“Have you or a loved one been injured by a rogue soccer ball? Then you may be entitled to…”
There’s no doubt that you’ve heard a spiel like this before. I’m willing to bet that it never involved a flying soccer ball, though! What exactly are these soccer ball scouts talking about, anyway?
Ever heard of a personal injury lawyer? You probably have. You’ve seen them on billboards, on television, heard them on the radio, or if life has landed you in a not-so-great situation before, you maybe have even talked to one yourself.
Personal injury lawyers provide legal service to those who have been injured as the result of negligence on behalf of another entity (e.g. person, company, government agent, etc.). Injuries can range from physical to psychological.
If you’re like most people who aren’t in the know, though, the phrase ‘personal injury lawyer’ may conjure the image of a slimeball attorney ready to make a quick buck off of some poor sap. While those attorneys do exist, there are also some genuinely caring, knowledgeable, and helpful personal injury lawyers out there as well, such as the Law Office of Matthew L. Sharp if you happen to be in the Reno, Nevada area.
A personal favorite here in Richmond, VA is Joel Bieber. I love his commercials because, well, see for yourself!
Today we’re going to clue you in about the basics of who personal injury lawyers are, what they do, and how they can help you–should you ever be in that unfortunate position, of course!
What It Takes
Personal injury lawyers are like all other lawyers in the sense that they, too, have to pass the LSAT (the exam to get into law school), make it through law school, and then pass the bar exam (the exam to become a practicing lawyer). In essence, personal injury lawyers are subject to the same mountain or reading, writing, and memorization that all other lawyers are throughout their education.
However, personal injury lawyers often need to take a few extra steps to practice their area of law. They must also pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Examination, otherwise known as the MPRE, and a specialty certification program accredited by the National Board of Legal Specialty Certification. The former is geared towards professional behavioral standards for those who practice personal injury law, and the latter is to obtain certification in civil trial advocacy.
What They Do
If investigating insurance claims, gathering evidence, negotiating with insurance companies, and sending them strongly-worded emails is your cup (cups?) of tea, then you may be a personal injury lawyer in the making and not even know it! Of course, these are just a few of the duties that these lawyers perform, but it does give you an idea of the type of work you’ll be doing as a personal injury lawyer. A lot of it involves chasing people down and poking them until they give you what you want. Naturally, tenacious people excel in this area of law, for some reason.
It can be a thankless job, no doubt, but nothing beats the feeling of knowing all of your hard, constant work paid off for a satisfied customer who has found justice–and all thanks to you.
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The ads on tv where we live are non stop for these types of lawyers, I can see where they would be very helpful if you were injured.