New-York tribune., 1908-02-09
WAR ON AMBULANCE
CHASERS" BEGUN.
CITY BUREAU TO FORE
STALL BOGUS SUITS.
Methods of Bands Organized to
Plunder Railroad Companies and
Municipal Treasury.

The life OF the ambulance chaser" the lawyer
or lawyers clerk who hastens to hospital when
ever he hears Of accident and tries TO induce
the victim thereof 10 sue somebody or something
contingent fee. at best strenuous one will
he even more sely in the future if he tries TO do
business Of old. for Controller Metz has declared
war on him The Controller has established bu-
reau OF claims. the object of which is put
bulance chasers and the excuse for their existence
out of business far their activity is concerned
in cases where there is likelihood Of suit against
;he city.
The bureau is patterned after the railroad
claim department and is in charge Of F. J. Prial.
who prepared the case against the Brooklyn sewer
in 1896 An inspector Of this bureau viii
he posted Police Headquarters and will have
TO the slips which record accident cases
from all the city. When accident is re
ported in which there is = possibility OF suit
against the city. this inspector will TO reach
the victim ahead of the ambulance chasers," who
get their tips from the boys VINO make records
of the accident slips for the newspaper Offices op-
posite headquarters.
There have been many attempts by police com
missioners and captains drive ambulance
chasers' from their lucrative field. but all have
failed The shyster law. ers have aot only in
creased their activity but have EXTENDED their o2er-
ations Ia claims otnc: than those growing out OF
streetcar accidents. in tte early days their chief
dependence Their latest enterprise has been ir In
citing and fostering what is known water d.
version claims
These are claims for alleged damage to crops
which farmers declare are injured by the diversion
Of subsurface water from Its natural course into
pipe galleries leading city pumping stations. Al
ready this class Of claims has the city about
sI56.0oa and many suits pending The Con-
froller cites as the total personal injury claims
filed against the city 1884, Si97.345 The total Of
claims personal injury damage in that year was
s217e.SSe
--one claimant wanted q 50 for loss of business.
afsl don't
riod into his while tn. ambulance surgeon at
tended him aud there 10 business during the
operation said the Controller yesterday 1t is
worth s. so to know that such people in
the world, but the city treasury cannot be turned
into grab bag for all corners.
one Of our most recent cases involved boy,
horse and ar overcoat The boy. clad in over
coat among other things. was standing near A
horse hitched TO Il wagon of the Street Cleaning
Department. The horse took the boys arm in his
teeth and whirled him around 4 bit. tearing the
sleeve and soaring the boy Claim was made
against the city for personal injury to the boy
But had doctor and an examiner over to see
the boy inside Of twelve hours, and the only dam
age then visible the overcoat
Another duty Of the Controllers headquarters
man will be watch for slips showing accidents
due defective pavement. unsafe buildings, ice on
sidewalks. etc. ard tc notify the proper depart
Ilents. that defects may be remedied
Another foe Of the ambulance chasers" and So
called styster lawyers is Bar Association
William p. Goodell. president of the State Board
of Examiners. and a member Of the Bar Associa-
ton recently appointed report measures to curb
the ambulance chasing" evil. recommended
amendments to the Code Of Civil Procedure by
which lawyers required 10 have written con-
tracts with their clients in actions TO dam
ages for Injuries death and also that the courts
have power to reject reduce fees of lawyers en-
gagged in such cases.
Those who have served juries which have
heard damage suits well acquainted with tie
methods of the ambulance chasers.
That persons will deliberately seek injury and
plan streetcar accidents for the sake of obtaining
damages from a railroad company appears in
credible. Yet hundreds of men and women are en-
gagged in the lucrative-if somewhat hazardous
business of beating the railroad companies. and 1t
is with these persons that the ambulance chaser
works hand in hand. While many actually place
themselves in the way Of danger. the majority
rrerel- feign injuries and their capacity for
sying and the wit of INSCRIPTIONS lawyers to make
out a case against the streetcar companies
On the other hand frauds perpetrated against
TRANSPORTATION companies have been successful
and proved costly that the companies have been
obliged to organize a sort of lightning detective
agency claims and legal departments 10 handle real
and bogus claims against the company before the
claimants have had time to escape from the
scene of a streetcar accident