Are PI Attorneys Really “Ambulance Chasers”?

“Ambulance chasers,” a phrase you’ve probably heard or even said yourself in regards to personal injury attorneys. While many people use this phrase, the big question is if it’s an accurate depiction of what personal injury attorneys do. Well, Briggle & Polan, PLLC is here to settle the dispute once and for all.

Origin of Ambulance Chaser

Originally, the term ambulance chaser stemmed from personal injury attorneys literally following ambulances to emergency rooms to find clients. In the past, this kind of behavior was legal, and people were understandably upset that lawyers could worm their way into attorney-client relationships.

However, literal ambulance chasing is now illegal in more ways than one.

The American Bar Association has a rule stating that soliciting professional employment by live person-to-person contact is a code violation in a majority of circumstances. Additionally, Texas enacted a law in 2011 that explicitly prohibited the unethical and unlawful solicitation of clients.

Therefore, any lawyer who literally chases ambulances could face severe consequences for breaking the law. However, is the term still relevant to personal injury attorneys regardless of its origins?

Is the Term Ambulance Chaser Still Relevant?

We would argue that the derogatory use of the phrase ambulance chaser is no longer relevant to personal injury attorneys. While it’s true that personal injury attorneys help people injured in accidents, the reality is that these people often have no other way of fighting for the compensation they deserve.

Imagine this scenario; someone injures you in a car accident, and your medical bill is $100,000. While health insurance covers some of the costs, you are left with a $20,000 out-of-pocket payment. Additionally, you are missing work while on the mend, which means you have no source of income while you are recovering from your injuries.

Unfortunately, the driver at fault’s insurance company argues that you were partially to blame for the accident, and offers you a take it or leave it settlement of $5,000. Now you are stuck with a $15,000 cost on top of lost wages at work.

Is this situation fair? Of course not, but it’s what we at Briggle & Polan, PLLC see every single day. Thankfully, we have the experience and the award-winning track record to help our clients out of the tragic scenarios they find themselves in.

Therefore, our attorneys don’t chase ambulances; we chase justice for people who have no options and nowhere else to turn.