Site Navigation New Legislation Makes Hiring “Runners” a Crime in Georgia
On July 1, 2014, new legislation (OCGA 33-24-53) went into effect in Georgia that prohibits attorneys and physicians from using “runners”to obtain prospective clients. A “runner” is someone that solicits business from accident victims or their families on behalf of unethical accident attorneys. “Runners” would obtain personal contact information from police accident reports or approach victims and families in hospital rooms, waiting areas or cafeterias. Runners may have also been unscrupulous employees of wrecker or ambulance companies.
These accident attorneys and their “runners” have given the legal profession a bad reputation, because they are the “ambulance chasers”. While hiring “runners” has been unethical and a violation of Georgia bar rules for some time, It is now a crime in Georgia for attorneys to use “runners” to solicit clients. In addition, the new law provides additional protections for your personal information in police records of car accidents.
