By Justin Curcio
Before joining Curcio Law and representing injured people, I began my legal career on the other side of personal injury cases. As an in-house counsel Senior Trial Attorney for Allstate, Esurance, and Encompass, I did more than study the insurance playbook. I ran it.
A Career Built in the Courtroom
It was my first job out of law school, and it offered exactly what a young lawyer needs most: trial experience. Many lawyers can go years without trying a case. My early career looked very different; I tried cases nearly every week.
In many ways, that experience was like hitting the weight room before the season starts. It built the trial muscles I still rely on today: preparation, judgment, quick thinking, and the ability to stay steady under pressure.
Why I Made the Switch
There was no single dramatic turning point. Over time, the bureaucracy and monotony made it clear that I wanted something different. The hardest part of making the move was the unknown, but I knew I had made the right choice when I settled my first case as a plaintiff’s attorney.
The Value of Knowing the Playbook
It is easy to cast insurance companies as “the bad guy” in an injury case, but I do not see it that way. They are businesses maximizing revenue. That may sound blunt, but understanding it is important.
That means they are looking at more than whether someone was hurt. They are looking for leverage. Like a gap in medical treatment, prior injury, difficult diagnosis, or how to get the jury to question certain treatment. To an injured person, those may feel like small details. To an insurance company, they can become the whole strategy. I know how a defense lawyer studies the records and looks for openings.
That experience helps me prepare my clients’ cases differently. I do not wait for the defense to point out the problems. I look for them early. I address the medical history, the treatment timeline, the disputed facts, and the parts of the story that may need more support.
That is the value of knowing the playbook. When you understand how the other side builds its defense, you can prepare the case before the first play is called.
