It’s always important to check the client reviews before choosing a personal injury attorney. The reviews provide insight into the lawyer’s reputation: communication skills, track record, and success stories. Reviews can help you steer clear of attorneys with a history of poor performance and lead you to a reliable, attentive, and experienced attorney who can promise and deliver a successful outcome in your case.
The Importance of Authentic Lawyer Reviews
Reviews can also be misleading and paint a false picture of what retaining an attorney is really like. This is why it is equally important to be vigilant when browsing attorney reviews: steer clear of illusory reviews and put your trust instead in authentic reviews.
How to Spot Fake Attorney Reviews: Key Indicators
How can you tell the difference between authentic and inauthentic reviews? There are a number of key indicators that differentiate trustworthy reviews that are representative of the attorney from untrustworthy and potentially fabricated reviews.
Authentic reviews generally have specific details about the client’s case, such as:
- The type of case (motor vehicle accident, slip and fall, dog bite)
- A realistic timeline (“it took about 8 months”)
- Interactions with the attorney or their staff (with names, “Andres was the paralegal on my case and he always kept me updated”)
- Balanced language (“It took a little longer than I hoped, but the outcome was worth it.”)
Another key tell is the identity of the review. On platforms such as Google or Yelp, you can click on a reviewer’s name to see other reviews. Do they review businesses often? Or do they just have one glowing review?
Comparing the posting dates of multiple reviews can also provide insight into a review’s authenticity. A sudden flood of 5-star reviews over a short period of time, like a few days to a week, can be a red flag for fake or solicited reviews.
Third-party verified platforms are also reliable in vetting their reviews for authenticity. For example, reviews on Super Lawyers tend to be more credible than not because they require client verification to post a review.
Lastly, and perhaps oddly, poor grammar and spelling mistakes can be a good indication of authenticity. Real people make mistakes, while robotic or AI-generated reviews do not.
Common Red Flags in Fake Personal Injury Attorney Reviews
An inauthentic review typically has one or more of the following red flags:
- No details and over-the-top excitement (“Best lawyer ever!! Got me so much money!!”)
- Multiple reviews using very similar or even identical wording
- Reviews by users who have only ever reviewed that one attorney
- Reviews that sound like a marketing pitch (“Attorney Smith is a highly skilled and knowledgeable personal injury lawyer in Boston who…”)
Additional Tips to Verify Personal Injury Attorney Reviews
If you’re unsure whether a review is authentic, there are a few more tricks to test whether that review is real. On Google Maps, you can sometimes see the location of a person who left a review. If they’re leaving reviews all over the country or even the world, that’s sketchy. Some platforms, such as Yelp, can hide reviews that the platform suspects to be fake. And if all else fails, trust your instincts and afford dubious reviews only as much weight in your mind as they seem to be worth.
Ready to Choose a Trusted Personal Injury Attorney?
At Rob Levine Law, we’re proud of the authentic feedback we’ve earned from real clients. Check out our verified reviews and see why so many people trust us to fight for the justice they deserve. We’re available 24/7, and with our Fee Free Guarantee®, you won’t pay anything upfront. Call 800-742-3920 or use our online contact form to get started.
