Ideas in the Wild: Kyle Bachus is Giving Families the Tools They Need to Move Forward in the Face of Unthinkable Tragedy

In the aftermath of unthinkable loss or catastrophic injury caused by the negligence of others, shock, uncertainty, and anger set in. It’s impossible to change what happened. But, having a plan is one way to tackle the challenges ahead and ease the overwhelming burden.

Few understand this more than nationally recognized lawyer Kyle Bachus. Now, in Unthinkable, Kyle provides a practical roadmap for navigating this devastating path.

Step by step, he shares the information people need to know about the police investigation, victim’s rights, and claiming victim’s compensation. Most importantly, he discusses how to handle the numerous issues and unforeseen questions that arise in the aftermath of tragedy, so that victims and their loved ones can gain peace of mind and focus on what truly counts. I recently caught up with Kyle to learn more about why he wrote the book and the ideas he shares with readers.

Why did you write the book?

On April 28, 2020, I got a phone call from my sister. She wasn’t crying, but I could tell something was wrong. She told me a police officer had knocked on her door, asked if Margaret Bachus was her mother, and told her our mom had been hit and killed by a car while she was out on her walk that evening.

You might think I’d have been prepared for a call like that. At the time of my mother’s death, I had 28 years of experience in the field of personal injury law. I’d handled hundreds of cases involving catastrophic injuries and worked with more than 100 families who had suffered the loss of a close family member. I’ve had as many as a dozen cases involving other families in situations similar to ours at the same time.

But there is no preparing for such a call. There’s no way to be ready for that knock on the door. In an instant, everything is different, and it will be from that moment on.

I wrote this book to help people who have gotten that call and experienced that kind of unthinkable tragedy. I can’t wipe away loss and pain. But, my goal is to draw on my decades of experience as a personal injury lawyer, as well as the personal experience of my mother’s death, and provide people with a path of knowledge to travel. I can’t think of a better way of honoring my mother than that.

What’s an idea you share that’s vitally important for people struggling with unthinkable tragedy to understand?

I’m certainly not out to bash the criminal justice system, but the reality is that, in my mother’s case — and in the case of so many other terrible tragedies — that system failed to deliver anything even close to an acceptable measure of accountability.

Fortunately, this country also has a civil justice system. It provides the opportunity for accountability to every family that has endured a loved one’s tragic death or injury caused by the negligence of another.

I don’t want you to think that deciding to bring a civil case means you have to end up in a courtroom in a public courthouse, with you and your family rehearing and reliving the gruesome details of your loss, then waiting for a jury to return with a verdict that you don’t actually control. It can mean just that. But the vast majority of civil cases don’t end with a jury’s verdict. They end in a private settlement before the civil trial even begins.

Many times, the settlement demonstrates real accountability on the part of those at fault. Just as importantly, it avoids cost, time, and the emotional toll of going to trial — including the necessity of reliving the details of events in a public courtroom and having the value of your grief become a matter of debate.

I understand that a settlement can’t, in any real sense, make things whole again. But, I want people to understand that ultimately, far more than the criminal justice system often can, the civil justice system can help them move forward — and, in cases involving injury, it can help life move forward for the victim too.

How will following your advice improve your readers’ lives?

If your loved one has died or suffered a catastrophic injury, you are left with so many questions, many of them pressing. You need answers. And yet, you fear making mistakes because their consequences could last forever.

I get it. As terrible as it is, though, your life does and must go on. By following the steps in this book, you’ll be able to more successfully deal with the police and their investigation. You’ll understand the criminal justice system and why families are so often disappointed in the outcome of a criminal case. You’ll also have a better understanding of victim’s rights laws and what they might mean for you.

By reading this book, you’ll also get a good understanding of the many practical matters you’ll need to handle, whether your loved one has died or suffered a life-altering injury — quickly, during a time when it’s so difficult to even think straight, when you don’t feel capable of anything more than simply hanging on.

I’ll show you how to seek accountability and what bringing a civil case against a company or an individual who may be responsible for your loss can and can’t accomplish. And, because legacy is so important, I’ll help you see that there may be hope when it comes to finding meaning of some kind in the tragedy you’ve experienced.

I’ve been where you are, so I know how hard it is to try and pick up the pieces and move forward. By following the steps in the book, though, you’ll be able to do that more confidently, so you can begin to move forward.