There are many ways a person can be injured by the conduct of someone else – fraud, consumer ripoffs, sexual abuse, harmful drugs, harmful products, medical and other professional malpractice, illegal contracts, workplace injuries, physical injuries of all kinds, libel, slander, discrimination in housing, gender, employment, etc., and the list goes on. So why do most legal advertisements specifically seek only traffic accident victims, and why do so many lawyers essentially limit their practice to traffic accident cases?
We believe that the simple answer is “money.” In our opinion, traffic accident cases are generally less risky and require less investment of an attorney’s time and money than most other types of litigation. Also, due to the availability of insurance, the potential return on investment is high in a traffic accident case. Most lawyers, like any good business person, will choose the alternative that is the optimal balance of risk and return.
We are not saying that all traffic accident cases are easy, especially in Florida and other “no fault” states that limit tort liability. We also know through experience that questions of liability, insurance coverage and damages often require a very skilled lawyer who is willing to invest a great deal of his or her time, effort and money in order to achieve a good result for the client. But we are saying that the typical traffic accident case is easier than most other types of litigation, and therefore the contingent fees in such cases should be lower compared to most other litigation.
At Mark Burnette & Associates, we believe the practice of law is much more than a business. Lawyers have an obligation to the public and to the courts to do our part to ensure that justice is done and that the legal needs of people are met. There is nothing wrong with representing accident victims – it’s a large part of our practice. But we charge reasonable contingent fees for low-risk accident cases; not the standard one-third or more. We also handle other much more complex and risky litigation, and we always try to ensure that all of the legal needs of our clients are fully met no matter what those needs are.
Please click on the links to the right for some basic information about how lawyers evaluate cases and estimate damages, and to view our contingent fees in the typical traffic accident case.
