Have you ever priced a background check or asset check with a private investigator? I have. In certain cases, it is worth it to hire an outside vendor to perform these tasks. But when you have a case where you are fairly certain there are no assets and the policy limits are minimal, is it worth it for your client to spend $500 to $1,500 just to find this out? We used to feel trapped in these situations. But last year we found Accurint and all of that changed.
Accurint searches public records and can run everything from simple address searches to comprehensive asset checks and all for extremely reasonable prices. Our first experience using the service involved a wrongful death case where the heir was an infant. We were 90% certain that the defendant had no assets to supplement her minimal policy limits but because the client was so young, we wanted to be 100% certain before agreeing to settle the case. I contacted numerous private investigators who quoted me minimum prices of $500 just to run a basic asset check. We felt that amount was too high given the situation. That's when I decided to try Accurint. We ran several reports on the defendant and, for less than $20.00, confirmed that she had no assets.
Since then, my primary use for Accurint has been skip traces. In most cases, I have been able to find the person I'm looking for in a few minutes and at a cost of less than $5.00.
If you want to start saving your clients hundreds of dollars, contact Accurint and sign your firm up for an account. You will discover, like I have, that it is one of the most valuable resources a law firm can have.
Melanie Stuckey
Paralegal to Jennifer L. Donaldson
www.donaldsonlaw.com - A Denver Personal Injury Attorney
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