TV Lawyer Ads

TV Lawyer Ads?  Read the Fine Print.

Recently there have been numerous TV commercials for lawyers where someone brags about how much money the lawyer recovered for them. as seen on tvThese people generally appear fine and gush about what a financial windfall the lawyer got them for their injury claim. The problem is the fine print disclaimers that accompany the commercials usually scroll across the screen so quickly, or are so small, you can’t read them. Many people don’t even see them, let alone read them. Here’s a compilation of some of these disclaimers from some recent TV lawyer ads in our area: – Dramatization: Not an actual case. – Not an actual client testimonial or based upon a specific case.  – Actor portrayal, not a real client or case. – The monetary result referenced is not from an actual case.  – The monetary recoveries referenced are not typical of most injury claims and [law firm name omitted] in no way guarantees or promises similar results for specific injury claims. – Not a typical injury case recovery. – Not a real client or case result. – Not an actual case result or recovery. [Law firm name omitted] processes claims and cases via a referral to an affiliate law firm. Referral law firms are solely responsible for claim and case presentation and remit a portion of the attorney fees to [law firm name omitted.] – Actor and/or spokesperson is compensated for services and any reference to financial recoveries are of non-typical personal injury matters. – Actual results may vary. Not licensed to practice law in Alabama. Legal? Maybe. But doesn’t this smell of deception? A commercial runs with a “client” boasting of a huge financial recovery but hidden in the commercial is one of the above fine print disclaimers stating the results are not true or not typical. Seems like the old bait and switch sales tactics used by shady salesmen of days gone by. Trust between an attorney and his or her client is critical to a good relationship. Clients must rely on and trust their attorney to help them through a difficult time. There is a better way to go about hiring a personal injury attorney. Here’s a link to an article about how to hire the right personal injury attorney for your claim or case.  Tips for Hiring the Right Personal Injury Lawyer

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
by Mark Wolfe , Personal Injury Attorney

When Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer? This is probably the most common question personal injury victims ask when they’ve been hurt by someone else. To really provide a meaningful answer, there are two things you should keep in mind. First, the more serious the injury the more benefit you will get from hiring the right personal injury attorney for your claim or case and second, there’s a difference between talking or consulting with a lawyer and hiring a lawyer. We’ll review these two topics in reverse order.

Many victims of a personal injury are reluctant or hesitant about hiring a personal injury lawyer right after their injury. Some victims think they can handle the claim themselves without having to share a portion of the recovery with a lawyer. Some victims believe hiring a lawyer will make them appear greedy or opportunistic. While these are valid concerns, personal injury victims need to understand the difference between “hiring” a lawyer and simply “consulting” with a lawyer. Not every victim of a personal injury will need or benefit from hiring a personal injury lawyer; HOWEVER, every personal injury victims should at least know their rights and have some basic legal information about their claim. The sooner a personal injury victim has that information, the better informed he or she will be about all the critical decisions related to the insurance claim. Almost every personal injury attorney in America offers “free consultations.” Many personal injury lawyers even offer free downloadable guides for automobile accident injury claims or on the job injury claims. If you’ve been the victim of someone else’s carelessness or recklessness, you should consult with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Most legitimate personal injury lawyers will also explain whether or not you’ll need to hire a personal injury lawyer for your claim and the benefit of hiring the right personal injury attorney for your claim.

As stated above, the more serious the injury the more you will benefit from hiring the right personal injury lawyer. But why? The simple truth is insurance claims are complex. Even non-catastrophic injury claims are subject to the insurance company’s rigorous claims processing and analysis protocol. The insurance company’s goal on EVERY claim is to pay as little as possible. The insurance industry is a profit driven industry and not a charity. The complex procedures they use in analyzing and evaluating a personal injury claim are designed for the simple purpose of paying as little as they can on a claim and making sure all claims are paid at an equally low rate. It’s not the insurance company’s job to help you get the maximum benefits that are owed to you! Also, almost all personal injury claims involve a secondary claim for repayment from the victim’s proceeds. Hospital liens, Medicare/medicaid lines and health insurance subrogation claims all can impact a personal injury victim’s financial recovery from a claim. A qualified and experienced personal injury lawyer can help make sure all appropriate value drivers for your claim are identified and presented to the insurance company and he or she can favorably resolve any secondary issues related to your claim. Even in smaller personal injury claims, an experienced and qualified personal injury attorney can significantly and legitimately increase the benefits you recover.

When you consult with an experienced and qualified personal injury attorney he or she will be able to give you a meaningful opinion, based upon the factors discussed above, as to when it would be beneficial for you to hire a personal injury lawyer to present and prosecute your claim with the insurance company.

If you would like a free consultation with Mark about your potential insurance claim, please email him at mark@brwlawyers.com or send a text to 251 533-9548 (cell). You can also call Mark directly at 251 410-7761.

REQUIRED DISCLAIMERS: Alabama Rule of Professional Conduct 7.2: No representation is made that the quality of legal service to be performed is greater than the services provided by other lawyers. The Mississippi Supreme Court advises that a decision on legal services is important and should not be based solely on advertisements. Free background information is available upon request to a Mississippi attorney. The listing of any area of practice by a Mississippi attorney does not indicate any certification of expertise therein. See Mississippi Rules of Professional Conduct Rule 7.2(d), Rule 7.4(a), Rule 7.6(a) (1997). Statement in compliance with Florida Bar Advertising Rules: “The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. Before you decide, ask us to send you free written information about our qualifications and experience. [Florida Rule 4-7.2(d)]. General Disclaimer: This information is posted for general information purposes to help those interested parties or persons with potential civil claims better understand their rights and potential causes of action. If readers are currently represented by an attorney on the subject matter of this post then they are encouraged to continue with said representation. No attorney-client relationship is established by this post.