No Work In NYC? The Russian Mafia Is Hiring

As the ABA opens the floodgates to the outsourcing of a major chunk of legitimate entry-level legal work, expect to see a lot more fraud and corruption as starving newbie lawyers try to feed themselves in this dying, cannibalistic profession.

"Back to my original point, how the fuck do you think rinky-dink solos and tiny firms pick up enough cases to scrape by? They use 'runners.' A runner might be a low-level hospital orderly or a homeless-looking guy who loiters around the ER waiting area (in NYC the ER is the 'primary care physician' for most poor people).

They chat up injured people and pass them the lawyer's card, telling them that if they call the number they will get $50 cash that afternoon and much more when the case settles. This is how the typical joe shmoe loser gets cases in today's PI. The runner gets paid in cash by the lawyer for the number of cases he brings in, as well as the quality (value) of the cases.

The few injury 'victims' who escape this ER gauntlet (there are often half a dozen runners working each ER in each hospital) are referred to the firm via scores of sleazy medical mills in the outer boroughs that are affiliated with No-Fault auto benefits fraud. The 'plaintiffs' are paid cash by the medical mills to stage phony accidents. The accident 'victims' call 911 and get a police report, then they 'treat' for months at these bogus clinics, which is kosher under the bizarro world of NY No Fault. Sheer volume makes it almost impossible to track down the vast number of plaintiffs (most of whom are Hispanic and have 18 different names). The accident stagers of course get paid in cash by the medical mills.

The sham clinics then submit bills for this sham "treatment" (plus bills for medical equipment like canes and neck braces etc) that are never even provided. Clinics (often run by russian mobsters) often make millions in only months, then when the heat turns up they split and re-appear elsewhere like smoke w/in months.

Then the medical mill 'sells' the plaintiff to a dirt-bag PI firm for a portion of the eventual legal fee (kickback). It's a huge moneymaker for fake medical clinics- they screw no-fault out of medical treatment money, then get kickbacks from the lawyers for the plaintiff's lawsuit.

That is your primer on NYC personal injury law. Thus, do not delude yourself into thinking you'll 'bring in cases.' The 'firms' know damn well you ain't brining in shit. They are looking for slave labor and use this carrot as a way to justify the ultra-low salaries offered (like 35 K!)

Turnover at these shithole firms occurs on a weekly, even hourly, basis once the newbies realize how this game works and the odds of success.

If you want to put your license on the line and commit outright fraud, there is plenty of money out there to be made."

-JDUnderground