Why Do Some Lawyers and Doctors Send Mail After A Collision

I’m David Holub, an attorney focusing on personal injury law in northwest Indiana.

Welcome to Personal Injury Primer, where we break down the law into simple terms, provide legal tips, and discuss topics related to personal injury law.

Today’s question comes from a listener who received direct mailings after a collision and asks “Why Do Some Doctors and Lawyers Send Mail After an Accident?”

Police accident reports are public records and can be accessed electronically, so your personal information can be easily obtained and can be accessed by anyone looking to market their services.

Ethical rules in Indiana prevent lawyers from sending out mail solicitations within 30 days of an accident, and entirely prohibit in person solicitations in most situations.

If violations of these ethical constraints are reported, a lawyer can be disciplined.

It is our policy NOT to send out mailings after an accident.

Medical professionals often have no such ethical restrictions.

We have heard that some are very aggressive and leave phone messages suggesting that your insurance requires you to call them.

You have no obligation to respond to such direct solicitations or to mail solicitations from medical professionals or lawyers.

Much more should go into selecting a lawyer than the look of the lawyer’s direct mail promotional material.

We suggest that it is important to check on whether a prospective attorney is Board Certified, has a good ethical reputation, will listen to you, will explain the law in a clear manner, and will communicate regularly with you. On our website we explain in greater detail the type of considerations that should go into selecting a lawyer.

Regardless of the ethical constraints on solicitation, do you really want to hire someone to deal with your personal medical or legal needs just because they leave you a voicemail, or because they looked up personal information about you and sent you a form letter?

I hope you found this information helpful. If you have questions about your legal rights if you get hurt due to the carelessness of another person, or as a result of substandard medical care, or due to a product defect, construction injury, or any other type of personal injury, please give us a call at (219) 736-9700. You can also learn more about us by visiting our website at www.DavidHolubLaw.com – while there make sure you request a copy of our book “Fighting for Truth”.