Why do I get phone calls from attorneys and doctors after a Car Accident
Getting annoying and unsolicited calls from attorneys or doctors after you have been involved in a car wreck is illegal in most states. Many attorneys and doctors pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to advertise only to be undermined by unethical attorneys or doctors who use illegal runners to contact potential clients or injured parties.
In most areas of the country it is legal. A good rule of thumb to follow is if you did not call them, they should not be calling you. There are legal and criminal implications from getting unsolicited calls. If you have been the victim of someone calling you, follow the steps below.
Harassing phone calls after car accident
1 Calls From Attorneys
At one time, I was a legal investigator for a large law firm here in Georgia. We would see clients, get accident reports, fill out paperwork, etc. I can remember meeting a client at Atlanta PD to pick up an accident report and go over it with her.
There was a nice, dressed gentleman standing outside of the records department approaching people as they left. How do I know this? He approached me asking me if I needed any legal help with my auto accident. I asked him which attorney he worked for, and he fell silent.
If you are solicited by anyone, ask them which attorney or doctor would be representing you, or treating you in your auto accident. Most of the time if they called you, they would hang up. If they approached you in person, they wouldn’t tell you.
These runners are paid for a every signed case delivered. They are paid a dollar amount per case they bring in. This necessarily does not mean you will get bad representation, but if they will cheat the system, what makes you think they won’t cheat you.
Why would an attorney call you after an accident?
That is very simple, they are soliciting you to retain their services. This is not only illegal in most states, but also unethical. Many attorneys pay large sums of money in advertising fees to gather business, instead of calling harassing you with phone calls.
2 Phone calls from doctors after a car accident
Pip or personal injury protection can bring out the worst in people. Doctors would call you in those states because they are guaranteed payment for their services rendered. They bill your auto insurance company for those services.
These doctors don’t care about you, they care about your PIP. They won’t you to come in and treat with them so they can exhaust your pip benefits and send you on your way then go look for another victim. You should never treat them with a doctor that calls you directly.
This happens in non pip states as well. Doctors or representatives of doctors will call unsuspecting victims and automatically schedule them an appointment to come in and see them. In some instances, the victim will think the attorney they hired gave the doctor their info and its ok to go.
Doctors also benefit by getting you into treatment and then refer you to an attorney they work with. They may work together to maximize their profit at your expense.
3 Recorded calls from Insurance Adjusters
An adjuster will call unexpectedly and may ask you a series of questions about your car accident. It is in your interest depending on fault, to speak with an attorney before speaking with an insurance adjuster. Adjusters may ask you about injuries and may try to blame the accident on you. It is best not to take these calls and speak with an attorney if they keep calling.
Why Insurance adjusters may want to call you.
- To offer a settlement quickly, before you have a chance to see a doctor or retain an attorney.
- Shift blame of the accident on to you, even though a police report clearly shows you are not at-fault.
- Find out where your car is so they can send a property adjuster out to it and write an estimate.
- The medical adjuster will want to find out how badly you are hurt and may downplay your injuries.
4 Calls from a Referral services
There are many legit legal referral services in the US. However, there are individuals and organizations that may call you or solicit you after a car accident. Most of them work indirectly with an attorney, or legal group. We call these people ambulance chasers.
Ambulance Chasing
The term “ambulance chaser” is often used to describe lawyers or individuals who aggressively seek out and solicit clients, typically immediately after accidents. The term implies that these individuals are eager to profit from the misfortune of others and are quick to follow ambulances to the scene of accidents to offer their legal services.
Ambulance chasing is generally considered unprofessional and can be unethical in many jurisdictions. Bar associations and legal ethics rules often have strict guidelines about solicitation and advertising to protect the integrity of the legal profession. Soliciting clients in a manner that takes advantage of vulnerable individuals or involves unwarranted intrusion is typically discouraged.
It’s important to note that not all lawyers engage in ambulance chasing, and many legal professionals adhere to ethical standards in their client acquisition practices. However, the term is associated with those who may cross ethical boundaries to gain clients, particularly in the context of personal injury cases.
5 The Police
We wont label this as harassing phone calls, but they may still call you for more details about the car accident. It’s possible an investigative unit from the police department has gotten involved in your accident case. They may want to ask questions about your accident and positions of cars, injuries, and witnesses.
6 Calls from Illegal Runners
These calls never come from an attorney or doctor directly. They want to insulate themselves from this type of activity. They generally use a third-party individual with no ties to their office to make the call. Illegal Runners get paid on a case-by-case basis. They may be wandering around the records department at any police station. When you get your accident report, they may ask you if you need any help.
How do they get my phone number
They can get your phone number from several places. A lot of people don’t understand how this happens, I tell you how it happens, it’s called cash. Everyone who has been involved in your accident, from the officer who wrote up the police report to the er nurse who treated you, is suspected. A records clerk was arrested out of Dekalb county for selling police reports to an illegal runner. So, this occurs quite a bit.
There are several ways to get your contact information.
Police officer
The police write up the accident report and have all your information. It’s possible, but not likely, they will sell your information to anyone who buys it.
Tow truck driver
Tow truck drivers tow damaged cars from the scene of the accident. It’s possible they take the same approach as the police do; they sell your information to whomever will pay for it.
Health care professional
Anyone in the medical industry who treated your injuries directly after your car accident. This could be a nurse, urgent care center, or hospital discharge staff or medical staff who attended to your injuries and has your information. They could have a “contact” that they give your information to for a fee.
Records clerk
The records clerk is responsible for giving people information or a police report for their accident. They handle hundreds if not thousands of accident reports. It doesn’t take much for them to sell your information to unethical referral services, attorneys, medical providers, or illegal runners.
If you did not call them, they should not be calling you. This is always the best rule to follow because if you did not call them, how did they get your information?
What can you when you are receiving calls after an accident
If an attorney solicits you
You can call the bar association within the state for which he called, let them decide the best way to proceed. As we said earlier: It’s not illegal in some states. So, it really depends on what state you reside in.
Doctors or medical clinics
Call the state medical board. If you have an attorney, make sure you tell him what has occurred. Personal injury attorneys who you have retained don’t like anyone calling you. They generally will take care of this for you.
Adjusters
Tell your attorney that the adjuster is trying to call you. The attorney, more than likely, will take care of it.
Referral services and Illegal runners
Again, if you have an attorney retained, tell them about it and let them deal with it. If not, don’t return the calls or block them. There really is not a whole lot you can other than to find out who they work for.
The police or investigative unit
It’s your decision whether to speak with an investigator or the police. It really depends on the situation. However, we strongly recommend speaking with an attorney before you do anything. If there is anything with your accident that raises questions, speak with an attorney before talking to the police.
Conclusion
If you call a doctor or attorney’s office and they call you back, even if you change your mind, they can still call you. They spent a lot of money to get that phone to ring so they will aggressively pursue anyone who calls it. Now keep in mind, in some states it’s not illegal for a doctor or attorney to call you after an accident. If you are getting calls, consult with a personal injury attorney to assist you. Even if you do not want one, they will still provide you with a free consultation.