Hiring a Different Car Accident Attorney
Getting into a car accident can be overwhelming. Not only will you have to recover from moderate to severe injuries, but you will also have to be in a legal battle with the other party involved in the accident. Selecting who to legally represent you in a car accident case can be very crucial. If you hire an attorney with little to no background experience in personal injury, it could be detrimental to the overall outcome of your case.
If you notice that your attorney is not doing as good of a job as you thought they would, you could replace them with another attorney. There is a process that you must fulfill in order to make this switch. In the sections below, we will discuss the necessary steps you will need to take to fire your current attorney and hire a new one.
Victims of a car accident are welcomed to contact our skilled personal injury attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers. Our team of attorneys have over 20 years of legal experience in handling personal injury cases and they handle every car accident case with the utmost care and respect that it deserves. With our track record of winning more than $1.6 billion in settlements for our clients, we are confident that we can get out clients the financial compensation they deserve.
To schedule a free consultation, please contact our 24/7 legal team by calling 213-927-3700 or filling out our quick contact form.
Reasons to Switch Car Accident Lawyers
There are a variety of reasons to switch car accidents lawyers for your case, but here are some common signs that reveal when you should consider switching your car accident injury case to a different attorney:
You Don’t Trust the Attorney’s Professional Capabilities to Handle Your Case
If you felt pressured to hire the attorney and later realize their incompetency to win your case or negotiating for the high settlement you can receive, then it is time to consider looking for a new attorney. Before hiring any attorney to handle your case, it is important to always research for honest testimonials, reviews, and recommendations of that attorney and their firm. In addition, it is always recommended to consult with multiple attorneys at a time to see which one can properly represent you and your best interests at heart.
The Attorney Doesn’t Communicate With You
A lack of reliable communication with a client is a sign of unprofessionalism on the end of the attorney, or any professional for that matter. While attorneys are extremely busy individuals, their number one priority should be servicing their client well. This means answering any questions you may have and communicating with you about the processes of your case. If the attorney cannot speak to you directly, the office assistants at the legal firm should be able to assist you. If you feel a cold shoulder and silent treatment coming from both the attorney and their team, it is time to look for a new firm to handle your case.
The Attorney Fosters a Poor Relationship With You and Others Involved in Your Case
A legal professional should always treat their clients and team with dignity and respect. If you feel that the attorney handling your case is purposefully disrespectful of you, other clients, other attorneys, or staff, this could be reason enough to seek out another lawyer to handle your case. It is important to foster a good attorney-client relationship to ensure that the case continues as smoothly and well as possible without any added tension to the case.
You Question the Lawyer’s Ethics or Legal Judgment
If an attorney demonstrates unethical behavior or poor legal judgment when filing the processes necessary to move your case forward, this is a good reason to search for a new lawyer to handle your case. Should your attorney handle your case with any unethical or legally questionable methods will endanger your chances of recovering compensation and depending on the severity of the act, you may be held accountable for those actions. Which is why it is absolutely vital to seek out an attorney who will do things by the book and will not cut corners with your car accident case.
Steps to Take to Switch to a New Attorney
There are proper procedures to take when making the switch to have a new attorney handle your case in order to have this new switch be recognized in a court of law.
- Step 1. Thoroughly read through the legal contract you have signed with your first attorney. You need to make sure that you understand what payments and other legal binds you have agreed to upon hiring this attorney and their filing of paperwork to the courts.
- Step 2. Thoroughly research for, meet with, and hire a new car accident injury attorney that you believe can continue handling your case. You can research for new attorneys through legal search engines and read through the testimonies and reviews left for those attorneys. You should contact an attorney to set up a consultation. If you are overall satisfied with their services and are confident that they can successfully continue your case, then you should hire this attorney.
- Step 3. Write a formal letter to your first attorney that you will send to them as certified mail. In the letter, you explain the termination of their services for you, you request that your file be sent over to your new attorney, and you include the new attorney’s name, contact information, and mailing address.
- Step 4. If your case is pending in court, you are legally required to notify the court of a withdrawal or substitution of attorney. This step can be done at the same time or immediately after you send the letter of termination to the first attorney. The first attorney may put in the request to withdraw after the receipt of your letter. The second attorney may file a substitution of attorney.
West Coast Trial Lawyers Is Here to Help
If you have sustained injuries as a result of a car accident, our experienced team of personal injury attorneys at West Coast Trial Lawyers can help you recover compensation for the losses you have suffered, including medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering. With over 20 years of experience, our team of car accident attorneys are confident that they can get you the financial compensation you deserve for your losses.
Contact us today by calling 213-927-3700 or filling out our contact form to schedule a free consultation with our knowledgeable, caring, and compassionate legal team.