As if your life were not complicated enough following a personal injury, you may find that some personal injury lawyers will not accept your case. This is one of the primary reasons that an expert in legal issues would advise anyone seeking a personal injury lawyer to prepare themselves to interview several before making their final choice. You should also be prepared to face a refusal or rejection from at least one.
Why? Just as you are taking steps to evaluate a lawyer, they are doing the same, and looking at the case’s potential, the costs for you and themselves, and their ability or experience with your legal matters. They also look at a few other factors, and below are four of the main reasons why a personal injury lawyer may not accept your case.
The Manner of the Accident
How did the accident occur? Among the top issues of concern for most attorneys is just whether or not there is any authentic liability. Yes, you may have sustained a serious injury, but the reality is that someone else may not have any legal obligation to pay or compensate you for the injuries. A lawyer is going to determine whether you were responsible for your injuries or if the onus is on someone else.
The Injury is Not Serious Enough
It doesn’t matter if you are physically uncomfortable because of the injury or if the amount of money that your personal injury case can bring in is too small (such as only a small amount for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, mental anguish, lost earning capacity, and pain and suffering), they may not find it justifiable to participate. Many cases don’t warrant the high amount of time it may take to argue the case.
The Economic Reality of Pursuing the Case
There are a few factors at work with this issue. You may not have many resources to pay the claim, and your insurance may not be enough to cover them. There are also instances when there is no money even when a client deserves compensation. For example, the defendant does have clear-cut liability, but they also do not have any sort of money to pay on the claim. A personal injury lawyer may see this immediately and turn you down because there will be no earnings for them even if they win.
The cost of the case is also something that falls under “economic reality,” and because many will work on a contingency basis, they may invest a lot of time and effort without an adequate return. They may see taking a deposition, hiring help to do some work, going to court, and other steps ahead, and know the returns don’t justify the effort.
You Sound Like You Have Talked to Many Other Lawyers
While you need to speak to a few lawyers before choosing, if multiple lawyers have already turned you down, and you are honest about this, you may find most lawyers will opt to do the same. If you have gone through a few and fired some, it too may be the reason that a lawyer declines to take up the case.
There are many other reasons a personal injury lawyer might turn you down. The reality is that you may need to re-evaluate the situation if many say no or listen to their reasons and determine if you should proceed along a different path to get compensation.