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Focus groups are a cross-section of people who have been hired to listen and give their thoughts on certain issues. In legal matters, such as an accident case, they are not informed what side the lawyer represents. The reason for this is to maintain an unbiased analysis of the issues that are presented. Revealing whom the lawyer represents will tend to influence the way the group will respond. Usually, no one wants to tell the lawyer who is representing a client that he is all-wrong in his approach. The whole purpose of a focus group is to subject certain issues to honest analysis. For example, if there is a concern about whether a client may be held partly responsible for an accident although the other person went through a traffic light, then it would be important to address the issue in a non-adversarial way. The purpose of a focus group is not to try to convince them of one’s position. It is to open the door to discussion so that differing position can be heard and discussed openly. Generally, a focus group may consist of six to eight people who have been selected to represent a cross-section of the population where the case may be tried. Conceivably, what one might expect to represent as jurors in that community. They are paid for their time and usually welcome the opportunity to participate in this activity. It is done in a very informal setting, usually an attorney’s conference room, and there are no stringent rules as would be found in a courtroom. Light snacks and drinks are provided to make the participants relaxed and comfortable. Participants are encouraged to ask questions throughout a short introduction of the case. Care is taken to make sure that the initial presentation is not skewed toward one side or the other. Participants are informed not to be offended if some questions are not answered. Answering some questions may be irrelevant or lead the participants to draw some conclusions too early so that some issues do not get addressed fully. The entire focus group meeting will take approximately two hours. Therefore, the issues to be addressed should be worked out in advance. They should be presented in such a way that allows plenty of time for discussion. An issue can be presented from differing points of view or as simply an issue for open discussion. Use of focus groups is extremely helpful in revealing issues that may not have been previously considered in a personal injury lawsuit. Attorneys handling injury cases sometimes get so convinced of their position that they suffer from “tunnel vision” and can’t see how the average person may view their case. These are the people who will be judging the case at trial. Focus groups can help a attorney refocus their case for a jury of their peers and very informative when it comes to finding out the strengths and weakness of your personal injury litigation. This article has been written by Tulsa, Oklahoma Lawyer Don Bolt, on behalf www.tulsalawyeradvice.com which serves the needs of all Oklahoma personal injury victims across the state of Oklahoma. Attorney Don Bolt, has over 17 years of legal experience and practices in the areas of: Personal injury, car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, insurance disputes, nursing home abuse, defective dangerous products and medical malpractice.
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Personal Injury, Injury, Accident Law, Injury Lawsuits, Focus Groups, Personal Injury Lawyer, Personal Injury Attorney,
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