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LAW FIRM OF THE MONTH
Ken Hatley Photography
P
KASTL LAW, P.C.
lacing the Focus Back on People
A
bedroom home in El Paso with her parents and six brothers.
“My dad owned a traveling carnival,” Kastl said, recalling the summers spent selling cotton candy. “My life as a kid was full of fun and wonder.”
Looking back, Kastl marvels at her parents. “My mom was a dynamic person who made sure we were on time to school, encouraged us to follow our dreams, and instilled in us the confidence to do just that. She put her personal aspirations aside for us. And, now as an adult with my own firm, I can better understand the challenges my father faced running a business and trying to make time for my mother and us kids.”
It was through her education, however, that Kastl sought to excel. “I never missed a day of school from fourth to 11th grade; I loved it. I was involved in everything,” she said. In high school, she was the head cheerleader, homecoming queen and senior class president; and was also voted Outstanding Senior Female.
Following high school, Kastl worked as a waitress to put herself through undergraduate school at the University of Texas at El
24 | www.AttorneyAtLawMagazine.com
By Haley Freeman
s a young woman from humble beginnings, Kristina N. “Krisi” Kastl demonstrated her determination to excel from her earliest years. The oldest of seven children and the only girl, she shared a modest two-
Paso, where she continued to distinguish herself academically. Her mother had always aspired for Kastl to be a teacher, but she had other plans. “I always respected my teachers, but I wanted to change the system that seemed to always favor companies over people,” she said. “I knew I could only do that as a lawyer.”
As a senior in college, Kastl learned an important lesson – one that forged not only her determination to become a personal injury attorney but her drive to fight for the people.
In 1970, one of the largest U.S. car manufacturers had uncovered that a rear-end collision with one of their car models often resulted in the gas tank rupturing and bursting into flames. Several prototype safety devices were developed by engineers, which would’ve remedied the malfunction. The devices ranged in cost from $1-11 per car. Company memos used as evidence in the case show the discussion regarding the recall. In the end, they valued a human life at $200,000 and a severe burn injury at $67,000. They estimated that lawsuits would cost $49 million while the redesign and reconstruction of the car would cost nearly $137 million. The decision to move forward with the gas tank as originally constructed ultimately cost 27 people their lives.
“After that, I realized someone needed to make the community