What Personal Injury Firms Should Know Before Getting into Mass Tort

Mass tort cases can be extremely lucrative, which is why an increasing number of personal injury firms are expanding their practices to include them. But a lot goes into securing mass tort clients and managing these complex matters to a successful conclusion. If you are a personal injury attorney considering a pivot into mass tort cases, this post will give you some insight into a few things you need to know before taking that leap. 

Some Key Differences 

There are some key differences to keep in mind when making the switch. In a personal injury case, you are typically representing a single plaintiff, such as an injured car accident victim. Mass tort representation involves more than one defendant, possibly even hundreds or thousands. They are usually suing a large entity that has harmed numerous people, such as a manufacturer whose product harmed many consumers, or a building company that negligently caused a major explosion.  

While both personal injury and mass tort defendants seek monetary compensation for their injuries and related harm, there are some additional differences. For instance, though every case differs, personal injury cases are generally concluded within a quicker time frame than mass tort cases. The financial volume and numerous plaintiffs of a mass tort case can sometimes extend the time it takes to conclude it. In fact, some mass cases have taken decades to reach a conclusion.  

Another reason for the extensive time frame is the settlement process. With any personal injury case, plaintiffs have the right to accept or refuse any settlement offer from the defendant. The same is true for mass tort cases, but the number of plaintiffs can make that acceptance take substantially longer. 

The Mass Tort Marketing Challenge  

When moving into mass tort cases, your firm will have the challenge of reaching the maximum number of people affected by the relevant harm before competing firms get to them first. If your firm fails to do this consistently, you may find it difficult to keep your mass tort client roles full. As such, your firm needs to take steps and implement strategies towards targeting the right clients and offering valuable content.  

As a personal injury firm, you may be accustomed to using broad strategies to reach numerous leads who may have suffered a wide range of injuries. You’ve been using a wide net, with general marketing language like, “Were you injured in a traffic accident?”  

Your firm will have to operate with a different goal in mind when working on mass tort matters because you are no longer seeking to attract singular leads. Mass tort cases require multiple leads who have experienced similar injuries. Rather than casting the wide net of personal injury cases, you will need to be more targeted in your marketing. For example, your mass tort content may ask, “Did you receive a cancer diagnosis after taking this medication?” 

Mastering Mass Tort Marketing  

Your firm has probably used a vast variety of marketing content to build a successful personal injury practice. Many of these same techniques can also be used for mass tort, with some tweaks to make them more targeted.  

Your content should be crafted to provide education about the specific mass tort injury, the benefits of a mass tort claim, and the general case progression. This type of marketing approach is important because mass tort leads often do not even know that they have grounds for a lawsuit. The typical consumer is too busy to pay attention to product recalls and the bad acts of business. So, your firm must be ready and able to inform prospects of the case and their potential participation in it.  

Once your firm catches the attention of a prospect, it’s important to move them through the sales funnel quickly. Delays in communication and nurturing can cause potential clients to join the case through another mass tort law firm. Some of the techniques your firm can use during this stage include:  

• Targeted legal email campaigns 
• Newsletters 
• Case studies 
• Consultations  
• Timely follow ups to lead communications 

Utilize the Right Technology  

If you haven’t been using a top law firm technology in your personal injury practice, it is a must that you upgrade before pursuing mass tort cases. The growth that you seek will come along with a lot more clients and a lot work for firm members, so you need systems in place that streamline the unbilled tasks of marketing and help you maintain consistent communications.  

Client relationship management (CRM) for law firms is a must for meeting your mass tort goals. These platforms include features that will help your firm automate your marketing processes and consistently manage lead communications effortlessly. Law firm CRM organizes the legal client intake process and helps you keep mass tort clients informed and updated about the progress of their matters.  

Law Ruler CRM software offers the features that your personal injury law firm will need to successfully move into the mass tort practice area. With features like a built-in softphone, text messaging, and automated follow-ups, Law Ruler helps mass tort law firms master their marketing needs, provide timely follow-ups, and consistently communicate with mass tort clients. To learn more, click this link for a free consultation.