It can be quite disappointing when you try to find a Personal Injury Lawyer and no one seems interested in taking your case. Sometimes the lawyer gives you a good reason. Or, he just makes up some excuse and rushes off the phone. And other times, he just never calls you back.
It’s hard to say why a lawyer will take some cases and not others. It depends on many factors. Some of those depend on the type of case, the quality of the case, as well as the nature of the lawyer’s particular practice.
Here are some of the most common reasons why you might have a hard time finding a personal injury lawyer to take your case.
No Personal Injury.
Many times I get a call from a potential client who tells me they were involved in a car accident. They continue to tell me that the car is probably totaled and they have not heard anything from the other insurance company. I then ask whether there was anyone injured. The caller says “No.”
A personal injury case is just that: It’s a case that involves injuries of some sort. The reason personal injury attorneys only take cases that involve injury is because that is how the attorney and client get paid. The value of a personal injury case comes from the nature of the injuries, medical bills, and pain and suffering. The client may even have lost wages. These types of damages are examples of things that makes an injury case worth pursuing. Without an injury, then there is no case.
The Client is at Fault, Or No One is at Fault.
Even if there is an injury, you have to show that someone was negligent. If no one is negligent under the law, then it doesn’t matter what the injuries are.
For example, I had a client that was seriously injured in a car accident. He spent three days in the hospital and stated that he did not recall how the accident happened. He just said that he saw a car appear in front of him and he ended up in the ditch.
However, once I got the police report, it turned out that the accident was the client’s fault. He simply rear-ended the car in front of him as he approached an intersection. There were also witnesses that saw what happened. Unfortunately, I had to break the bad news to him that there was nothing I can do to get compensation for his injuries.
So, being injured is only half the equation. The other half of the equation is that someone has to be legally liable for causing the injury.
Client is Difficult or Has Unreasonable Expectations.
This is probably the most frustrating reason a lawyer will not take a case. The client is injured and fault appears clear. But the client starts talking about how he wants to “get everything possible,” and wants to take the responsible person for “everything he’s got.” You also hear the client say things like “I want you to fight for me and not sell me out.” The attorney wants to take the case., but wonders if he is headed into a bear-trap.
When I hear things like this, I have to consider whether I will ever be able to make this client happy. The client needs to understand that the lawyer does not want to have a difficult client. It’s hard enough fighting the insurance company and the defense attorney. The attorney does not want to fight the client too.
Think of the attorney-client relationship as a partnership or business venture. No one wants to go into business with someone that is going to be difficult. The client and the attorney must work together and not be antagonistic to each other.
How We are Different.
Robert C. Slim has been representing victims of personal injuries in the Dallas and Fort Worth area since 1994. There are times I am unable to take a particular case. But if you call my office and I cannot take your case, I will at least give you the time and respect to explain why.
It is not fair, nor professional, to ignore a caller or treat them like they are nobody. In my office, I try to treat every client, and potential client, with the same respect I would want if the roles were reversed.
I am available to personally discuss your case with you during your free consultation. “One on One” attention has been my philosophy for all these years and it will continue to be my philosophy.