The personal injury law niche attracts many new lawyers every year. They pass the bar and start thinking about the legal area in which they want to practice. Some might get into corporate law, criminal defense, or something else. However, many will look into personal injury law and join a firm that makes that their specialty.
Why might a lawyer get into this legal area? Some might want to help individuals who saw their lives change when a reckless driver struck and killed a relative. 2019 saw the most pedestrian deaths in three decades, and that kind of thing can impact a family to its core. A personal injury lawyer can help such a family file a wrongful death suit.
That’s just one reason why some lawyers target this legal niche, though. Let’s talk about some other potential reasons why this area of the law attracts some of the best and brightest attorneys.
They Like the Idea of Steady Work
Some lawyers who get into the personal injury law niche like the steady work that comes from this area of the law. Personal injury law attracts many attorneys because they know that if they make this their specialty, they probably won’t have any shortage of clients.
Every day lawyers and clients initiate new lawsuits against individuals or companies that acted negligently. A new client might approach a lawyer with grounds for a lawsuit daily once that attorney opens their door to the public. That is because so many individuals and companies do things that harm others.
The idea of an area of the law that offers consistent work might appeal to many lawyers when they pass the bar. They know that it’s not the most glamorous profession, but it will put food on the table. That’s more than enough for many attorneys.
They Want to Hold Companies Accountable When They Make Dangerous Products
A lawyer might also get into the personal injury niche because they want to hold companies accountable when they make products available to the public that cause harm. Business entities that come out with new items should have stringent testing procedures in place that can stop any dangerous products from making it onto store shelves. However, some companies don’t have those procedures, or they’re lax about them.
If a product severely hurts someone or makes them ill, a lawyer can step in and represent that person. Maybe the faulty product hurt an individual so badly that they can’t do the same work anymore that they once could. Perhaps they can’t enjoy the same intimacy with their spouse or partner that they could before.
The lawyer might feel that the company that made the product acted deplorably, and they would like to hold them accountable. They can do that as a personal injury lawyer. They can make representatives of the company appear in court and answer for their careless or negligent actions that caused such pain and suffering.
They Want to Punish Careless Doctors
Some personal injury attorneys might stick with medical malpractice cases. When someone goes to see a doctor or spends some time in a hospital, they might trust that person or facility implicitly. There is this idea that if someone has a medical license, they know what they’re doing, and we should trust them.
Some doctors betray that trust, though. They might give someone the wrong medication or operate on the wrong body part. They could make a misdiagnosis that causes a great deal of harm to the afflicted individual.
When that happens, a doctor or medical facility might not claim responsibility. If they do, they can see serious consequences, so they might dispute the patient’s version of events.
That’s when a personal injury lawyer can step in. They can represent the injured party and ensure they get their day in court. They can tell a jury of their peers what the doctor or medical facility did. They can procure the financial compensation this individual deserves and try to get their life back on track.
They Like the Idea of Local Fame
Some personal injury lawyers like the thought that they can run local commercials in their city or town. They might become a celebrity that way. They can practice their acting skills and become a known commodity within a particular market.
They might have their faces on billboards and bus stop benches. They will hear their name mentioned in radio spots. They know that they can support themselves through this legal niche, but they can also become the proverbial big fish in a small pond. Not every lawyer will like that, but some crave that kind of spotlight.
They Want to Act as a Champion for the Downtrodden
Many personal injury lawyers have Good Samaritan tendencies. They know they’re getting into a niche that will support them and their families financially, but they also want to become a servant of the people.
Such lawyers know that if a company or individual harms a person, then the injured party might feel lost and alone. They don’t know the law, so they don’t necessarily understand all of their options. They may feel like they can’t reclaim their life, especially if the injury or illness completely derailed their normal routine.
In the worst of personal injury cases, the injured party might have medical bills piling up. They may drain their bank account or even go into debt trying to pay them off. They might have to miss work for weeks or months while they are recovering.
A personal injury lawyer might have empathy for such a person. They may feel that when they represent them, they are making the wrong things right. It is a commendable mindset and not one that every lawyer has. The ones who get into this niche, though, often feel like they’re making a measurable difference in the world.
All these reasons might compel a lawyer to enter the personal injury niche.
