The Best Cincinnati Personal Injury Trial Attorney I Knew

Walter Beall - The Best Cincinnati Personal Injury Trial lawyer I Ever Knew

I first met Walt when I was looking for a job as a law clerk. I saw a job listed on the school bulletin board at Chase college of law. It was 1978. I thought I wanted to be a criminal lawyer. Walt told me that his law practice dealt with personal injury victims rights. People that were hurt by the negligence of another. He said that once I got to know the business I would really like it.

I was damn lucky he hired me. And he was right, I really enjoyed the challenge, the showmanship, standing up in front of a jury advocating for someone seriously injured or for a family that lost a loved one. Fighting big insurance for the little guy. I was lucky enough to carry Walt's bags around and learn the trade of personal injury trial lawyer.

So what made Walt so great. There were many things. He cared about his clients, he listened to them with patience and compassion. Then he taught them about their case.
And then he would go into Court and teach the jury about their case. Walt would tell their story in a straight forward and compelling fashion. He believed every word he said and the jury believed it to.

He was a fearless litigator, though I know the pressure of litigation was intense. And he felt it , although it rarely showed. Walt was not afraid of hard work . His definition of a trial lawyer was a person covered in sweat from working so hard.. He taught me that preparation was the key to successful settlement or succesful verdict.

I remember a wrongful death and severe burn case he had against 5 defendants. All his opponents were highly skilled insurance lawyers. It didn't seem like a fair fight 5 against 1, plus one green behind the ears law clerk. But he would roll up his sleeves and go to work with such presence and intensity that he could command the whole room .

I once saw him go into Court in a wrongful death case. I did not see how he had a chance at winning it. I doubt any lawyers would have taken the case. The only witness was the defendant. But Walt developed a theory against the defendant that he believed in. And he sprung it on the defense as he crossexamined their expert. The expert's anwswer to Walt's theory was so ludicrous that the insurance company settled that night.

Walt was a lawyer's lawyer. He was honest with friend and adversary. He had a great sense of humour. He did not gloat in victory. But he agonized in defeat. I saw him loose a trial once and it nearly killed him. He blamed himself. But there was nothing he could have done better or different. Every trial lawyer knows the pain of a defeat, especially the ones with the guts to take the difficult case. It's the getting back up that makes one a great trial lawyer. It's the ability to gamble their time and money for an uncertain, but believed in result. It's the desire for justice and a belief that all are created equal and entitled to life , liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Walt died in 1983 at 55 years old from a heart attack. I believe in part because he fought with all his heart for his clients. He took their problems on his shoulders. He was their Robin Hood, their hero.

I am fortunate enough to have two heros in my life. My father, a WWII decorated hero and Walt. I am who I am and owe what I have to those two men . I pray everyday to have their strength and humility.