme or another. It really opens itself up to help anybody and everybody who could land themselves in a bad situation and where the outcome of their lives and their ability to get back on their feet is dictated by the giant insurance company.
And so to have an advocate step in is a powerful force. And I think that that is a great.
Great role to serve in. And so kind of getting back to the topic of the podcast here, what ways do you see a life as a personal injury lawyer as a form of public service?
Josh Branch:
Great question, Lindsey. And the way I look at it is the fact that everybody who comes to our doors at the office or reaches out to us, they’re in dire help.
They really are. We’re very selective with the cases we take, and we’re very blessed to have people who need our help in these situations.
And it truly feels like a public service in the fact that we’ve seen so many people go through, hopefully, what’s the roughest time of their lives.
I’m thinking of one client in the past. He was a younger gentleman and younger as in mid-20s. He was involved in a horrible, horrible car crash.
And we actually, a former judge out of Atlanta, He referred us to the case, and before I even had a chance to meet him, he had sent pictures, and this is kind of a graphic description, but he was in the hospital bed, and at that time, around the lower part of his ribcage towards the upper abdomen, there was a laceration so large that it just opened up his stomach to where it was completely open, and he was conscious.
This is how they had to hold him for a while. His girlfriend’s by his side. He mentally had told me at times that he was thinking he was going to die, and all of these thoughts and these emotions were flooding through this young man’s head, and bear in mind, he did nothing wrong, you know?
He did nothing wrong, and so we were able to ensure that he’s gotten the medical treatment he needed and saw the doctors he needed, and as time progressed, you know, he literally
He figuratively got back on his feet again, and it’s the most wonderful thing to see that. And thankfully, the insurance coverage that was available for his case was sufficient in terms of us being able to really procure incredible resolution for him that has absolutely changed his life.
He now has what he calls his dream home. He was able to buy a vehicle for his mother and for himself and has money set up to reach through annuities and things of that sort.
And he is just the happiest, lucky fellow in the world, and he’ll reach out at times. He still has my personal cell phone.
He’ll reach out at times, and it’s encouraging to hear that he’s doing so well. And it’s also just so nice to know that I was at least some piece of his life puzzle in helping guiding him through.
you. And so it means a lot. And I think for everybody, I can speak for everybody on the team, that it means a lot to all of us to be able to see that, to see that when somebody comes to us in their worst moment, that we’re able to help them through, get them through.
And when they’re on the other side, they can just focus on the future because better days are ahead.
Lindsey:
Well, and clearly it meant the world to him to not just have somebody advocating for the dollar signs. He knew that you guys were in this court and were supporting him both legally as well as making sure that he’s going to have the best financial outcome.
But also there’s a giant emotional component that personal injury lawyers, that good personal injury lawyers have to shoulder as they’re working through the process and just saying, have faith that we’re going to get to the other side of this.
You’re going to be able to financially recover. You’re going to be able to physically recover. And here I am to help you as, you know, we build a support team as you emotionally.
And having all of those pillars working together is truly the support that personal injury lawyers who are dedicated to a life of service can give someone as they are making that transition in this chapter of their lives.
And so I love hearing those stories where you’re able to support somebody throughout, and yeah, I hate the word journey, but throughout that journey.
And so clearly going through this and being that shoulder and providing the hours of support that you do and the work that you do can be, you know, emotionally supportive for them.
But I would imagine that being emotionally draining and taxing on you as a person.
Josh Branch:
So what are some of the emotional challenges that you face as an advocate for these victims? Great question, Lindsey.
And to even harken back just a moment to what you’re saying, I do believe that, you know, people have a visceral sensation about when people are full of it.
Or people actually have genuine concern. And I was told earlier in my career, you know, you get too emotionally invested in your clients.
And I totally disagree with that. I do look at my clients as like an extension of family. We want nothing but the best for them.
And it does in turn, it can have an emotionally draining aspect without a doubt. But I found personally, to decompress, I like going on long walks, preferably by a beach.
But I’m doing this from Athens, Georgia, and there’s no beaches very close. But there’s still some beautiful places to go for long walks, trying to work out, to spend time with family and friends.
I think it really does help that.
Lindsey:
And that is so important. And yeah, there’s the metaphor of you can’t pour from an empty cup. And so I always encourage the personal injury attorneys that I talk to and work with to make sure that they are taking care of themselves, because that’s the best way that they can support the clients that they are helping.
So I think that that’s, that’s great that you found a good outlet to emotionally recover as you are being an emotional support for everybody else that you’re, you’re serving.
