Today more than ever, consumers seek the counsel and protection of personal injury lawyers when they have been wronged by negligent or malicious corporations. In today’s legal climate, big business continues to wield huge legal advantages against lone individuals, who must often navigate extremely complex legal environments in order to obtain justice and compensation when harmed by defective products or dangerous services.
One does not have to look far to find examples of medical malpractice and other corporate negligence leading to serious injury or death. In cases like this, personal injury attorneys often form the last line of defense that allows consumers to find justice and help in battling corporations.
Consider some recent news items where personal injury attorneys have been vital in protecting consumers against outright fraud and malpractice. A recent Fox News report revealed the shocking story of a Detroit-area doctor who illegally billed the government more than $35 Million in false medicare bills by fraudulently giving people cancer treatments when they did not have cancer!
Another similarly shocking report tells the story of a Georgia hospital technician who faked women’s mammogram results, giving people false negatives because she was behind on her work! This is a case where innocent people lost precious time in fighting cancer due to one employee’s tragic and malicious decision making.
Both of the cases above are clear examples of the critical need for personal injury lawyers to help protect innocent people and punish abusive businesses. Without effective litigation, the two cases above may have never come to light. However, while both cases above were prosecuted successfully, not all personal injury cases get resolved so easily.
In many cases, personal injury lawsuits fail due to the asymmetry of resources between big businesses and lone consumers. Consider the case of a pending lawsuit against GM for a product liability issue. GM is attempting to avoid a class-action lawsuit related to a car defect linked to 13 deaths and 32 crashes. GM’s position is that its recent bankruptcy should act as a shield against against liability lawsuits. For families who’ve lost loved ones due to a defective vehicle, the technicalities of bankruptcy law offer little comfort. This is a case where GM’s huge legal and financial resources grant unfair advantages against people who truly deserve compensation.
Despite the examples above, some may still hold bias against attorneys, perhaps considering them opportunistic. While it’s certainly true that law firms seek to make a profit, the reality is that personal injury lawyers are some of the few who truly fight on behalf of the average citizen. For example, take the recent Flight 370 disaster. While lawyers might be criticized for thinking about liability as a result of this tragedy, as Danny Cevallos argues in a recent CNN article, “After all, do you think Boeing and Malaysia Airlines think it’s “too soon” to consult with their attorneys? If these corporate juggernauts are entitled to counsel, it stands to reason that a grieving mother of a Chinese Flight 370 passenger with zero legal training is, too.”
At Wormington & Bollinger, we believe that consumers deserve protection and representation against big business and corporate abuse. If you’ve been the victim of medical malpractice or other personal injury, contact us today to speak with our team of passionate consumer advocates.