Have you ever received a call from an attorney or someone representing an attorney after you were involved in an injury-related accident? These callers are what other legal professionals call “ambulance chasers” or “runners”, and the practice of soliciting a personal injury case in this way is against Georgia State Bar rules and Georgia state laws.
We are Jones & Swanson are all too familiar with “ambulance chaser” or “runner” cases. We are often contacted by Georgians who had heard from these law firms prior to contacting us. They reported being called a few days after an auto accident or after a loved one passed away due to negligence. The caller promised unrealistic results, and in some instances even offered to pay the victims, in order to gain their business. These soliciting attorneys’ offices are typically not well-known or well-practiced in their respective legal fields, which typically leads to cases being damaged beyond salvage. At the very least, cases represented by “ambulance chasers” would have yielded much more compensation to the victims if a more respected and experienced attorney had represented them. And it’s not just legal professionals that engage in these unethical practices. Numerous medical clinics and chiropractic offices have been reported to use these solicitation practices to gain patients as well.
The current regulations for this type of solicitation are not nearly strict enough. Fortunately, Georgia legislature enacted a statute this year to make second offenses a felony. HB 828 was passed on March 20 th and is now awaiting Governor Deal’s signature. This new law may not be perfect, but it is much more likely to decrease the number of “runners” soliciting innocent personal injury victims in Georgia. We are supporters of this law and hope that it goes into effect soon because in reality the people who are being hurt most by these practices are innocent Georgians.
If you are currently being represented by a law firm that contacted you after a loved one died or after you were injured in some way due to another person’s fault, call our office today to find out what steps that you should take next. Not only will we provide suggestions to you, but we will report that unethical activity to the State Bar of Georgia on your behalf if you so choose. They should not be allowed to victimize others in the same ways that they did you. For more information on “ambulance chasers” or the potential new Georgia law, call (770) 427-5498 and speak with Attorney Andrew Jones. He has been representing victims in numerous types of injury claims for over 21 years, so he is very familiar with Georgia law and legal representation.
Categories: Announcements, Auto Accidents, Car Accident, Georgia Laws, Personal Injury
