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Myths About Personal Injury Lawsuits

For attorneys who studied hard for years and worked even harder to build a reputable practice, it can sometimes be frustrating and disheartening to hear inaccurate statements like, “Everybody in America wants to sue.” That said, most attorneys have grown pretty thick skin and let comments like this roll off their backs. However, there does remain several myths about litigation, more specifically, personal injury lawsuits.

MYTH: Americans Are Too Lawsuit-Happy

Not so. According to the Wall Street Journal, a 2016 poll showed that 87 percent of voters thought that “there are too many lawsuits filed in America.” One of the problems here is that many people hear about the infamous cases, such as the “McDonald’s Coffee Cup” incident, and jump to the conclusion that all lawsuits are as frivolous as this notorious case. It’s simply not true.

Something many people don’t know: that McDonald’s lawsuit was NOT a frivolous case. The jury’s verdict was, in fact, justified because the claimant was badly injured.  If you’d like to read more about this case, our team recommends the documentary called Hot Coffee available on Amazon.

One study showed that approximately half the civil cases in state courts are contract disputes, not outrageous personal injury cases. Another 16 percent of these cases were small claims involving a few thousand dollars. Overall, litigation dropped about 3.5 percent between 2009 and 2015, which points to an America is NOT litigation-happy, particularly when it comes to frivolous lawsuits.

Here at The Lapidus Law Firm, frivolous lawsuit have no place in our practice, which is why we’ll only represent you if we truly believe we can obtain a favorable settlement for you.

MYTH: Jury Awards Are Extremely Generous

Again, this is a misconception fed by media coverage of high-profile cases that truly are a minority when it comes to jury awards. Sure, there are the occasional nine-figure wrongful death verdicts against large tobacco companies, but those are few and far between.  For example, the median jury award for personal injury lawsuits between 2011 and 2017 was about $80,000.

The fact is, most personal injury lawsuits settle in the 5, 6, and 7 figure range.  The goal is to make sure you are fairly and adequately compensated for your injuries and anything related or impacted by your experience.

MYTH: Personal Injury Victims Can Always File a Claim

This is sort of a half-truth. Technically, yes, victims can file a claim… but that is no guarantee of a favorable outcome. There are many ways filing a claim can be challenging, which is why you MUST get representation from a reputable lawyer. Here at the Lapidus Law Firm, no stone goes unturned, so we can make sure all the legalities of your claim are checked thoroughly.

Myths About Personal Injury Lawsuits

Plenty of personal injuries are worthy of litigation if necessary, but that’s for your lawyer to decide.  Don’t believe the myths!  If you or someone you know has been injured due to someone else’s negligence (whether that’s your neighbor or the neighborhood grocery store), call the DC and Maryland personal injury lawyers at The Lapidus Law Firm at (202) 785-5111 or (301) 852-7500.

Our experienced attorneys will examine your case from every angle, and if we think it’s a solid case, we’ll fight to get you justice. Call us today to set up your free, no-obligation Zoom conference.

MYTH: Americans Are Too Lawsuit-Happy

Not so. According to the Wall Street Journal, a 2016 poll showed that 87 percent of voters thought that “there are too many lawsuits filed in America.” One of the problems here is that many people hear about the infamous cases, such as the “McDonald’s Coffee Cup” incident, and jump to the conclusion that all lawsuits are as frivolous as this notorious case. It’s simply not true.

Something many people don’t know: that McDonald’s lawsuit was NOT a frivolous case. The jury’s verdict was, in fact, justified because the claimant was badly injured.  If you’d like to read more about this case, our team recommends the documentary called Hot Coffee available on Amazon.

One study showed that approximately half the civil cases in state courts are contract disputes, not outrageous personal injury cases. Another 16 percent of these cases were small claims involving a few thousand dollars. Overall, litigation dropped about 3.5 percent between 2009 and 2015, which points to an America is NOT litigation-happy, particularly when it comes to frivolous lawsuits.

Here at The Lapidus Law Firm, frivolous lawsuit have no place in our practice, which is why we’ll only represent you if we truly believe we can obtain a favorable settlement for you.

MYTH: Jury Awards Are Extremely Generous

Again, this is a misconception fed by media coverage of high-profile cases that truly are a minority when it comes to jury awards. Sure, there are the occasional nine-figure wrongful death verdicts against large tobacco companies, but those are few and far between.  For example, the median jury award for personal injury lawsuits between 2011 and 2017 was about $80,000.

The fact is, most personal injury lawsuits settle in the 5, 6, and 7 figure range.  The goal is to make sure you are fairly and adequately compensated for your injuries and anything related or impacted by your experience.

MYTH: Personal Injury Victims Can Always File a Claim

This is sort of a half-truth. Technically, yes, victims can file a claim… but that is no guarantee of a favorable outcome. There are many ways filing a claim can be challenging, which is why you MUST get representation from a reputable lawyer. Here at the Lapidus Law Firm, no stone goes unturned, so we can make sure all the legalities of your claim are checked thoroughly.

Myths About Personal Injury Lawsuits

Plenty of personal injuries are worthy of litigation if necessary, but that’s for your lawyer to decide.  Don’t believe the myths!  If you or someone you know has been injured due to someone else’s negligence (whether that’s your neighbor or the neighborhood grocery store), call the DC and Maryland personal injury lawyers at The Lapidus Law Firm at (202) 785-5111 or (301) 852-7500.

Our experienced attorneys will examine your case from every angle, and if we think it’s a solid case, we’ll fight to get you justice. Call us today to set up your free, no-obligation Zoom conference.

Written by Larry Lapidus

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