7 Reasons a Personal Injury Attorney Won’t Take Your Case
You may think that you have a clear personal injury case. Unfortunately, it might not always be that simple. If you can’t get a lawyer on your case, here are 7 reasons why a personal injury lawyer will not take your case.
Can’t Establish Liability
The first issue a lawyer looks at is if he or she can establish liability. Even if you are injured, it does not always mean that someone legally owes you money for the injury. If a lawyer doesn’t determine liability, he or she won’t take the case.
Limited Resources
If the defendant has limited resources, the lawyer might pass. When no insurance company is involved, the money comes straight from the defendant. If the defendant has no money to give, no one gets paid.
Inadequate Damages
The amount of money you receive is based on the injuries you suffer. If your damages do not amount to enough money, the attorney might not take your case. Keep in mind that the lawyer receives about 30 percent of your award.
Case Expenses
Case expenses can be high. Most personal injury lawyers are paid via fees at the end, when you’re awarded damages. Often, attorneys pay some of the fees involved with the trial.
Not Enough Time
Sometimes, a lawyer may not have the time to pursue a case. This might be because of his or her caseload. Likewise, if a case is going to take a lot of time and the lawyer does not feel like the payoff is enough, he or she will decline your case.
Conflict of Interest
Attorneys have to abide by strict ethical codes. They can lose their license if they violate these guidelines. Say, for instance, the lawyer once represented the defendant. This would be a conflict of interest and the lawyer would not be able to take the case.
Novel Issues
Some cases might have complex or novel issues that a lawyer doesn’t feel he or she has the experience to take on. If this is the case, he or she might pass on the case. This can happen for a variety of reasons. It could be a complicated legal issue, a federal case or any other legal matter.
Knowing the different reasons why an attorney might pass on your case might help you decide if your case is worth pursuing. Keep in mind that most of the time, a lawyer will pass if he or she won’t be compensated fairly at the end.