Call for a FREE Case Review (740) 454-8585 Tap to call (740) 454-8585

If you’ve been searching online recently for a personal injury law firm, or just browsing around for information about legal topics and services, you may have come across advertisements for companies promising certain results for victims of car crashes. Beware: most of them are not law firms, but rather paid lead generation companies.  

These websites are in effect marketing materials disguised as helpful resources for accident victims. They may make big promises to potential clients about how their services are a “game changer” in the legal field that upend decades of outdated personal injury practices.

However, there are no quick and easy substitutes for a lawyer’s advice. Hiring a lawyer is not like shopping online, where technology allows you to connect with multiple providers that are more or less interchangeable.

Your choice of lawyer can be one of the most important decisions you make and should never be solely based on Internet algorithms, advertising, and inflated claims.

Sites to Look Out For

There are approximately 50,000 personal injury attorneys in the United States, including around 5,000 in Ohio. While that may sound like a lot, it pales in comparison to the number of accidents and injuries suffered annually in the U.S.

Consider, for example, that there are over 6 million car accidents in the U.S. every year. Nearly half of these result in an emergency department visit and around 45,000 are fatal.

Personal injury lead generation websites act as middlemen that profit from connecting accident victims with attorneys, often without adding any real value or providing genuine assistance.

Personal injury attorneys compete for a limited number of cases. For any given injury claim, there are at least a handful of firms—and in many cases, more than that—vying to represent the victims.

The Internet has made it easier for clients to expand the pool of attorneys they have access to. Anyone who’s searched online for a lawyer knows that the results produce many pages worth of attorney sites. Some of these spots are reserved for real, local attorneys. Others may look like law firms, but are anything but. They include sites like:

  • Crash Connect
  • FindLegal.com
  • Auto Accident Claims Support
  • Get Accident Assistance
  • Local Attorney Connector
  • Compensation Accident Assist
  • Personal Injury Max
  • Car Accident Helpline
  • TopDog Law
  • Car Accident Counsel
  • Car Accident Help
  • MVA Injury Assistant
  • Top Injury Claims

How Personal Injury Lead Generation Sites Work

Personal injury lead generation websites can be generously called “attorney advertising” but they are not subject to the ethical standards and guidelines that attorneys must follow. These companies often make exaggerated claims and promises of large settlements that take advantage of people looking for legitimate information.

They typically talk about things like “new compensation programs” designed to get money for accident victims. They may pose as “accident advocates” or “public awareness” organizations and make claims such as “Even if your accident was relatively minor, you can still expect a six-figure settlement” or “You may qualify for more compensation even if you have settled.”

After you fill out an intake form, they say they will call within minutes, and that they will only call once due to long lines of evaluation requests. They add that, if specialists are calling, it means they are confident that they can help you get significant compensation for your case.

Reading far enough down in the fine print, you finally get to the crux of the matter: the website, posing as a free legal information resource, is in fact a paid lead generation service for attorneys that uses the following modus operandi:

  • Attract Visitors: The sites utilize search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to rank high in search results for common accident-related searches like “car accident lawyer,” “personal injury attorney,” or “accident help.” They may also use online advertising to drive traffic to their sites.
  • Collect Information: They offer free services like case evaluations, claim reviews, or connections to local attorneys. To access these services, visitors are required to provide personal information, including their name, contact details, accident details, and sometimes even insurance information.
  • Sell Leads: The websites then provide a paid service where this valuable information is provided for a fee to attorneys, law firms, or other parties that are looking for new clients.
  • Limited or No Direct Service: While some sites might have basic information about legal rights or the claims process, they usually don’t provide actual legal advice or representation. Their primary function is to collect and sell leads.

In short, these websites act as middlemen that profit from connecting accident victims with attorneys, often without adding any real value or providing genuine assistance.

Why You Should Be Cautious and How to Protect Yourself

If all of this sounds too good to be true, it’s because it probably is.

Buried in the legalese of disclosures, you’ll find statements such as “Hiring an attorney is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertising” or “Our advertisements and/or intake services do not imply a higher quality of legal services than those provided by other attorneys or that the attorneys are certified specialists or experts in any area of law.”

But you may only get these disclosures after you submit your information or sign up for a case. Once they have your information, they may bombard you with calls, emails, and texts, pressuring you to sign up with one of their attorneys.

Sharing your personal information with these companies could lead to it being sold to multiple third parties, resulting in more unwanted solicitations. And they may not be upfront about their fees or how they choose which attorneys to recommend. You might end up with a lawyer who isn’t a good fit for your case.

If you’ve been injured in an accident, there are more reliable ways to find an attorney and protect yourself from personal injury lead generation sites posing as law firms:

  • Be skeptical of online ads: Don’t believe everything you see on social media. Do your own research, but do so through a skeptical lens. Not being able to talk to an actual attorney could be a red flag.
  • Don’t share your information lightly: Avoid giving out your contact details to companies you don’t know and trust.
  • Read the fine print: Carefully review the terms and conditions to understand what you’re agreeing to.
  • Know your rights: You have the right to opt out of receiving communications from these companies. If they continue to contact you after you’ve asked them to stop, you may want to file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
  • Seek recommendations from trusted sources: Ask friends, family, or other professionals for referrals to reputable personal injury attorneys. When in doubt, schedule an online or in-person meeting.

There is no replacement for advice from competent and qualified local attorneys. For over 100 years, Graham Law’s personal injury lawyers have provided legal assistance to residents of Southeastern Ohio.

You can always reach a real person and get in touch with an actual attorney when you call us. Contact information for our firm and individual attorneys is available on our website. You might recognize us from around town, but if not, we look forward to getting to know you and learning how we can help.

 
Contact Us

Here's where to find us.


Zanesville Office



17 N. 4th St.
Zanesville, Ohio 43701

8:00am-5:00pm

Cambridge Office



1230 Southgate Pkwy
Cambridge, Ohio 43725

By Appointment