One cannot go for long in today’s commercially-driven environment without being bombarded by advertisements on television, billboards, buses, phone books and other mediums for personal injury attorneys. Big Indiana law firms spend huge sums of money to make sure that they are the first thing you think of in the event of an accident. Unfortunately, with the number of attorneys out there, the average person doesn’t know where to turn. Flashy commercials and laminated mailings become an incentive to call the first attorney who appears to be able to get the biggest settlement and provides the most impressive information.
The above realization is unfortunately experienced by many Hoosiers who are in automobile (and other types of common) accidents. Usually 30 days after the accident, those victims will begin receiving various mailings from the larger personal injury law firms around the state advertising their services and informing them that they already have access to their accident report. While some people don’t mind receiving these mailings, others may find them to be an unwelcomed solicitation during a difficult time of their lives.
Fortunately, there are plenty of competent and experienced attorneys in Indiana who handle personal injury claims but don’t bombard the public with advertising. Many of these local attorneys provide personalized service, genuine compassion and greater accessibility. These local attorneys don’t choose to send out mailings to the latest list of reported accidents. Instead, they focus on their clients and providing personalized attention. Although it may not seem like it, most attorneys choose not to send out unsolicited advertisements to people who have been recently injured.
A competent local personal injury attorney will have the time to meet with you on more than one occasion to discuss your case and evaluate your recovery on a regular basis. The local attorney should have a hands-on approach, more so than many of the large firms that utilize paralegals and legal secretaries to perform most of the legwork. For most local attorneys, a client is not a number but a person with whom a longstanding professional relationship usually develops as members of the same community.
A competent local personal injury attorney has suitable knowledge, skills and many of the same resources as the larger firms. There are also attorneys who focus on assisting local attorneys with complex cases, so local counsel has the option to associate with them (with your agreement) when it is necessary to advance the unusual case that requires additional time and resources.
So in the event a tragic accident does arise that renders the need for legal help, perhaps we should give a second thought before calling that well-advertised 800 number. The local attorney probably has just as much knowledge and ability as “the big guys” but is in a better position to provide “small town” service.