If you’ve driven anywhere in Joplin lately, you’ve seen them. Billboards everywhere. Giant faces. Catchy slogans. Toll-free numbers. Personal injury lawyers are spending a fortune to get your attention from the side of I-44 and Highway 71.
Here’s what those billboards don’t tell you: a massive advertising budget has absolutely nothing to do with how well a lawyer will handle your case. In fact, there are some very good reasons to be skeptical of the firms spending the most on marketing.
Where Do You Think Billboard Money Comes From?
Billboards aren’t cheap. A single billboard in the Joplin area can cost $10,000 to $20,000 per month. A firm running a dozen billboards across Southwest Missouri is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars a year — just on outdoor advertising. Add in TV commercials, radio spots, and internet ads, and you’re talking about a marketing budget that could easily exceed a million dollars annually. That money comes from somewhere. It comes from the fees those firms charge their clients.
The Volume Problem
Here’s how many billboard firms actually operate. The phone rings. A call center — not a lawyer — answers. An intake specialist collects your information and decides whether your case is worth taking. If it is, your file gets assigned to one of a roster of associates or contract attorneys, many of whom you’ll never meet face-to-face. Your case is managed by a paralegal or case manager. The named attorney — the one on the billboard — may never look at your file until it’s time to sign a settlement letter.
What Insurance Companies Know That You Don’t
Insurance adjusters keep internal lists. They know which firms settle fast and which firms actually try cases. They know which attorneys have real courtroom experience and which ones have never picked a jury. And they adjust their offers accordingly. A firm that never goes to trial gets lowball offers because the insurance company knows there’s no real threat behind the demand.
The Out-of-Town Problem
Many of the firms advertising heavily in the Joplin market aren’t even based here. They’re Springfield firms. Kansas City firms. St. Louis firms. They’ve identified Joplin and Southwest Missouri as an underserved market and they’re throwing money at it to sign up cases they’ll manage remotely from an office three hours away.
What Actually Matters When Choosing a Lawyer
Forget the billboards. Does the lawyer have real trial experience? Who is actually making the decisions on your case? Is the lawyer local? How many cases are they handling at once?
A Different Kind of Firm
At Benecke Injury Law, I don’t spend money on billboards. I spend my time preparing cases and working in courtrooms. I’ve spent over 20 years trying cases to jury verdict. I personally handle every case from start to finish. If you’ve been hurt in a car or truck accident in Joplin or Southwest Missouri, skip the billboard and call someone who will actually handle your case. When you’re hurt, call Kurt. (417) 553-4898. Free consultation.
Related Resources
- Truck Accident Lawyer Joplin
- Why Truck Accidents Are More Dangerous
- What to Do After an Accident in Missouri
If you’ve been injured, contact Benecke Injury Law at (417) 623-4000 for a free case review.