Separating courtroom myth from reality in today’s legal fiction.
Legal thrillers are addicting for a reason. The stakes are high. The characters are sharp. The courtroom drama? Electric. Whether it’s The Firm, A Time to Kill, or any number of John Grisham classics, the genre has long fed the fantasy of moral lawyers fighting for justice.
But how much of what we read is actually true?
In his debut novel Personal Injuries, author and former personal injury attorney Robert M. Morgan flips the genre on its head—offering a version of legal practice that feels raw, funny, and uncomfortably real. Through the eyes of his anti-hero, Steve Win, Morgan shows us what legal thrillers often leave out—and what the real world of law actually looks like.
Myth #1: Most Cases Go to Trial
We’ve all seen the gripping cross-examinations and dramatic verdicts on screen or in books. But in real life? Only a tiny percentage of personal injury cases ever reach the courtroom. The vast majority are settled out of court through negotiation or mediation.
In Personal Injuries, Steve Win’s job is not to dazzle a jury—it’s to sign clients fast and settle even faster. His entire career is built on volume, not litigation skill.
Myth #2: Lawyers Are Noble Crusaders for Truth
There are certainly many ethical, dedicated attorneys out there. But legal thrillers often sanitize the motivations behind the law. In Morgan’s novel, the protagonist isn’t fighting for the underdog—he’s fighting for his own bank account, reputation, and sometimes survival.
Steve’s rebrand to “Steve Win” is both hilarious and revealing. He doesn’t want to be a lawyer. He wants to be a brand.
Myth #3: Law Is About Justice
This may be the hardest pill to swallow. In theory, the legal system is about fairness. In practice? It’s a negotiation—often driven by power, politics, and money.
Morgan’s novel doesn’t shy away from this truth. It even weaves in a subplot about slave reparations, drawing a sharp contrast between historical injustice and modern legal opportunism. The result is a layered narrative that forces readers to ask: Who really benefits from the law?
When Fiction Is More Honest Than Reality
What makes Personal Injuries so powerful is its willingness to show the cracks. It’s not polished. It’s not sanitized. But it is honest.
“The law is a business,” Morgan writes. “And like any business, it can be gamed, sold, and manipulated.”
This is legal fiction written by someone who’s been on the inside. It’s fast, funny, and fearless—and it might just change the way you think about lawyers, lawsuits, and justice.