Lawyers sometimes have a special lifestyle. It is also clearly visible that lawyers are dressed more and more fashionably and drive beautiful cars. There is also a lot of money to be made in the legal profession in some jurisdictions.
This contribution concerns lawyers in a niche in the Netherlands, personal injury. How do they dress, what does their lifestyle look like and what cars do they drive? And not unimportantly, what is the earnings model of personal injury lawyers in the Netherlands, such as that of a personal injury lawyer in Utrecht? (Dutch: letselschade advocaat Utrecht).
Suppose you have been in an accident. This could be a traffic accident in which you were hit from behind. But it may also be that you are the victim of an occupational accident (Dutch: bedrijfsongeval). If you suffer damage, such as loss of income or damage due to a study delay, then this constitutes personal injury. If someone else is liable, you are entitled to compensation for personal injury.
The Netherlands is a densely populated country. The roads are full and this logically causes traffic accidents. If damage results from a car accident or bicycle accident, the personal injury victim can call in a personal injury lawyer.
Personal injury lawyers are expensive, with an hourly rate between € 200.00 and € 300.00 per hour, personal injury lawyers are often unaffordable for a personal injury victim. In some European countries, including the Netherlands, a special provision has therefore been included in the law. On the basis of this provision, traffic victims or victims of, for example, an accident at work are entitled to free legal assistance from a personal injury specialist such as a personal injury lawyer (Dutch: letselschade advocaat). The costs of this lawyer are then paid by the liable party. Because the liable party is usually insured against liability, the personal injury is ultimately paid by a personal injury insurer.
Personal injury lawyers are therefore not paid by the personal injury victim himself, but by the insurer of the liable party. Legal aid in the Netherlands is therefore usually 100% free. This is only different if legal proceedings have to be started. For example because the liability is disputed by the other party. Only in this case does the victim of the accident in traffic or at work have to pay the attorney’s fees himself. In more than 90% of personal injury cases, personal injury claims are settled without judicial intervention.
Due to the high hourly rate of personal injury lawyers and the fact that they are paid by a personal injury insurance company, personal injury lawyers can earn well. The lawyers who do well in the personal injury industry often maintain a luxurious lifestyle. They are often located in beautiful offices and drive luxury cars. Also, successful personal injury attorneys often live in beautiful homes.
In the past, Dutch personal injury lawyers often wore a boring suit. Lawyers weren’t exactly fashion-conscious. This has changed in recent years. More and more (especially younger) lawyers are spotted in luxurious Italian suits. But more and more casual clothing is also being worn. The “rigid” image of the lawyer in general and the image and fashion awareness of the personal injury lawyer in the Netherlands has improved in recent years.