What Good Do Personal Injury Lawyers Do For Society?
Unfortunately, personal injury attorneys have a bad reputation with most people. Many see our role in the legal profession as greedy and vindictive people who chase ambulances in order to make money at the expense of our clients and society.
Not only is the stereotype false, but many people overlook all the good things that injury lawyers do. We are dedicated to our work and we are motivated by ensuring our client’s rights are represented so that they receive the compensation they deserve.
Our San Diego accident attorneys certainly do not fall under this poor stereotype. We recently wrote an article about the stereotypes about our profession, why they are not true, and why injury attorneys benefit the public.
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As a nationally recognized personal injury attorney, I receive a number of lawyer newsletters from law offices around California and the United States. I received one recently from Dallas personal injury lawyer Jeff Rasansky which had an article in it entitled, “Advocates or Ambulance Chasers.” It really struck me with it’s honesty and truth about the good that injury lawyers do…and the negative public opinion they commonly face.
It’s no secret that personal injury attorneys have a bad reputation in our society. We have all heard the various stereotypes and jokes about our profession. These stereotypes are not only false, but they are damaging to our legal system and society. The legal system is what people should turn to in their time of need. It is their last avenue for appeal and redress when private parties and the government will not act responsible for their negligent acts. And truth be told, the vast majority of personal injury lawyers are doing the right thing. People that are involved in a car accident, motorcycle accidents, or injured by a defective product turn to lawyers every day because they know that an attorney will represent their rights, and not those of an insurance company.
So where do these negative stereotypes come from?
The first source that comes to mind is the media. TV shows, the news, and movies very often show lawyers in the worst light possible: as greedy and vindictive. Also, some of the attorney advertisements by real life personal injury lawyers make it seem that attorneys are money hungry and that they convince people that they need an attorney. However, most injury attorneys do not look at potential clients as dollar signs. These money hungry attorneys are the minority.
Not only do injury lawyers help their clients in their time of need, but their work ensures that people live in a safe environment. Corporations and people are mindful of what can happen to them if they decide not to behave in a reasonable manner. Also, you have attorneys to thank for the various safety laws and regulations that we have. These laws were enacted in response to negligent behavior, and these laws provide a standard which intends to keep the public healthy and safe.
I can see why people think the way they do about personal injury attorneys since negative stereotypes are all around them. While, it is true that “one bad apple spoils the entire bunch,” you always hear about the immoral attorney who stole their client’s money on the news, but you NEVER hear about any of the positive things personal injury lawyers do for their clients.
It also does not help that corporations and insurance companies also attempt to paint injury law firms in a bad light too. However, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to be an accident attorney. In America, there are several ways to make a living and make money–people don’t have to be lawyers to make a lot of money. In fact, many people chose to become personal injury lawyers because they want to help people. Besides, corporations and insurance companies paint us in this bad light because we threaten them with lawsuits if they do not follow the law and when their insureds are careless and negligent.
There may be a time in your life when you are faced with a situation that will require you to hire an accident attorney. You should not be just another number or case in your attorney’s file cabinet. You are an individual with your own worries and hopes about your injury claim. …