You keeping hearing the phrase over and over, on TV and radio; you’ve seen it in print and online … “free legal consultation.” Yet, as ubiquitous as the phrase may be, there are still many accident victims who fail to take advantage of this truly great offer. I can only guess that those people do not believe “free” is really free! Perhaps they think back to the time the plumber offered a “free estimate” but still got stuck with a “service call” bill!

How many professionals (and even non-professionals) do you know that offer their time for free? Try going to a doctor’s office to ask a question about your health, or go to a CPA about your finances. You will be presented with a bill to cover that professional’s time. Yes, time is money but for personal injury lawyers, the offering up of their time for free is simply business as usual.

The fact is that a personal injury lawyer will normally go through 20-25 free consultations before accepting a case that is worth pursuing. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7MLy8erAII). Hopefully, from the lawyer’s perspective, that one case “worth pursuing” will result in an adequate attorney’s fee!

Another reason why some accident victim’s fail to contact an attorney may be that they will feel obligated to hire that attorney if they speak, or meet, with him or her. After all, they think to themselves, I’ve taken up so much of the lawyer’s time! But such thinking is simply wrong. You, as the client, can tell the attorney you will get back to them and proceed to get a free consultation from another lawyer if the lawyer you’ve just spoken with doesn’t seem to be the right fit.

One of the worst things accident victims can do is try representing themselves. Going up against an experienced insurance adjuster is such an unfair contest. The truth is that representing yourself, in anything, is a very difficult thing to do. Emotions tend to get in the way; negotiating leverage is sacrificed. The fact is that even lawyers injured in accidents hire other lawyers to represent them!

If you’ve been injured in any type of accident, take advantage of the incredible offer personal injury lawyers make to potential clients. Find out your rights and how to protect them. That usually will mean retaining an experienced lawyer to represent you. You have nothing to lose and lawyers will give freely of their time with no strings attached (you will not get a bill for a “a service call!”)

Is there a greater word in the English language than “free?”

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net