The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-25
THEY LIVE ON DAMAGE SUITS,
TRADE or ACCIDENT RROKFRS
AND ACCIDENT TOyTS
Ana the Ambulance Chasing Shys,ers Who
Work With Them-sS Per Cent. az
Personal Damage Casrs Declared by
Physician to he Pure BLACK mat,

DR.. Leonard F. Phkin. surgeon {: tho
marlborough RaIid Transit COMPANY
has just completed the collectio Of data
for series Of articles in one Of the medics,
journals ard for a report to his COMPANY
on the aluse Of the law under which
actions for damages as the result OF persona
injuries are brought against the surfac.
and elevated railroads III this city Or
Pitkin gave some Of The results Of his re-
search to Sun report er yeste rdsy ate.
noon.
The cheerful ambulance chaser anA
his trade have been known to New York
for many years II has remained for pr
Pi, kin to observe and make notes Of tho
activities OF the accident broker" tho
accident tout" and the accident light
houses in the hospitals and among III.
police Of the city.
The doctor was moved to tell some ~
the results Of his research to THE SrN
because both he and the company which
he represents feel that II the general pub,
a well as the medical men Of the city knew
OF the abuses committed in the name 81
the law. those who are unfortunate enough
to sustain injuries for which the company
may be held liable would realize that thew
would secure more cash for themselves
and their families by dea ing directly with
their employers or through reputable law
yere.
After an examination Of this question
said DR.. Pitkn. extending over a period
OF something like ten years. I have become
convinced that the contingent fee system
OF litigation is largely responsible for thu
abuses that exist i'll the prosecution Of
damage suits for personal injuries. II
some wise lawmaker OF this State could
examine the records OF personal accident
litigation as l have examined them, he
would see the need Of some legislation
to regulate all contingent fee litigation.
when a lawyer takes a personal in
jury case on a contingent fee, he is not only
the attorney for the plaintiff but he becomes
q partner OF the plaintiff in the profits OF
the suit. This sort of partnership has led
to abuses which cry for regulation.
-The business of suing railroad, ard
, contractors for damages for persona
injuries has become, vi der the fostering
care Of the shysters, a great industry N
this country. In the State of Illinois
ior instance. the damage suits for personal
injuries for the first six months OF 1870
aggregated little over s. ,00O.O10; IN the
50 me period in 1895 they aggregated about
3l3 0OO 600, and in 1901 they were $50 900 900
| In this State, 60 per cent of all the bust
hess Of our civil courts is damage suits for
! personal injuries. ard IS per cent. Of this
number are actions started in bad faith
ard for the deliberate purpose Of black
mailing the defendant companies
The promoter in chief OF this litigation
Is what ia commonly called the shyster
| lawyer. We all know this kind OF lawyer
but il may not be generally known that
there are very many OF them in this town
| who do nothing ese from one years END
, to another but hunt out and prosecute
| dana &c suits against corporations, ami
they make handsome living out of it
-One lawyer-he came to be regarded by
| the general public as high-class citizen
az well as an able lawyer-lied here few
years ago leaving a large estate. most OF
which he made in this class OF litigation.
THE accident lawyer is very thorough
| going in the practice OF his profession.
work started in this city than the accident
! lawyer looks it over. He takes in tho
| character Of the work. notes carefully
where blasting and other hazardous work
is to be done and makes his plans,
-1he job is policed by the lawyers agents
|
special watchers for accidents. who d"
nothing else. are employed. In other
cases, small shop keepers along the Inc
| of the work are approached and told that
| il they will watch out for accidents and
promptly report the name and address
Of anybody who may be injured they WI
receive a liberal commission from the
! lawyer out Of whatever he may recover
in a damage suit against the contractor.
these agents are called accident ton'-
I heard Of one the other day. SINAI
merchant. who had made in the past ycat
$12 900 in commissions by informing lawyers
| Of injuries sustained by men employed by
| contractors and bv the surface and elevated
roads. / saw lawyers, because these tous,
| without any scruples whatever, engage
! their services to two or three Of these legs
lights at the same time.
But besides the touts. there Is another
remarkably enterprlsing act OF men, known
as accident brokers They work quite on
their own hook. They do their own watch
when they find that a man employee
by a railroad company as a contractor has
been injured they hunt him up and har" 9
talk with him. They represent to he
in ured that he las an excellent case for
damages against his employer and tha
the broker il In position TO negotiate adj
vantageously with the employer.
THE broker makes proposition 70 re-
cover the DAMAGES fpT contingent lee
Then, the bargain rrade, he proceeds 10
open negotiations n he fails alt gether.
by aid Of threats and promises, he goes 10
lawyer and offers him the case on com
| mission.
in this last resort. the broker works
both ends against the middle, for ne coy
lects his commission from The inlurrG N
the latter gets anything, and he coiIe'''
frorr the LAWYER.
-One Of these brokers came 70 see =
the other day on behalf Of a client .
was an Italian OF the name OF Coucca. 10
sent in his card, which have filed witt -
| record of the case Under the name vas
this legend Dealer in real estate 'oh
in small quantities and accdents.
TO tho tout and tho broker there must
be added. I fear, though regret 10 sa' ".
some OF The police and attendants IN r"'n"
OF our hospitals When person has been
| Injured on the elevated or surtar" roals
or on public or private work, there If lt ih,
a policeman az round who il sure Of . '"'
telephoning the facts to some incident
lawyer, ,.,..
once this patient Is In the horp'a"
! Il Ia easy for a hospital attendant 7" '.-
| ect the same fee for tine same york
"Of al the damage suits begun 'hn.
! have observ.i IS per cent have l',n
started in the hope Of b'acknal lra '|'
| defendant out 81 some or the dh''1 -
| claimed 7 recall two cases in p"i'l
"One was thar Of "A woman, an r1l''
strnographer who stuhbed her to" 'I