Mass torts has become a robust legal practice area filled with growth potential and profitability for personal injury law practices. But making the decision to take on mass tort cases and successfully making the transition are two different things. Many personal injury attorneys find themselves locked out of these opportunities because they are unable to attract and keep mass tort clients. If that sounds like your firm, keep reading to learn four reasons why you are missing out on mass tort clients and some tips to turn things around.
Reason #1 Timing is Everything
Mass tort cases typically move through various phases and some of them are better suited for seeking out mass tort clients than others. First, let’s look at what’s happening during each of them:
- The Emerging Phase: This stage occurs before a mass tort claim is even filed. It is the time when attorneys research potential matters, gather information, and begin marketing efforts targeting a particular mass tort injury.
- The Filing Phase: Mass tort cases are generally filed in conjunction with one another in federal court, even if plaintiffs reside in different jurisdictions. During this phase, attorneys are filing their respective cases. This is also the stage at which the courts pick a few cases that adequately represent the plaintiffs’ claims as a whole.
- The Trial Phase: This is the part of the process where attorneys from both sides make motions, schedule hearings, and if no settlement is reached, begin litigation of the mass tort claim.
- The Resolution Phase: During this phase of a mass tort case, settlement offers and decisions are made towards concluding the case.
Out of these four phases of a mass tort lawsuit, the highest level of consumer awareness exists during the Emerging Phase. They may have heard about air bag recalls for their vehicle or illness related to their household pesticide, but they have not yet connected the dots between their own claim and the mass tort claim. This is the opportune time for your law office to connect those dots for them.
Reason #2 Your Marketing is Off
Most patients do not automatically connect their headache medications with a major illness. That’s why it is up to mass tort law firms to educate them about the dangers associated with their medication and the adverse effects they experienced.
Unfortunately, a lot of firms get this part of the equation wrong because they do not understand the intricacies of mass tort marketing. For instance, they may use difficult legalese or scientific language in their advertisements instead of keeping content clear, concise and easily understood by the general public. They may also fail to center the client in their messaging instead of placing the focus on their firm.
To maximize your mass tort law firm marketing efforts, it is important to remember one very important distinction. While personal injury marketing uses a broad stroke to reach leads with a wide range of injuries, mass tort marketing focuses on attracting multiple leads who have experienced similar injuries. This means that your firm’s marketing strategies should be targeted to specific experiences using specific language.
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Reason #3 Poor Follow-Up
Mass tort cases may move slowly, but that doesn’t mean there is time to waste. A lot of firms miss out on mass tort clients because they lack the necessary follow-up to quickly convert prospects and leads into clients. They may see your firm’s delay as disinterest or unprofessionalism and choose to join the case through your competition instead.
Gaining the interest of a potential mass tort client is only part of the battle. Your firm must also nurture these leads, from their initial outreach through the sales funnel to conversion. So, your follow-up procedures must be on point. Are calls being answered promptly? Do you have mechanisms in place to automatically communicate with prospects virtually? Are you keeping leads updated about news relevant to their potential case?
Follow up process can easily get pushed to the side amid the business of a mass tort case, but don’t let that happen with your law firm. Make the effort to ensure that the time and manner in which your firm responds to every prospect exceeds anything they will experience with another mass tort law firm.
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Reason #4 Lack of Resources
If your firm is consistently missing out on mass tort clients, it’s time to take a hard look at your law firm’s resources and whether you may need some assistance in this endeavor. For example, do you have a large firm with numerous attorneys and support staff to handle the many tasks of a mass tort case? Maybe you have a midsized firm that is doing particularly well. As such, you have the financial resources for a mass tort case, but you lack the human resources. You may even be a personal injury attorney looking to grow your small firm by taking on a profitable mass tort matter.
Whatever the case, it is important to have a clear understanding of your firm’s strengths and weaknesses so you can better position yourself for success in this complex practice field. That may look like joining a co-counsel consortium, where you work with another mass tort law firm to represent mass tort clients, or you may choose to outsource certain tasks to help you better handle all aspects of the case in house.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) may be the answer you need to successfully navigate mass tort matters. AI-driven research tools can quickly and easily search through large databases of medical records, business documents, and case law to find relevant information in a fraction of time. With these technologies, your firm can benefit from comprehensive and up-to-date legal research, while still saving hours of precious time.
The Right CRM Tools are Essential
Whatever your firm looks like, there is no need to sit on the sidelines of mass tort law. Find the right resources and get in the game. Client relationship management (CRM) for law firms is a tool that streamlines your mass tort marketing plan, as well as your entire legal client intake process. With features like a built-in softphone, text messaging, and automated follow-ups, Law Ruler’s CRM software is an industry leader in helping law firms attract and keep mass tort clients.
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