Is Asking for Referrals Greedy?

Are personal injury lawyers being greedy in trying to generate referrals from other attorneys? Why not just give advice to other lawyers for free?

I saw this take recently: The statement was made that personal injury lawyers try to make cases more complicated than they are to get other, non-injury lawyers to refer cases to them. The criticism was that this then deprives small firm attorneys of part of their fee.

The reality is I know many personal injury lawyers, such as myself, who do give free advice to other lawyers. But even then, it is hard to give advice and answer specific questions without knowing all the facts and reviewing the file of a case.

Even something as “simple” as a routine car wreck with medical bills close to the policy limits can raise a variety of issues that a lawyer inexperienced in personal injury would not know how to spot.

For example…

• • Is there uninsured motorist (UM) coverage?
  • What UM coverage applies? Are there resident relatives?
  • Are there policies that stack?
  • Are the coverages reduced limits or add-ons?
  • Are the limits equal to the liability limits?
  • Are the proper selection forms in place showing which coverage was selected?
  • Did the proper release get signed to preserve the UM claim?
  • What about health insurance reimbursement issues?
  • What type of health plan exists?
  • What is the language in the health plan?

There are other issues, too, like does the demand have the right language to support a bad faith claim if it is denied?

I don’t think personal injury lawyers are greedy in asking for referrals. I don’t think they’re greedy in talking about how something seemingly simple could have land mines for the unwary. And I don’ t think asking to be compensated as a referral for your time is unprofessional.

All that being said, I don’t mind giving free advice and pointers to anybody who doesn’t handle personal injury cases if my schedule permits.

But I also don’t have unlimited time. I have to prioritize my family, my firm, and my clients. I’m always surprised when people think that personal injury lawyers should give free advice to other lawyers and walk them through how to handle a particular case.

But maybe that’s just me.

What do you think? Share your thoughts with me on LinkedIn.