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Hi all,

I recently found this site and posted a few threads last night about temporary document review work in NYC (which I've done quite a bit of, for better or worse LOL).

As I said in that thread, I also spent about a year and a half at an (infamous) NYC personal injury firm which many of you in the NYC/NJ area have probably seen on daytime TV ads.

I understand that many of you are headed to T-14 schools, and as such will (hopefully) never have to scrape by in the marginal jobs which I've sadly been doomed to.

But if you want the real lowdown on torts/ PI as it is practiced in NYC, I'll be happy to answer honestly any questions you have. Ask way.

it'll be easier if you just go ahead and post it all

Torts must have fallen by the wayside?

What is your current working situation? Is PI becoming more difficult to break into due to tort reform measures being pushed in most states/saturation of legal markets?

What is your current working situation? Is PI becoming more difficult to break into due to tort reform measures being pushed in most states/saturation of legal markets?

Tort reform is mostly political BS. The real problem is the insurance companies tightening the screws on payouts. Thanks to the glut of lawyers from TTT schools, the big players like Allstate can in-house the claims handling and fight to the death over a 25 K policy since their "lawyers" only get paid 40 K or so a year to churn the paperwork.

For example, they will force you to trial over a herniated spinal disc. Since PI cases are on contingency, you have to pay out of pocket the 5 K a board certified orthopedic surgeon gets for an hour or so of testimony. If you lose, you're on the hook for that fee.

There are still good and great cases out there, but the little 5 K and 10 K settlements that kept the lights on and paid for the paras and secretaries are mostly a thing of the past. You see, 90%+ of PI cases are rinky-dink car acciddents with minor injuries. Now that those puppies are so hard to settle, it creates massive cash-flow problems for the typical PI lawyer.

I'm hoping areyouinsane's posts in this thread deliver as much as they did in the temp thread.

Is your firm the Mesothelioma people or the Accutane people?

areyouinsane wrote:

What is your current working situation? Is PI becoming more difficult to break into due to tort reform measures being pushed in most states/saturation of legal markets?

Tort reform is mostly political BS. The real problem is the insurance companies tightening the screws on payouts. Thanks to the glut of lawyers from TTT schools, the big players like Allstate can in-house the claims handling and fight to the death over a 25 K policy since their "lawyers" only get paid 40 K or so a year to churn the paperwork.

For example, they will force you to trial over a herniated spinal disc. Since PI cases are on contingency, you have to pay out of pocket the 5 K a board certified orthopedic surgeon gets for an hour or so of testimony. If you lose, you're on the hook for that fee.

There are still good and great cases out there, but the little 5 K and 10 K settlements that kept the lights on and paid for the paras and secretaries are mostly a thing of the past. You see, 90%+ of PI cases are rinky-dink car acciddents with minor injuries. Now that those puppies are so hard to settle, it creates massive cash-flow problems for the typical PI lawyer.

What about PI cases of employees against employers? Surely we can still sue small businesses for herniating the shit out of discs.

TheKingintheNorth wrote:Is your firm the Mesothelioma people or the Accutane people?

There's no need to be a douche to the guy.

TheKingintheNorth wrote:

areyouinsane wrote:

What is your current working situation? Is PI becoming more difficult to break into due to tort reform measures being pushed in most states/saturation of legal markets?

Tort reform is mostly political BS. The real problem is the insurance companies tightening the screws on payouts. Thanks to the glut of lawyers from TTT schools, the big players like Allstate can in-house the claims handling and fight to the death over a 25 K policy since their "lawyers" only get paid 40 K or so a year to churn the paperwork.

For example, they will force you to trial over a herniated spinal disc. Since PI cases are on contingency, you have to pay out of pocket the 5 K a board certified orthopedic surgeon gets for an hour or so of testimony. If you lose, you're on the hook for that fee.

There are still good and great cases out there, but the little 5 K and 10 K settlements that kept the lights on and paid for the paras and secretaries are mostly a thing of the past. You see, 90%+ of PI cases are rinky-dink car acciddents with minor injuries. Now that those puppies are so hard to settle, it creates massive cash-flow problems for the typical PI lawyer.

What about PI cases of employees against employers? Surely we can still sue small businesses for herniating the shit out of discs.[/quote

Employees physically injured on the job seek workers' compensation benefits in lieu of filing suits for tort or negligence (see descriptions of workers' compensation). Terms vary by state statute. Employees can sue employers for intentional torts, non-physical injuries, and contract disputes as well as discrimination, harassment, retaliation and other rights protected by law (see Americans with Disabilities Act, Family Medical Leave Act, Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and Fair Labor Standards Act).

40k a year to only churn paperwork doesn't sound like the best deal. I would think personal injury attorneys would get paid more just like other lawyers. I am not sure how you got these figures?

Allen
orlando personal injury attorneys