New-York tribune., 1901-09-03
BROOKLYN'S VULTURES.
AMBULANCE CHASERs WORRY PERSONS
INJURED BY TROLLEY ACCIDENTS.

INJCRED BY TROLLEY ACCIDENTS.
Accidents about the streets in the last few weeks
have brought into greater prominence than ever
The enormous amount of business done by lawyers
who make q practice Of negligence cases and seho
ont so-callcd ambulance chasers' to urge injured
people TO intrust their complaints 10 them
Alexander S. Lyman. who is in charge OF me
claim department Of the Brooklyn Rapid TRANSIT
system Yesterday mentioned to a Tribune reporter
a number Of cases in which the attentions OF the
ambulance chaser followed serious aceiuents
In one case the mother Of q young man VINO i
now in the hospital suffering from injuries received
in the accident at Kensinston Junction on August august
II has been called by l22 persons each ursl"s
her 10 put her claim in his hands
LIKE A CROWD OF VAMPIRES.
In the case Of a man who was killed in the same
accident the representative OF the Brooklyn Ha',o
Transit Company had hard work to shouoer ms
xra,, through the crowd Of ambulance chasefs
no we're bcsieginc the house Of the father OF the
dead man even before the funeral The husoaho
Of woman injured in the same accident hao 10
station a man his front yard To Keep the at'oi-
nevs' runners from continually ringing the o"oI-
bell. l..
perbans the most picturesque instance or all Is
that REGARDING an accident which occurred on May
II A car struck a market gardeners wagon i'ieu
with Young people from College Point, VINO We're
having a straw ride. The wagon was upset TWO Oh
the party were killed and several were injured
When the case was investigated by the state Board
of Railroad Commissioners the motornan was eA-
onerated and all the blame was laid on the driver
Of the wagon. Notwithstanding this decision 'he
town Of College Point oveTrun with lawyers
and runners" from Manhattan. Brooklyn Flush
sng Jarnaica and Long Island City that their rigs
Nere standing deep in the side streets leading
10 the main street Of the town. During that time
too the saloons did more business than IN me
previous six months.
WITNESSES ALL READY.
The following extract taken from package OF
cards and letters received by two Young women
- nero injured in an accident one OF the
Coney Islan1 trestles August - is typical o. tle
means employed by these attorneys:
Dear Madam desire to inform YOU hi IhaI ! hao9 az.
three witnesses who saw the aceoeht w ne am
fuliv convinced that you have Z good cause OF
action for damages against the railroad company
inEs I should be pleased 70 take your 5,a+oT @
usual basis and pay all the expenses OF
and without any expenses 10 YOU whatsoever e'9'
1T ts my experience" said Mr.. Lyman discuss
tng the subject "and also that Of claim agents IN
other corporations, that constant warfare Husl
be waged with attorneys who make II b he
company is willing and ANXIOUS 20 ~ l'H Hrnn1ber of
LAWYERS doing strictly Legitimate business Is sna AZ
3Tne 19T me siI IN Rroovn are engaged in ambulance
chasing both for this borough and , foT M1nh4I 1 an
an honest claim but ambulance chasers' are looked
askance at everywhere.
KEEP JURlES BUSY
1T may be stated safe estimate lhdt louI-
ef,,s az the csses tried before jures i'm the Kings
County Supreme Court are cases based upon al
legged negligence. Not accident happenSS @ NLeIe
there Is a Doce report without the lnJufeu pee
being called on by al least one aliouo'o' '
usually many more. . . ,,,,,o rl,,
ssAIost OF these ambulance chasers are regularly
employed salary or salary and some comm :
sion The more disreputa bic OF mem IL !. .5los
but peddle their around They may even
s25 from an attorney, and then bring the plalhuii
and the defendant together TO settle the case anu
that fee also for the trouble lhtIt arr atto
news in this business who have arrangementS Win
saloonkeepers proprietors of neWssiands ana druB
clerks 10 pay from s. 10 s25 for cases brought 10
them
we fnd also that where the plaintiff is poor his
attorney gives him a salary for weeks TO hold him
along until the case is settled.
BUY AND SELL CASES.
In the ambulance chasing fraternity cases are
regularly bought and sold like commodity The
sale is made by paying the amount agreed on
under the guise OF counsel fees and disbursements
for a substitution.
mo doubt the legal profession is being seriously
debauched and injured by the enormous increase IN
negligence litigation SubOTning witnesses II a
they pay witnesses outright. AT other times Lhey
appeal to their sympathies. A man In the DIS
trict Attorneys office in auding 10 the practice OF
subOruing perjury said that more crime IS com
mitted within the four walls of the Court House
than in the whole county outside OF II.
Prom the point Of view or the whole community
this matter Of strike suits is q burning evil"
When asked If he had heard that cards OF these
attorneys have been given out by motormen at the
fine of accidents suggesting colluson between the
unotormen and the lawyers Mr. Lyman said that
such thing might possibly have occurred, but that
he had not heard OF H.