What Do Personal Injury Attorneys Really Do?
We’ve all heard the term “ambulance chasers,” a derogatory term used to describe personal injury attorneys. It insinuates we tastelessly chase injured clients. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Attorneys get a lot of ribbing (who hasn’t heard a good lawyer joke?) and personal injury attorneys seem to get the brunt of it. There are a lot of misconceptions about what we do. I hope to clear up a few of them in this article.
Abeyta Nelson Handles the Insurance Companies
People assume that they’ll be taken care of by an insurance company—after all, that’s why we have insurance. Certainly, someone’s own insurance company will be fair, right? Wrong.
At Abeyta Nelson, our clients are often discouraged to discover that the insurance companies are not looking out for them, they’re looking out for the company’s bottom line.
Navigating the insurance world is confusing and infuriating. Once we’re hired, our clients no longer have any contact with the insurance company. We handle the insurance company so our clients can concentrate on getting better. And when it’s time to negotiate a case, we handle the negotiations. Because we specialize in this area of the law, we know what is a fair settlement amount on a client’s case. While fair value varies case to case, I can tell you it is almost never what the insurance company offers to pay.
Abeyta Nelson Holds Wrongdoers Accountable
Personal injury lawyers specialize in “tort law.” The goal of tort law is to compensate injured victims. Equally important, tort law deters dangerous and neglectful behavior by individuals, businesses, and our government because we hold wrongdoers accountable. The fear of being held accountable causes change.
An example of accountability is the use of asbestos products. For decades, companies knew asbestos exposure was harmful. Because these companies were more concerned with their bottom line, they continued to use asbestos at the expense of human life. A surge of lawsuits against the asbestos manufacturers pressured companies to stop using the product. It was no longer cheaper to use asbestos when they’d have to pay for the harm it caused. Not only did the personal injury attorneys get compensation for their clients who were injured (or died) from exposure to asbestos, but they also prevented future generations from suffering.
Abeyta Nelson Provides Access to Representation, Regardless of Income
I often get asked how much we charge an hour. The answer is, we don’t. Abeyta Nelson attorneys work on a contingent fee basis. This means that we don’t get paid unless you do. You will never get a monthly bill from us. Our fee is paid at the end of your case and out of the proceeds of your settlement. If we don’t think we can earn our fee on your case – meaning recover significantly more for you from the insurance company than you would without us – we will tell you that in our first meeting.
There’s a lot of risk involved for us in waiting to be paid out of a settlement. But, it means our clients with limited means and a valid claim can hire an attorney without worrying about the cost.
Abeyta Nelson Cares
At Abeyta Nelson Injury Law, we truly care about our clients. Putting money in a client’s pocket means little to us if they don’t also feel heard, understood, and well represented. If you’ve suffered an injury at the hands of someone else, give Abeyta Nelson Injury Law a call to see if we can help you. There’s never a fee to discuss your case with us, and no attorney fee unless we win your case.
-blog written by Maggie Lund, Attorney, Abeyta Nelson Injury Law