Issue:
With job-related commute traffic still below "normal" levels, the number of accident-related calls to Personal Injury law firms might be down in some markets. But some drivers are taking serious liberties on those open roads, and driving in a way that is leading to some serious crashes. WSB traffic correspondent Doug Turnbull recently penned a column for the Atlanta Journal Constitution that sheds light on the matter. (Thanks for sharing the story David Danzig @ Atlanta Radio.)
Opportunity/Idea:
Both traffic and accident numbers have been down in recent months, so competition for vehicle-related personal injury cases has been high... and case acquisition costs (leads) have been high for laws firms. However, depending on the state/market you're in, there are an increasing number of people on the road (work from home employees who are now returning to a formal workplace, even if just a few days a week). What do you get when you add a bunch of drivers who are "out of practice" to a mix of commuters who may have picked up some bad habits while they had a more open road to themselves? Unfortunately, more accidents. But that is the constituency that is served by personal injury law firms.
Ways you might use this issue to gain an appointment:
- Along with the Covid-related closures and restrictions in your area, monitor the employment and unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on a regular basis. As employment rates rise, there will be a correlating increase in commuters. Invite a meeting where you share and discuss these sources as part of your partnership/collaboration with your client.
- Refer back to the Covid-19 Benchmark Study from CMG Custom Research. Explain that you "have specific insights on the labor force, and how many people have been working from home. We should plan a strategy that gets increasingly aggressive as more people migrate away from their work-from-home status and get back on the road."
Using this issue in a Needs Analysis:
- Some law firms have seen a decline in leads and cases over the first half of the year; is that consistent with your experience here, at your law firm, or has your firm been an exception to the rule?
- Are you seeing a difference in the type of cases or the severity of injuries and potential damages/awards/settlements?
- In what ways are you maintaining your advertising presence, and therefore your brand equity, in anticipation for the time when traffic counts and potential accidents starts rise again?
