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Just remember that these people don't live the way you do and often need every penny they can get. They think they need to sell you on their case and they're dumb enough to think they can. Sometimes their insecurities even come out as anger. Many are ignorant and don't have a pot to piss in. I find that by calling a spade a spade, I get them to calm down and stop trying to bullshit me. You have to learn how to do it so it's nonconfrontational and that just comes with time. If you lay a proper foundation at the beginning of the case you don't often encounter this. for example if on day one you tell them about how a case is valued and start by saying "no jury would care about 4wks of chiro and those cases are very small" then you are less likely to hear the example you used later down the line. Client management is a skill that you perfect overtime if you care enough to hone it. Keep at it. It gets better.
It’s always tough dealing with these type of clients, try your best to explain how their case will appear to a jury or arbitrator. Don’t be mean or dismissive of their experience, but don’t let them treat you like you’re the manager of the law store.
Unfortunately, PI is mostly a cesspool. Lots of scummy/dishonest people looking for easy money, and too many scummy/dishonest attorneys willing to help them.
If you are the attorney doing the intake, be mindful of what is being said and how the potential client says it. I agree with another poster that you have to learn to manage the client's expectation and that should be evident in your first meeting. If the potential client comes across and as entitled, unreasonable, abrasive, abusive --PASS. Life is too short to expend your energies on someone you don't like and who will be abusive to your support staff.
I know exactly what you are talking about. The firm I work for has gotten to a point that they really only take on bigger cases for this reason. We had so many cases where clients thought they shoudl get millions of dollars for a little fender bender. They have such unrealistic expectations.