Top Three Reasons People File Lawsuits (And None of Them Are Greed!)

People reach out to us for legal help for all kinds of reasons. Each person has their own unique circumstances, their own events, their own individual issues that need to be addressed, and their own reasons ultimately deciding whether to file a lawsuit. But despite the differences, almost everyone who files a lawsuit wants to make one thing clear: “I’m not a greedy person.”

For the past thirty or so years, insurance companies, defense attorneys, and powerful corporations have engaged in one of history’s most effective smear campaigns. They have spent lavishly to convince the average American that people who file lawsuits are just greedy people, out for money. But in our experience, greed is one of the least common reasons people choose to hire an attorney. Below are the top three reasons why our clients file Denver personal injury lawsuits:

1. The At-fault Party Isn’t Taking Responsibility.

Whether they were injured by another driver in a car accident, by a dangerous condition at a hotel or grocery story or other business, or by a defective product, many of our clients rightfully expect the at-fault party to take responsibility for what happened. Any of us might expect the same. But many drivers, landlords, manufacturers, and their insurance adjusters refuse to accept responsibility for what happened. Instead, they deflect blame back at the person they hurt, using a combination of gaslighting and victim-blaming. Someone who doesn’t have a lawyer might be told by an experienced insurance adjuster, for example, that an at-fault business has “investigated the incident thoroughly and determined we are not liable.” It usually isn’t a thorough investigation, or a fair one.

When that happens, many people have no choice but to hire an attorney to deal with a situation they did not cause, did not want, could not have prevented, but now have to deal with. When those responsible fail to take responsibility, many people find that they have no choice but to hire an attorney to force those responsible to remedy the harm they caused. Filing a lawsuit is often the only way to force an unreasonable at-fault party to take financial responsibility (even if we can’t force them to ever admit fault).

2. To Pay Bills and Expenses.

Another thing we hear a lot is, “I just want to pay my medical bills.” The same thing applies to all kinds of financial issues. Whether someone has experienced a loss of property that needs to be replaced, they can’t afford the medical treatment they need to get better, or they can no longer work or pay rent due to their injuries, financial pressure is one of the most common reasons our clients decide to file suit. Medical expenses are through the roof. Many of us, even if we’re doing well, cannot easily afford to lose a paycheck.

The law allows at-fault parties to pay for a victim’s medical bills without accepting fault and then get credit for the amounts paid later in a lawsuit. But often, even an at-fault party that is “accepting liability” will try to nickel and dime the victim on their medical expenses or refuse to pay anything until their medical treatment is done. This kind of behavior forces people to make tough decisions to protect their families’ financial wellbeing. Often, that means filing suit to force full and timely payment.

3. To Make the World a Better Place.

In a world where the powerful are encouraged to hide and deny their wrongdoing, there’s only so much a Yelp or Google review can accomplish. Many of our clients have been wronged by uniquely powerful businesses or governments. We tell clients a lot about the significant risks and difficulties involved in pursuing a lawsuit. But one of the most common things we hear in response is that “I can’t imagine not doing anything and letting someone else get hurt.” Lawsuits can be a powerful force for change in our American system of justice. Maybe your lawsuit won’t be the next case that ends the use of cancer-causing compounds in weed killer, exposes a multi-billion dollar conspiracy to hide the poison in baby powder, or forces a manufacturer to design a safer car… but maybe it will. And even if the change is small, helping just one person avoid an injury is worth it.

Conclusion

The decision to hire a Denver personal injury attorney and file a lawsuit is not a decision that most people take lightly. Maybe they are looking to hire an attorney because something happened to them that they didn’t cause or deserve. Maybe they are looking to hire an attorney because they can’t shoulder the cost of someone else’s wrongdoing. Maybe they want to make sure what happened to them or their loved one doesn’t happen to anyone else. Or maybe they just don’t know what to do, and they need someone to talk to who can tell them if they even have a case. Seeking a lawyer and filing a lawsuit doesn’t make someone greedy, no matter what the other side might claim.