I know there’s plenty of good, fine and upstanding attorneys in this world (I’ve needed to find a few of them myself from time to time), but there’s also a few bad ones with loose ambulance-chasing morals and no one’s interests to serve but their own bank accounts. Some of these types see big trucking companies as easy targets for quick thousand-dollar settlements.
You fleet executives probably have had to deal with it countless times already: One of your drivers gets into a minor fender-bender with absolutely little damage to show for it beyond a bent bumper or two, and suddenly the four-wheeler’s driver claims he’s medically unfit to work and rings up 1-800-SHY-STER, who’s on the phone with you threatening all sorts of legal chaos unless you settle out of court.
I recently saw a TV ad for one of these types that hits a new low. The dude is standing on top of a shiny new tractor-trailer and trumpets his prowess at making sure the “little guy” doesn’t get rolled over by all those “unscrupulous big trucking companies.” Now I’d have to wait for the commercial to air again and play it back just to be sure exactly what he says in the ad – which is more time than I care to invest in this dude – but it’s safe to say his comments are along the lines of “If you’ve ever been hurt by a big truck, call me, and I’ll make sure that big trucking company pays for it.”
If I’d been at the location where they filmed that commercial, I’d probably have paid the truck driver to crank it up while the ambulance chaser was standing on top. Not put it in gear, mind you – just enough to wig him out. Then I’d remind him how most of the goods he buys with all his ill-gotten greed made it to the store in the first place.
