After dealing with a personal injury case for quite some time now, you may find yourself in a position where you’re in between a rock and a hard place because of your ongoing trial.
Sure, you were aware that legal proceedings take time, but the rate at which your legal process might be going slower than expected. Whether it’s because you’ve had your innocence unreasonably doubted or your narrative isn’t convincing enough, facing trouble with your personal injury case can be inconvenient and expensive.
And chances are that your problems might be because of your hired lawyer.
Common Hurdles during Ongoing Trials
Statistically speaking, working with a lawyer is a significant advantage for plaintiffs in personal injury cases because, on average, they can recover thrice as much compensation compared to those without representation. However, it’s vital to understand that not all practitioners are capable or skilled enough to achieve such a result, even if they’re certified to represent clients.
In your case, you might be dealing with slowdowns or not-so-desirable developments in your personal injury case simply because your hired lawyer isn’t as effective as you hoped. The fact of the matter is that you could be doing better if you hired someone that met your expectations or is more capable of taking on your case.
And this brings us to a question that you might have in mind: how can you change your personal injury lawyer?
Looking for a New Personal Injury Lawyer
After taking some time to weigh your options, you may be wondering if you can switch your personal injury lawyer in an effort to salvage your case.
Luckily, it is definitely within your rights to switch your personal injury lawyer at any time during your case, for any reason whatsoever. According to Rule 1.16 – Declining or Terminating Representation as enforced by the American Bar Association, you are afforded the following rights and privileges with regards to legal representation:
- You have the right to terminate your lawyer’s services without any notice. If you feel it is in your best interest to change lawyers, you have the right to choose another attorney to represent you without needing to provide notice or even talk to your old lawyer.
- You don’t have to pay another fee to your new lawyer. Most personal injury cases are handled on contingency fees where attorneys get paid after a financial recovery is secured. This means the attorney fee you pay will not increase if firms are changed and that attorneys who work on your case and are entitled to a portion of the fee will split it between them. Attorneys can negotiate among themselves how to split a fee or let a court decide if they can’t.
- Your new attorney will help handle the transition and inform your old attorney, the court, and other parties that you have new representation.
Reasons to Get a New Personal Injury Lawyer
If you’ve been working with your hired attorney for months, you’re probably wondering why you should still switch to a new one. Changing personal injury lawyers mid-case is more common than you’d expect—in fact, it may be the best course of action depending on your circumstances.
The biggest reason you should consider getting a new personal injury lawyer is if you’re dissatisfied with your experience and your case progression. You should let another professional take over if you are facing the following issues:
- Personality conflict
- Poor communication
- Missed deadlines
- Unprofessional conduct
- Inconsistent advice
- Lack of experience with your case
- An inability to return calls or give updates
- They’re pressuring you to accept a settlement
- There doesn’t seem to be a strategy (or your lawyer doesn’t explain it)
- Things aren’t going anywhere or as expected
- A lack of trust or confidence
Conclusion
If your personal injury case isn’t progressing well, you may be dealing with a personal injury lawyer that’s not up to par. By taking the time to re-evaluate your current standpoint, you’ll be able to gauge if a switch to another professional would be appropriate.
If you have gotten injured through the actions, inaction, or negligence of others, you may have a legal case. To protect your rights as an injury victim, you must seek the help of a qualified personal injury attorney. Ronemus & Vilensky, LLP has over 25 years of experience helping injury victims, and we are ready to assist you with a free injury consultation. Contact us today!