CLAIMANT ALMOST DROPPED CLAIM BECAUSE A FRIEND TOLD HIM HE DID NOT HAVE A “VALID CLAIM.” Steve Moore recently settled a personal injury claim for an auto-negligence victim who was told by a friend that he did not have a “legal claim.”  The friend was not a lawyer and his advice related to conclusions and information on the accident report. The adjuster for the at-fault driver had denied the claim and our client almost did not pursue the claim after his friend made his erroneous legal conclusion.  In previous editions of Legally Speaking we have reported on adjusters giving bad legal advice and cautioned claimants from relying on legal advice from insurance adjusters who are not lawyers. This situation also calls us to remind readers that friends and family may unintentionally give bad legal advice. In this case had our client listened to his friend’s advice he would have been out-of-pocket for several thousand dollars for medical bills and several weeks worth of lost wages. Media stories and stereotypes often make people reluctant to consult a personal injury attorney. Many times victims feel or believe that they will be perceived as being “greedy” if they talk with an attorney so they rely on advice from friends or family about critical legal issues. Knowing your rights does not make you a greedy person.