People think of personal injury lawyers as if they are a type of anti-superhero (think of a mix between “The Flash” and “Spiderman” except morally corrupt). Every time there is a car accident, the story goes that a lawyer’s nose begins to twitch, he smells something in the air. The lawyer quickly laces up his cross-trainers and heads for the door, business cards clenched tightly in both hands. Upon arrival to the scene, the lawyer feigns sincere concern for their injuries and hands them two business cards.
Well, I hate to disappoint, but the myth of the personal injury lawyer far exce
eds reality…especially the part about them being able to run. In fact, the rules of professional responsibility dictate that lawyers cannot make direct contact with potential clients unless they are family or the lawyer has a close personal relationship with the person. Therefore, in our example, soliciting a client on the scene of an accident could be grounds for disbarment (losing your law license).
The most a lawyer can do is send you a letter in the mail that very obviously says “Advertising Material” on the envelope and letter.
Despite this bad reputation, personal injury lawyers can be a real asset during a personal injury. Finding the responsible insurance company in an accident can be difficult. And then once you determine who is liable for your injuries, it can be even more difficult to get the insurance company to pay for your medical bills. This is what a lawyer exists for…even if he might wear cross-trainers to the office.
