Attorney Caseload
In some circumstances a law firm may just not have the bandwidth to take on any new cases at the time. You should consider it a good thing if an attorney turns your case down for this reason. A law firm that takes on more cases than it can handle tends to offer subpar representation to all clients.
It’s better for a law firm to offer great, attentive representation to a small number of concurrent clients instead of overextending themselves.
Lack of Specialized Knowledge
Not every personal injury attorney is an expert in every type of injury case. If you or a loved one suffered an injury due to an anesthesiologist’s mistake during surgery, you should really speak with a personal injury attorney that has a lot of experience in medical malpractice.
Attorneys who focus primarily on workers’ comp, slip and falls and car accidents may not have a network of medical experts or the necessary resources to build a strong case.
Evidence Suggests You’re at Fault for Your Injuries
There are, unfortunately, some scenarios where your case may just be too difficult to win. If there’s a preponderance of evidence that you were the one at fault for your injury, your case may get turned down by some personal injury lawyers.
Keep in mind personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. They are essentially giving away their work for free until they either negotiate a settlement with the defendant’s insurance company or they win a verdict in court. If there’s not a chance of either of those happening, they likely won’t take a case since there’s no way for them to get compensated for their efforts.
Clash of Personalities or Styles
Some clients just aren’t right for some attorneys. A free initial consultation is a chance for both you and an attorney to get to know each other a little bit. If the lawyer you consult with feels like you two won’t necessarily see eye-to-eye on important issues regarding your case, they may decline to take you on as a client.
Case Valuation Is Too Low
Whenever personal injury attorneys are presented with a case, they must do a calculation: how many hours will likely need to be invested to get a positive outcome and what could the settlement be worth?
Think of it this way; If a person has a job where they get paid $20 an hour and are offered another job where they’d have to work 10 hours for $100, they likely won’t take the second job.
Attorneys sometimes have to make similar decisions. If your injuries were relatively minor and you’re only seeking compensation for property damage to your car and the cost of your treatment, it might not be worth hundreds of hours of an attorney’s labor.
Time Requirements
A smaller law firm may not want to wrap all their resources up for years on a single case. This can happen on particularly big or complicated claims with tough legal issues, unclear liability or difficult circumstances.
Personal injury and wrongful death cases are rarely clear cut, and ones where a lot of damages may be at stake can get drawn out for months or years and may require a lot of legwork on the part of a team of attorneys. Some personal injury lawyers may not think they can give your case and their other current cases the attention they deserve.
Your Case Has Been Dropped by Other Lawyers
If someone has had their case repeatedly dropped or released by other law firms, they may have trouble getting some attorneys to pick up their case. Reasons an attorney may drop or release a client can vary, and the rationale may make it easier or harder to find a new lawyer. Sometimes there’s a good reason a case is dropped or released, and it has nothing to do with the client’s disposition.
There are also situations where a client thinks they can get more than what their lawyers suggest is possible, in others it may be because the client and the attorney are butting heads on settling or going to court.
Some attorneys may be reticent to take on a client with unrealistic expectations or ones they suspect will be difficult.
Consult With Experienced, Compassionate Atlanta Attorneys
At the Dressie Law Firm, we’re committed to helping people in our community when they’ve been injured due to the negligence of another person or company. We cannot guarantee we’ll take every case, but we can promise to give our all for each client we do end up representing.
We are also committed to being straight with our clients – we’ll give you an honest assessment of your chances and be up front about any hurdles you may face along the way.
Request your free initial consultation by calling us at 770-756-6333.
