Hiring a Lawyer
10 Things T.V. Lawyers Don’t Tell You
What injury lawyer ads leave out: who actually handles your case, how high-volume firms operate, and why a fast settlement is not always in your favor.
When they say they will “fight” for you, it is almost certain that they will “settle” for you. The business model of these firms is to get in as many cases as possible and settle them as quickly as possible. The funds raised are used to buy more advertising to attract more clients and more settlements.
It is highly unlikely that you will meet the lawyer you see in the ad and very unlikely that he will handle your case. The lawyers in ads are figureheads and probably haven’t been inside a courtroom in years. They use their reputations to advertise but more likely than not a junior associate with much less experience will handle your case.
The law firm may not have specific expertise in the law that concerns your case. One size does not fit all in the legal world. For example, if you have a wrongful termination case, or a medical malpractice case it doesn’t make sense to sign up with a firm that specialize in auto accidents. It would be like going to a foot doctor when you have a heart issue.
When they say “you pay nothing if they don’t recover”, they aren’t doing you any favors. Nearly every lawyer that represents people who are injured take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning their fees are a percentage of the recovery and if there is no recovery, there are no fees.
Insurance companies know that these TV lawyers don’t go to trial and therefore assign less of a monetary reserve to the case then if the lawyer is know to go to trial and win verdicts. In nearly every case, the money recovered comes from an insurance company. Insurance companies keep records on all law firms they deal with. If the firm is known to settle, they know it and assign a lesser value to the case.
Many of the “firms” that advertise are not firms at all. They are a cooperative of many firms that pay to advertise and cases are assigned to the firms that participate. You aren’t actually choosing the law firm you think you are choosing.
They send you to doctors that they regularly do business with without consideration as to whether that doctor is right for you and your injury. The relationship between these lawyers and their list of doctors is too cozy. The doctor is concerned about a treatment plan that is best for the case and not necessarily what is best for you.
They are terrible at communicating with you after you sign the retainer. Once you have signed up as a client, any communication from the lawyer takes time and therefore costs them money. They are notorious for not communicating with clients until it is absolutely necessary. They do not take the time to explain the complicated legal system to you or explain all of the procedures that likely are not familiar to you.
They see you as a “one-time client” meaning that you will only bring this one matter to them and therefore do not think it necessary to keep you happy. Once the retainer agreement is signed, they have you and there don’t feel the need to satisfy you since you likely will never return.
They will not create a strategy for your case. These firms are built on a “cookie-cutter” model, meaning that every case is handled the same. Discovery is the same, doctor referrals are the same and the settlement process is the same. They do not see or handle your case as the unique matter that it is.’