If you’re looking for a good car accident lawyer, or an experienced group of car accident lawyers, after you’ve been in a wreck, you may be feeling overwhelmed. After all, hiring the right personal injury attorney can be an extremely important part of getting the compensation you deserve after a particularly devastating car accident. However, it can be difficult to choose one. Utah is overwhelmed with so many personal injury attorneys that it’s impossible to figure out which car accident lawyer will be the right one for you and your circumstances. Though only the injured party can determine whether or not a particular personal injury attorney is a good fit for them, there are plenty of red flags to look out for.
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Promising a Specific Outcome
A personal injury attorney should never promise you a specific outcome. Once a personal injury attorney is familiar with the details of your case, they may be able to give you a ballpark estimate of what you might be able to expect. However, a car accident lawyer should never be promising you a specific outcome. It’s impossible to determine whether or not insurance companies will agree to a specific settlement. Similarly, it’s impossible to accurately predict what a jury will order. A seasoned personal injury attorney knows this and, most importantly, they make sure their clients understand the unpredictable nature of personal injury settlements and trials. If your personal injury lawyer is promising you a specific outcome, it may be time to steer clear.
They Ask for Money up Front
A lot of personal injury attorneys work on contingency. This means that they don’t require payment until you get your settlement check. Typically, they’ll take a pre-negotiated portion of your settlement check as payment. This allows people of all socio-economic backgrounds to fight for the compensation they need in order to cover the cost of their injury-related expenses. If your car accident lawyer is asking for money upfront, that’s a red flag for a couple of reasons. It may mean that they are unsure of whether or not you have a good case. Or, it may be their policy because they’re more concerned about making a profit than they are concerned about fighting for the injured party. Whatever their reason is, it may be better to go with a different personal injury who will make sure you aren’t further burdened by financial obligations.
You Can’t Contact Them
A good personal injury attorney’s office is going to respond to all your questions, comments, and concerns regarding your case within a reasonable amount of time. Though you may not hear back from them immediately, you should be able to hear back from them within the next business day or two. Remember that you may not hear from the attorney themselves, but you might instead hear from their paralegal or their legal assistant. If you’re jumping through all sorts of hoops just to get in touch with someone at your attorney’s office, that isn’t a good sign. A personal injury attorney who really cares about their clients is going to go the extra mile to make sure their clients’ needs are always met and their questions and concerns are being addressed.
They Don’t Give You Updates
Personal injury attorneys who know what they’re doing are willing and ready to give you regular updates on what’s going on with your case. This is true even in the event that there’s nothing going on with your case. The process that begins with filing a claim and ends with a settlement or judgment is often a long process. Months may go by where not a whole lot has really happened with your case. Of course, the aforementioned doesn’t mean that your personal injury attorney isn’t working hard. It’s all just part of the process. But even if your case is currently waiting on items from different people, your personal injury attorney should still be updating you on what’s going on with your case. It’s also important to mention that the person you’re receiving an update from may be a paralegal or a legal assistant. As long as someone from the personal injury firm is reaching out to you, that’s a good sign.
Get Legal Advice Today
A lot of good personal injury attorneys work on contingency. This means that they don’t get paid unless you get paid. And, before you even hire them, they should give you a free consultation so they can help you understand your legal rights and your best options. If you’re looking for a personal injury attorney, don’t wait! Reach out today.
