“Advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
It is imperative to be discerning when looking for advice these days. Sites like Google, WebMD, and the internet in general have given rise to people self-diagnosing problems they should not.
We live in a wondrous age. We can communicate and connect with people on the other side of the globe, and have access to information which would have required hours of research before. It has also allowed people to draw conclusions without having all of the required information; this goes for medicine, law, real estate, investments, etc.
The truth of the matter is that there are experts out there who want to help you. Looking for an answer online is not always the safest bet. Case in point; a potential client called stating that their child was bitten by a dog, and that they wanted to sue the dog owner for millions of dollars. The potential client was adamant about getting millions, because they had looked online for what a dog bite was worth.
As unfortunate as the incident was, the child had no major disability or serious scar due to the bite. There was just no way to justify the amount that the potential client was asking for. The potential client was understandably upset, and thought that we just did not value their case. It was unfortunate that they did not want to accept what we were telling them, but they were convinced that the internet knew better than we did.
Needless to say there was no million-dollar judgment.
There are many things that the internet can be helpful for, and it is part of why our postings urge our readers to come in and speak with us personally. Each case is different and must be evaluated by a professional on its own merits.
If you have legal questions, feel free to research online, but please meet with an attorney. They will be able to answer specific questions, and point you toward your best possible route; even if it is not the route that the internet suggested.
