If you were injured in an auto collision caused by a negligent driver, you want to retain a knowledgeable car accident lawyer who will fight hard for all the compensation you deserve for your injuries. It can be hard to know which attorney will be the best choice for your case, especially if you have never hired one to handle a personal injury claim for you before. However, you need to avoid hiring a settlement mill law firm if you want an attorney who will look out for your best interests when settling your claim with the at-fault motorist’s insurance company.
What Is a Settlement Mill Law Firm?
Settlement mill law offices focus on handling a large volume of car collision claims and settling them quickly so that they can take on even more new cases. They do this so that they make a fast profit. Settlement mill law firms rarely take their cases to trial—even if it is in their clients’ best interests to litigate their claims.
Four Warning Signs of a Settlement Mill Law Firm
It is important to understand the signs that a law office is a settlement mill in order to avoid it. One reason it can be hard to recognize a settlement mill is that the majority of car accident claims are settled without the need to go to a jury trial. However, here are four warning signs to watch for when deciding which lawyer to retain:
- Advertisements. While all attorneys need to do some advertising to attract potential clients, settlement mills rely on excessive advertising, such as plastering billboards with advertisements and running constant advertisements on the radio and television.
- Case results. A good law firm will often have case results on their website where their attorneys share success stories of how they helped their clients. If you research a law office’s website and see no case results, this is a red flag that the firm may be a settlement mill.
- Staff. When you hire a lawyer to represent you, you want them to handle your case. At settlement firm offices, the work on your claim would most likely be assigned to a less experienced paralegal or other office staff member.
- Quick settlements. Another warning sign to watch for is a firm’s advertisements or representations at an initial consultation that they settle their clients’ claims quickly. You should be extremely wary if they claim to settle all or most of their cases within a few months. This strongly suggests that they are resolving accident victims’ claims for far less than they are entitled to.
Were you injured in a car accident in the Virginia Beach or Norfolk area? Was a loved one hurt or killed? Call our office to schedule your free consultation with our experienced car accident attorneys to learn about our track record of success in settling and litigating these claims and how we can assist you.
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