“The large amounts of paper that a workers’ compensation attorney or indeed a lawyer operating in any field uses can be astounding,”
A concern for law firms implementing green practices, paper-related waste is a major environmental issue, comprising 35 percent of the municipal waste stream in the U.S. Depending on the firm, mixed office paper usage has been reported at levels of approximately 100,000 sheets of paper (about one-half ton) per attorney annually.
The Denver-based green law firm’s commitment to reducing paper usage also creates cost savings for clients. Says Babcock, “Typically clients must bear the copying and mailing costs incurred by personal injury or workers’ compensation attorneys. This can run as high as $200 in postage and $300-$400 in copy costs for a typical workers’ compensation or personal injury case.” The Denver attorney continues, “We email documents rather than making copies of every document and then mailing them, which also reduces the need for envelopes and the use of resources like ink for printing and gasoline for delivery. Our clients appreciate this, too, because it means they can always access their documents by simply referring back to their emails. In addition, it saves hundreds of dollars that would otherwise add to the client’s litigation costs,” Babcock adds.
Another area this saves money for clients is in requests for medical records. “When you are representing victims of personal injury or workers comp accidents, requests for medical records can be costly, sometimes several dollars per page when they are printed out and mailed. However, our status as a virtually paperless office means we request records in electronic format, saving those costs for our clients. Even when we have to send faxes, we request responses in electronic format and we initiate faxes electronically straight from the computer, keeping the need for printed materials to a bare minimum.”
The lifecycle of each ton of paper used annually by a workers’ compensation attorney or lawyer in any other practice area can result in the release of 11 tons of greenhouse gasses contributing to global climate change in addition to other air and water pollutants, excluding impacts from ink and toner cartridges and the accelerated disposal of printing equipment.
About The Babcock Law Firm
Based in Denver, Colorado, The Babcock Law Firm works with individuals in need of a workers’ compensation lawyer, personal injury lawyer, or insurance lawyer who has the experience and commitment to winning justice. The Babcock Law Firm performs case work on contingency, so victims pay nothing until a successful recovery is made. A green company, The Babcock Law Firm is committed to reducing impact on the environment. The firm welcomes inquiries about Colorado cases falling within its practice areas, which include: car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, drunk driving accidents, pedestrian accidents, workers’ compensation/
