Ever wonder what really goes on behind the scenes in a personal injury case? Here are ten things nobody tells you, but every client figures out the hard way.
1- Most Cases Settle for Way Less Than You Think 😳
Forget the $3 million verdicts. Most cases settle quietly for “Wait, what was that?” money, especially after fees and medical liens.
2- Big Billboards Don’t Mean Better Lawyers 👈🏼
The bigger the billboard, the less likely you’ll ever talk to the guy with the synthetic hairpiece and the finger guns. Your real attorney might be “Associate #7.”
3- Pre-Settlement Loans Are Basically Legal Loan Sharks 🦈
Sure, you can get “paid now,” but the interest is so high you’ll wish you’d borrowed from your cousin who never has a job but mysteriously always has money.
4- Sometimes You Are Just a Number 💼
Yes, your case matters. But so does the “rear-ender with the neck brace” and the guy who slipped on a wet churro at Disney. Expect to wait.
5- Defense Attorneys Will Try Their Best to Catch You on Tape 📹
No matter what your recently-divorced-and-totally-not-bitter aunt tells you: surveillance isn’t just for catching a cheating husband. Defense attorneys love to catch fraudsters. They will have a good laugh watching the video playback of a plaintiff doing CrossFit two weeks after their deposition.
6- Your Social Media is Their Discovery Playground 📱
If you post yourself dancing, just know the insurance adjuster is watching (and probably judging your lack of rhythm).
7- Doctors and Attorneys Lunch Together 👩🏻❤️👨🏼
Don’t underestimate how close your attorney is to your doctors. As pleasant as they can be, it is still a business and even the lunches aren’t personal.
8- Adjusters Are Trained to Be Your Frenemy 😈
“She’s so nice!” Yes, until you’re no longer represented or she senses a crack in the legal foundation. That sweet, understanding voice is literally paid by the insurance company to make you relax and say the wrong thing.
9- The Insurance Company Has Already Calculated Your Case Value (With or Without You) 💰
By the time you’ve finished telling your story, the insurance company has already gone over your numbers. The rest is just polite courtroom foreplay.
10- Your Attorney Has a Favorite Client And It May Just Be You ♥️
It’s not always the client with the easiest case and the best behavior who is an attorney’s favorite. Sometimes it’s the client who makes her reach for a bottle of ibuprofen after each call, but who is never boring. You don’t have to be easy to like, just interesting enough to be remembered.
Pro Tip:
Your “Close Friends” Instagram story is only as private as the first subpoena. Dance accordingly.