A bronze statue of Lady Justice holding scales is displayed indoors.
WASHINGTON – Personal injury plaintiffs who feel their lawyers took advantage of them are invited to share their stories on a new website.
YourInjuryStory.com is the latest effort from Protecting American Consumers Together, a group that advocates for a fair and transparent legal process. PACT will be promoting the site on social media and elsewhere to encourage consumers to share their experiences with personal injury lawyers.
“Too many Americans feel pressured, misled, or financially trapped after hiring a personal injury lawyer,” said Lauren Zelt, Executive Director of PACT.
“YourInjuryStory.com gives consumers a place to see the system clearly, hear directly from other victims, and share their own experiences. We believe transparency is essential to protecting people during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives.”
Among headaches for plaintiffs are medical debt and third-party litigation funders who front the costs of litigation in exchange for a large percentage of the recovery. PACT says the public can confidentially share experiences on those and other issues, like referral practices and settlement disputes.
And educational materials are available for those thinking of hiring an attorney. A survey of 400 crash victims showed 92% of them were contacted by lawyers after the crash, with 41% saying the civil justice system benefits attorneys and not clients. Three-fourths of those surveyed said they were steered to medical-care providers selected by their lawyers.
“They drag things out… to the maximum, to swell their pockets with money that I need to get my life back in order,” one respondent wrote.
PACT collected other testimonials from sites like Reddit and offers a “Share Your Story” intake form. Half surveyed said they ended up with medical liens or lawsuit loans.
