Attorneys using cappers to solicit new business are attempting to profit from the pain and suffering of injured people due to accidents caused by another party's negligence. For this reason, California law allows those who are acting as cappers to face felony criminal charges.

Understanding Cappers and How to Spot Them

personal injury attorneyCappers act as agents of an attorney to secure new clients. They are not lawyers themselves, but often receive a “commission” per person for bringing new clients to a law office. They take advantage of injured people who are confused about their legal options, often preying on the poor, elderly, or those with limited English skills.  Cappers are sometimes called ambulance chasers by the general public.

Capper often shows up unannounced at an accident scene, the hospital, or to your home to pressure you or encourage you into signing a contract with an attorney for whom they are working.  Many times, the cappers are listening to police band radios to know where accidents are and will show up out of nowhere claiming they saw the collision and that they can help.  Even if you have a legitimate personal injury claim, a capper may manipulate you into agreeing to an early settlement that doesn't adequately compensate you for all your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

Cappers will sometimes falsify the details of a personal injury claim to get a bigger settlement, which is a form of insurance fraud. This drives up premiums for all law-abiding citizens and is also illegal.

If Caught and Convicted, Cappers Face Criminal Felony Charges

Attorneys using cappers to solicit new business are attempting to profit from the pain and suffering of injured people due to accidents caused by another party's negligence.  For this reason, California law has established the punishment for a first-time offender as a misdemeanor, but for subsequent offenses, the penalty can be a multi-year felony prison term with substantial financial penalties.

Penalties for Acting as a Legal Capper

The penalty for the first-time offender acting as a legal capper includes imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year, a fine of up to $15,000, or both imprisonment and a fine. A second or subsequent conviction can result in imprisonment of up to four years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both imprisonment and a fine.

Those who are employed as state or county government officials and act as a capper at the same time can lose their employment in addition to the penalties listed above.

Contact Our Car Accident Attorneys Today

The best way to protect yourself after an accident is to choose an ethical attorney who does not use cappers to solicit new business. If a person comes soliciting your legal business at the accident scene, your hospital room or your home, and you have not invited that meeting, this person, a lawyer or not, is a capper and is breaking the law.  The Inland Empire Law Group does not use cappers.  If you have an injury claim and you have signed an agreement through the use of a capper, you have the right to cancel your contract without obligation to the attorney who capped your case.  Call the Inland Empire Law Group's legal team to see if we can help you cancel your capped case, then properly resolve your claim fairly, promptly, and ethically. Call (888) 694-3529 today to schedule a free, no-obligation case review.

 

David Ricks
Connect with me
Rancho Cucamonga Personal Injury Lawyer Serving the Inland Empire Community
Post A Comment