Category: Personal Injury Lawyer

Just like you have the right to hire an attorney for legal representation in any type of personal injury case, you also have the right to fire them if it’s not working out. If you are unhappy with the legal services of your current personal injury attorney, you may consider getting a second legal opinion, and end your client-attorney relationship. However, before you think about switching to a new personal injury attorney, you need to ask yourself why this measure is necessary.

Several problems can arise between a client and an attorney, resulting from situations such as:

• Attorney’s inadequate attention to your case
• High, unreasonable fees and lawsuit costs
• Unprofessional attitude
• You question the attorney’s ability to handle your case
• Disagreement with the attorney on crucial aspects of your case
• Unfavorable court decisions
• The attorney doesn’t properly communicate with you on potential matters

When one or more of the above problems occur, it may be a good time to consider changing your personal injury attorney.

How to Fire Your Personal Injury Attorney

When you decide to fire your personal injury attorney, you should do it in the following way,in order to avoid any potential conflicts.

The first thing you should look at is the legal services contract with your attorney. Carefully go through it, and see if there is any provision that dictates a certain procedure for terminating client-attorney relationship. If there is one, it is very important that you follow it to avoid any trouble in the future.

As soon as you decide to change your personal injury attorney, hire a new attorney prior to firing the current one. This is because if you fire your existing attorney first, you will have no choice but to handle any legal issues, which may arise during the transition period, on your own. These issues can potentially harm your case and make it difficult for the new personal injury attorney to handle.

The third step is to write a formal letter and send it to your current personal injury attorney via a certified mail. The letter should explain the reasons for terminating your client-attorney relationship. It should be straightforward and clearly indicate the termination. You may also request your attorney to hand over the case files to you or the new attorney, and include necessary contact information as well. If there is any balance that you are liable to pay or you paid in advance, you may mention them in this letter.

When you are notifying your attorney for substitution or suspension of legal counsel, you will have to inform the court as well if the status of your case is pending.

The Cost of Hiring a New Attorney

You may be thinking that changing attorneys will cost you more, but to relieve you of this worry, it won’t. After the settlement, you will have to pay only the fees of a single attorney, which will then be divided among the attorneys that represented you during the case.

If you are not happy with your current personal injury attorney and want to hire a new one, you should contact the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens, P.C. at (847) 395-2200 or online today to schedule a consultation.

When you are injured in an accident because of another party’s negligence, you might consider seeking compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. This process can be complicated and confusing, so most people work with personal injury lawyers to file their claims and negotiate with the other parties involved, such as the insurance provider and their doctor. But although the lawyer handles the “heavy lifting” of a personal injury claim, like the negotiation process and determining which evidence to use and how, the claimant also needs to work to pursue his or her claim. If the claimant is not engaged in the process, he or she can potentially hurt the claim’s chance for reaching a fair settlement.

Your lawyer will guide you through the personal injury claim process, which has unique requirements for the claimant. These requirements include the following:

Do All that you Can to Help yourself Recover

As the claimant, you are required to mitigate your damages. This means that it is your duty to seek the medical care you need for your injury and do all that you reasonably can to ensure your successful recovery. This means that you should not wait to seek treatment after your accident – get yourself to the doctor as soon as you can and follow all of his or her instructions, which can include a medication or physical therapy regimen and limits to the activities you can do, such as lifting items above a certain weight and driving.

Provide Relevant Evidence

The evidence you provide to your attorney is what he or she uses to support your claim. Provide as much evidence of your injury and the other party’s negligence as you can, but also remember to provide quality evidence. For example, a photograph of the accident is better than a friend’s testimony, and a record that you received medical treatment is better than simply stating that you went to the doctor.

Follow your Attorney’s Lead

Your attorney has handled many personal injury cases in the past. He or she knows how to negotiate with insurance providers, doctors, and if necessary, the court. Do not speak with an insurance provider until you have first discussed your case with an attorney – usually, insurance providers ask claimants to make official statements about their claims, which they can use later to justify a lower settlement amount than the claimant might otherwise been able to recover.

Work with an Experienced Vernon Hills Personal Injury Lawyer

When you have a personal injury claim pending, there is a lot you need to do as the claimant to ensure that you receive a fair settlement for your damages. But you are not the only one involved in the process. Work with an experienced Vernon Hills personal injury lawyer to ensure ensure that all of your paperwork is filed on time, that you have the necessary evidence to prove your claim, and that you do not inadvertently invalidate your claim by saying or doing the wrong thing. For further guidance with your claim, contact The Law Offices of Robert T. Edens, P.C. to set up your initial case evaluation with us.