Episode Summary: "3 Pillars of Trucking | David Craig"

Personal Injury Mastermind w/ Chris Dreyer – Most Replayed: 376, Best PIMoments Replay
Guest: David Craig, Managing Partner/Co-Founder, Craig, Kelley & Faultless
Date: December 25, 2025

Overview

This episode features a replay of the "3 Pillars of Trucking" conversation with David Craig, managing partner at Craig, Kelley & Faultless. A leader in trucking litigation, David shares how he shifted his firm's business from referral-based to direct-to-consumer—catapulting his practice to dominance in Indiana and beyond. Chris Dreyer and David break down the three critical pillars for any PI (personal injury) firm looking to scale, differentiate, and build trust with clients—centering on proof of expertise, excellence in operations, and transparent leadership.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Proof of Expertise: Building Unassailable Authority

• Transition from Referrals to Consumer Marketing

  • David’s business once drew 80% of its cases from referrals; today, 80% come directly from consumers.
    Quote:

    “There was a time where 80% of my business was from referrals. And now I can tell you that my business is 80% from the consumer and 20% from referrals.”
    – David Craig [00:22]

• Consumer-Focused Content (Books & Podcast)

  • Authored “Semi Truck Wreck” as a free resource for victims and families, not just as a marketing piece but as a guide to empower consumers.
  • Published a new book on choosing the right attorney, emphasizing the dangers of hiring lawyers who advertise expertise they don’t possess.
  • Leverages board certification as a distinguishing credential—"less than 80 board certified lawyers in the whole country," with two in his firm.
    Quote:

    “Everybody is advertising that they're truck wreck lawyers… People lose tens of millions of dollars by picking the wrong attorney. People need to know how to go about picking a lawyer.”
    – David Craig [02:03]

• Podcast as Proof, Not Just Promotion

  • Hosts a monthly trucking-focused podcast, featuring reconstructionists and expert witnesses—building trust by letting clients hear from the very experts who may manage their case.
    Quote:

    “My thought was, you know what, it makes a lot more sense if I want to be a truck accident lawyer to do podcasts with guests that can explain things to ordinary people…”
    – David Craig [03:17]

2. Proof Through Performance: Excellence as Standard

• All-Star Legal and Non-Legal Teams

  • Every lawyer at the firm is recognized as a Super Lawyer in Indiana—“there’s not a whole lot of personal injury firms in Indiana where every lawyer is identified.”
  • Employs an in-house content writer with an MBA in journalism to deeply research topics for the podcast and other client-facing resources.

• Rapid Response and Technical Innovation

  • Invests in a rapid response team led by a 20-year veteran; boots on the ground immediately after intake, with drone support and rapid evidence preservation.
  • Real case example: Outmaneuvered potential evidence tampering by physically guarding a truck overnight—securing vital evidence for a wrongful death case.
    Quote:

    “As soon as we get hired and I've got these guys on the road, I just had a case in Florida. We flew down there. They immediately started looking...we find the vehicles, to locate it, to guard it.”
    – David Craig [06:03]

  • Employs staff outside traditional legal roles, such as a social worker, to address non-legal client needs.

    “Having those type of people who can listen, who can problem solve, who aren't necessarily drafting legal documents. That's the future.”
    – David Craig [07:55]

3. Proof of Leadership: Radical Transparency & Shared Success

• Open-Book Firm Management

  • Inspired by John Morgan’s business model: The firm's books are open to attorneys with equity stakes.
  • Holds regular financial audits and runs the practice with the discipline of a true business, not just a law firm.

    “My, you, you know, Whether you own 1% or 10%, you're going to get to see all my financials. And so I think then people can say, okay, Dave's not running off the Tahiti.”
    – David Craig [08:29]

  • Compensation is designed for fairness and firm sustainability; unique pre-litigation arrangements allow staff to share risk and responsibility.

• Motivation and Culture

  • Prioritizes hiring people motivated by impact, not just revenue—seen as essential for durability and trust, both internally and externally.
  • Indicates willingness to sacrifice personal compensation for firm “health” and team satisfaction.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Expertise Differentiation (Books & Credentials):

  “I can tell you I've not had a client not hire me after using books...if I was going to a surgeon, I would pick a board certified surgeon because I know they've done that extra to get that board certification...”
  – David Craig [00:36 & 02:56]

• On Investing in Operational Excellence:

  “That made all the difference in the world because that the shipper had a lot of insurance. And so I was able to help that family out by getting through the shipper, which I never would have gotten, at least in Indiana without that evidence.”
  – David Craig [07:00]

• On Culture and Transparency:

  “Most personal injury firms don't run their firms as businesses. And I have a business degree and so I would like to run it like a business.”
  – David Craig [08:37] “The people I want need to be motivated by making a positive difference in the lives of someone else and in their own families and in their coworkers and in their clients. So that's huge to me.”
  – David Craig [09:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:22] – David on shifting from referral to consumer-first practice
• [01:38] – Pillar one: Building consumer-focused expertise
• [02:03] – Why he wrote his latest book on hiring attorneys
• [03:17] – Using podcasts to educate and build credibility
• [04:05] – Reason for the business model pivot; future of referrals
• [05:05] – Pillar two: Creating a high-performance team
• [06:03] – Rapid response capability & preserving key evidence
• [08:29] – Pillar three: Open book leadership and firm culture
• [10:10] – What keeps David driven: Firm momentum and ongoing impact

Final Thoughts

David Craig illustrates the power of going beyond “promises” to deliver proof at every stage—educating and empowering consumers, investing in a multi-disciplinary, high-performance team, and leading with radical transparency. For PI firm leaders looking to scale or stand out in competitive markets, his three-pillar framework is both tactical and inspirational.

Summary: Expertise, Execution, Leadership. Don’t just claim you’re the best—prove it, at every turn.