Ambulance chasing


a lawyer who seeks accident victims as clients and encourages them to sue for damages (sometimes used facetiously).
contemporary examples

but the waterhouse inquiry explicitly dismissed this “ambulance chasing” explanation for the rash of allegations.
bbc critics cry witch hunt in newsnight child-abuse report peter jukes november 13, 2012

noun
(us, slang) a lawyer who seeks to encourage and profit from the lawsuits of accident victims

noun phrase

any unethical lawyer, or one who is too aggressive in getting clients; shyster (late 1800s+)
a lawyer or lawyer’s helper who urges accident victims to sue for damages, negligence, etc (1900s+)

an attorney who seeks to profit from someone’s injury or accident; also, an inferior lawyer. for example, karen refused to join any law firm that included ambulance chasers. the practice of suing for damages on behalf of the injured person in exchange for a contingency fee—usually a large percentage of the amount so won—may be older, but this derogatory term began to be used for lawyers who actively sought out individuals injured in accidents who required an ambulance. [ ; late 1800s ]

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