And clearly with that comes some sacrifices too, that you have to make. So what are some of the things that you challenge, that you struggle with or have to be intentional about as you can come upon, you know, sacrifices in terms of time and energy that you’re devoting to your cases?
Josh Branch:
It makes me chuckle. You probably saw the smile on my face as you were asking that because I laugh because people always talk about striking nice work-life balance.
To me, that’s silly. There is no work-life balance. It’s work is at the top tier and the time that’s afforded afterwards is the time that’s afforded.
And it’s probably not healthy. But at the same time too, think as we were talking about, these people had decided to choose me and my firm.
And it’s absolutely not. And I’m never going to let that. And so whether that means working weekends, evenings, holidays, I’m okay with that.
You know, it’s, I do believe we all have grand designs and purpose on this earth. And I really feel like I’ve found my niche.
And so to be able to find your stride and helping people in doing these things, in the grand scheme, it seems like a very small sacrifice.
And, but yeah, the work-life balance, probably for most people looking at my life objectively, like, okay, you got to push back a little bit more.
And perhaps I will at some point in time, but it won’t be anytime soon.
Lindsey:
But right now is the time of your life where you really feel calling to dedicate yourself to helping others, you know, get back to their lives.
And that’s something that you truly, clearly feel very passionate about.
Josh Branch:
I do, if I could just jump in briefly. Yeah. don’t want to hijack the moment, but. Something about helping others that I was thinking about, that my grandmother used to always say, she was a very wise, wise person.
But when anybody in my family would feel distraught or a little bit down, she would sympathize. But she would also say, go find somebody that needs help and help them.
Lindsey:
Yeah.
Josh Branch:
Get outside of your own head. Go help somebody. And one, think it’s great in the fact that it shifts you outside of the inward focus about helping others.
I think also, too, it shifts perspective on life and going back to the theme of this podcast about being able to serve others and being there for others.
I feel like all of us, I think, have that calling within us. think, honestly, all of us feel better when we do.
Lindsey:
I absolutely agree. And so are there any ways that you are engaged in external service through outreach or education or pro bono work for your practice?
Josh Branch:
We do. We do find ourselves doing pro bono cases every now and again. We are deeply engaged with one local, they’re growing, so thankfully they’re more than local now, an organization called Extra Special People, they go by ESP.
Anybody who’s listening to this, I hope you check them out. They are such an uplifting, outstanding organization that’s designed to help boys and girls and men and women who have special needs, and they provide them with community, and they provide them with activities, and they kind of give them a place to where they can call their own.
And I think also, too, over the years, we’ve been able to, the team and I have been able to actually help and go serve food and just serve in general in addition to other financial ideas in which we’ve been able to give.
And thanks for the gift to help out. But it’s just such an amazing thing to see back to people helping out people.
And so really, really enjoy doing that. But there’s such a myriad of organizations that need all of our help.
I mean, the top of my head, I’m thinking about Habitat and food banks and all these different things that, you know, really need all of our support because they’re taking care of those people in society who need help, you know.
Lindsey:
There are so many who are marginalized or just don’t have access to what they need in life to feel like they have, you know, a life.
And so I think that that’s great to be able to give back to the community, to be able to serve others.
And there is an emotional benefit that comes from that. And it is, you know, sustaining and it’s refueling to be able to give back to others.
So what advice do you have for other lawyers who might have a calling to serve more either within their…
Josh Branch:
If anyone was asking me, whether it’s a lawyer or otherwise, I would just say, take that first step. You know, go to that meeting for that organization.
You know, whether it’s opening up your mind, your ideas, your wallet, just do something. Take that first step. I think many of us, know myself included, have good intentions at times, and then life becomes life.
The next thing you know, those good intentions go on the back burner, and then the back burner becomes non-existent.
And so I think just being intentional, being purposeful, and just moving that forward. I think it’s like most things in life.
What’s the old cliche about, you know, showing up to half the babble or something like that? It’s, I really think that’s it with everything, right?
Just going ahead and getting your foot in the door or just, you know, making sure that have time to go attend a meeting, and listen to some group and see what you think you need to help.
Lindsey:
That’s great advice. Well, thank you so much for coming on and sharing your passion. And for all that you do for your clients and your community, it’s been a pleasure talking with you.
Josh Branch:
Well, I really do appreciate that, Lindsey. And again, I’m Josh Branch: with the Law Offices of Joshua W. Branch.
And if anybody wants to find us, they can find us at thegeorgianjuryattorney.com.
Lindsey:
Great. Thank you so much.
Josh Branch:
Thank you, Lindsey.
