The Personal Injury Settlement Mill

We’ve all seen the advertisements. We’ve all heard the catchy jingles. The ads promise lots of money, quick settlements, huge recoveries or fast checks. Yet, the results often leave clients without justice and without full recovery. While promises are made to get the cases, most of these lawyers fail to help their clients to the fullest.

I’ve written about personal injury and workers’ compensation settlement mills previously. Good attorneys rarely make promises of huge settlements or quick recoveries. That’s because good attorneys know the best results come with hard work, preparation and a constant study of trial practices. And, unlike most television attorneys, good lawyers have actually seen the inside of a courtroom. If you are seeking legal counsel after suffering an injury, you should always ask potential attorneys whether they have actually tried (and will try) a case. The insurance companies know which lawyers will go to trial. It can make a big difference for your recovery.

Settlement mills are interested in case volumes. They are not interested in individual justice. They are certainly not interested in fighting to get you maximum compensation. Over the years, I’ve received many phone calls from individuals who hired a settlement mill attorney and were left without justice. What are some of the ways volume settlement mill attorneys fail their injured clients?

• They do not advise their clients concerning proper medical treatment.
• They do not warn their clients against signing insurance company releases or giving interviews to insurance adjusters. Sometimes, these settlement mill attorneys even agree to insurance company requests just to get a quick (even if too low) settlement.
• They do not defend clients against false denials of claims by insurance companies.
• They do not research or investigate difficult injuries suffered by clients.
• They do not aggressively represent clients.
• They do not file cases or take cases to trial when settlement offers are unfair.
• They do not advise or help clients with often complex issues of health insurance subrogation or reimbursement after case settlement. Good attorneys can often save clients tremendous amounts of money by helping with these issues. Yet, settlement mill attorneys often pay the full claims from the settlement proceeds without advocating for their clients.

Justice is always personal. Settlement mills that treat people as parts on an assembly line leave us all short of justice. If you have suffered a significant injury, you and your family deserve better.