An accident can be a very traumatic event. An accident can leave you feeling vulnerable and at loose ends. "Ambulance chasing" lawyers prey on this feeling. These lawyers, or their underlings, mysteriously pop up at the scene of accidents hoping to lure the accident victim into the web of deceit spun by these poisonous spiders.

   How do these vultures find their carrion? Some lawyers peruse the police reports of auto accidents. These reports are often available for little or no charge at law enforcement agencies. They then contact the individual who appears not to have caused the accident and suggest that they pursue an injury claim. Several of my clients have received letters of this nature from other lawyers.

   Some lawyers have people on the streets looking for accidents. It is a simple thing to buy a radio that picks up police calls. Many of my clients report being approached after an accident by one or more people who offer to take them to a lawyer’s office. These people often arrive even before the police. They may have a whole system set up that at first seems attractive. They might offer to drive you to a body shop they know of, then to a hospital emergency room, and then to the lawyer’s office. They might even suggest that the lawyer will loan money to you.

   You might be tempted to choose a lawyer who will lend you money. Resist this temptation. It is unequivocally unethical for a lawyer to loan a client money. You should select a lawyer because she is a good lawyer, not because she’ll lend you money. The dollars you receive up front as a loan may pale next to the small settlement you receive at the end of the case because your lawyer doesn’t know what she’s doing or doesn’t have your best interests at heart.

   Lawyers who lend money to clients and who chase ambulances do not have your best interests in mind. They are greedy from the word go. How can you trust your legal rights to someone who practices the great profession of law in such a disreputable manner? How can you be sure that this lawyer won’t lie to you when it comes time to settle your case? How can you trust that this lawyer won’t sell you and your case out to avoid some extra work? You can’t.