Signs You Hired the Wrong Injury Attorney
Finding the best personal injury attorney can be a daunting task. There are so many injury attorneys to choose from! How do you know if you hired the wrong injury attorney?
Traits Of A Good Injury Attorney
Before we look at signs of the wrong injury attorney, let’s look at traits of a good attorney:
- proactive communication
- explains every step of the process
- organized
- has your best interest at heart
- provides legal advice throughout the case
Proactive Communication
A good attorney doesn’t wait to communicate. Your attorney should contact you on a regular basis to give you any updates on your case. What if there is nothing new in your case? Your attorney should contact you anyway, just to check-in.
Explains Every Step
Most people have no legal experience. That’s okay! It’s also why you needed an attorney to help you. A good attorney will explain the steps of your case in a way you can understand. The right attorney also explains your options and lets you decide the best course for your claim.
Organization
Organization is key! It’s vital your attorney is organized and prepared. This includes devoting time to you and your case.
Has Your Best Interests In Mind
What’s the best outcome for you? A good attorney has this in mind when working on your claim.
Provides Legal Advice
As your injury case progresses or changes, things will change. A good attorney will review any progress or changes with you and advise the best course. But, a good attorney will leave the big decisions up to you.
Hiring The Wrong Injury Attorney
Choosing the wrong injury attorney can lead to more frustration on top of being incredibly costly. The wrong attorney might even cost you the money you need to pay for treatment. How do you identify the wrong injury attorney?
Traits Of A Bad Injury Attorney
The first sign you have a bad injury lawyer is if you’ve never actually MET your lawyer. While it is difficult during the pandemic to meet in person, you should talk to your lawyer before you hire them. Here are some other major signs that indicate you may have the wrong injury lawyer:
- bad communication
- makes decisions without you
- difficult to work with
- incompetent
- work for themselves
- lazy
Bad Communication
Do you have to constantly call and email your attorney? Does your attorney wait to hear from you before giving you updates about your case? Can you even talk to them on the phone or get a response to your emails? Even a busy attorney will make time to return your messages. But, a bad attorney is always hard to reach and rarely responds.
Makes Important Decisions Without You
If your attorney is making major decisions about your case without you, you hired the wrong injury attorney. Your attorney must discuss all settlement offers with you. A bad attorney settles your case without your knowledge or permission.
They are Difficult
Does your attorney argue with you? Do you know what is going on in your case? A bad injury attorney doesn’t explain the process. Going through the personal injury process is hard enough, your lawyer shouldn’t make it more difficult. Difficult injury attorneys make your situation worse.
Disorganized
Bad attorneys are disorganized. Are they familiar with your case or are they confusing you with someone else? Is your attorney taking other calls during your meeting? Does their desk have paperwork everywhere? Are they paying attention to you?
They Are Incompetent
An incompetent attorney does not realize they are incompetent. If your attorney misses a deadline or fails to file the right paperwork, it can ruin your claim.
Working For Themselves
Bad attorneys don’t work for you, they work for themselves. Remember, your attorney works for you.
Lazy
A lazy attorney will show signs of indifference in getting you the best resolution possible. They are quick to jump at the first settlement offer to close the case. A lazy attorney only wants their cut of your money with the least amount of effort possible.
Shady
Many legal clients have never met their lawyers. This is not ethical! I’m always amazed at the number of people that hire an injury attorney they haven’t even met. Again, during the pandemic, it can be tough to meet in person. But, you should at least speak to your attorney or have a video chat before you hire them.
Most injury attorneys charge different rates depending on how your claim settles. Some shady lawyers file a lawsuit immediately to ensure higher fees from you. Be on the lookout for your lawyer’s actions and the bill they send you afterward.
Sometimes you don’t find out you have the wrong lawyer until after your case closes. Shady personal injury attorneys bill clients for long-distance phone calls or file storage. An investigation from Kiplinger reveals bad billing practices. Additionally, they may not even give you an itemized list of charges in your case. This is also unethical.
What To Do If You Hired The Wrong Injury Attorney
If you find out you have a bad injury attorney, what can you do? The first thing we recommend is to talk to your attorney. It’s possible miscommunication or misunderstanding is the problem. Discuss your concerns with your attorney. If that fails, talk to other injury attorneys for advice.
Don’t Hire The Wrong Injury Attorney
Hiring the right personal injury attorney may feel impossible. But, there are many reputable injury lawyers who work hard for people like you. The best advice is to talk to several injury attorneys before you choose someone to handle your case.
Looking For A Good Injury Attorney?
Talk to the injury lawyers of Kane & Silverman. Call us for a free consultation today. We serve injured people in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Our offices are in Philadelphia, PA and Marlton, NJ.