You only get one chance to hire the right lawyer the first time around. If you hire the wrong lawyer and then fire that lawyer it is sometimes difficult to find a second lawyer to pick up the case. People call me all the time saying they can’t get in contact with their lawyer and nobody returns their calls from his/her office. I also hear “my lawyer doesn’t want to go to court.” It is crucial you don’t get burned by choosing the wrong lawyer. Here are two important considerations:
Does The Lawyer Go To Court?
You lose ALL bargaining power if your lawyer is afraid of Court. In my opinion you might as well not have a lawyer than one that is afraid of Court. The reason for this is simple: If your lawyer will not go to Court the other side knows this. Insurance companies and third parties keep track of who litigates cases. Lawyers that do not go to Court will take the last offer on the table to avoid trying the case. That will drastically alter your take home amount as a client.
Along those lines some lawyers will advertise that they have never lost a case. Those lawyers are not trying hard cases. Lawyers that are in and out of the courthouse know you are going to lose every once in a while. When a lawyer advertises they never lost I don’t take them serious. They are just cherry picking slam dunks in my humble opinion.
Who Employs My Personal Injury Lawyer?
Big Firms are great if you have a complicated legal issue. For example, some firms specialize in asbestos or medical manufacture defect cases. Don’t hire me for those cases because I don’t do them day in and day out. I would recommend other firms for that type of work. What you don’t want to run into is an associate lawyer at a big firm that is financially incentivized a particular way. For example, some associates are paid a bonus at the end of the month if they resolve a certain amount of cases that month. You don’t want to be the client that is taking less so your lawyer can get a bonus.
If you have specific questions about me or my firm email me at bdettman@dettmanlawgroup.com. I will provide you with honest advice on your personal injury case. More information on my firm is available at www.louisville-injury-lawyer.com
