As a result, if the attorney believes you can't win your case, they usually won't accept it. This is because law firms often invest a lot of money and time in tackling a case, and they don't want to waste resources on a failed claim. Lawyers must comply with ethical guidelines. One of the guidelines is that they cannot represent someone if there is a conflict of interest. The conflict may be that the lawyer represents the defendant or that someone from the firm is related to the defendant.
Even being related to you is a conflict of interest. Most attorneys will not accept cases if there is a conflict of interest. Before taking legal action, you must have someone to sue. The defendant must have entered into a legal duty of care and failed to comply with it. If not, you don't have a case.
This billing method used by most personal injury attorneys is called a contingency fee. As explained by the United States Bar Association, this method involves the lawyer and the client entering into a contingent fee agreement at the start of the case. This agreement describes the services that the lawyer and his team will provide and states that the payment for these services will be a percentage of the agreement or award received. The lawyer's pay is “subject to an agreement or award”.
Remember, attorneys don't like to accept cases that they don't think they can win. Many hours are spent preparing a lawsuit that involves more people besides lawyers. The personal injury attorneys at Kenny Perez Law in Texas always aim for injured individuals to obtain the highest possible compensation without upfront costs to them. That's when you should seek the advice of a competent personal injury attorney so that you know your legal rights and options and can decide the best way to proceed. Consequently, if a personal injury lawyer takes on a case and loses, you will not be paid and there will be no compensation for the resources you used or the time you invested in the process.
This also means that if an attorney has a potential client who walks through their door who is difficult to work with, obnoxious, or rude, they may decide to stop representing them. If you present a case to an attorney that other attorneys have repeatedly withdrawn, the lawyer may decide that he doesn't want to take the case either. The defendant's lawyer will investigate the case as much as your attorney, except that the defense is looking for a reason to reject your lawsuit. If you've ever been injured by an accident, you may feel flooded with information about personal injury attorneys.
Some lawyers won't accept small cases if they have to invest tens of thousands to prove it, but the benefit is only a few thousand. For example, a car accident lawyer who does not handle dog bite cases may not know that there are local laws regarding dog bites in addition to state laws. If the lawyer decides that you are a good person and you have a strong legal claim, you are likely to take charge of the case. That's why, when you have an initial consultation, an attorney may decide that your case doesn't justify legal intervention.
If you were injured or lost a loved one in an accident or other personal injury incident, contact a New York personal injury lawyer for a free evaluation of your case. Most of us wonder why so many personal attorneys offer free consultations and why some agree to work to reach an agreement without accepting any upfront payment. While people may think that attorneys will take care of any legal case that comes their way, attorneys are selective when it comes to bringing a lawsuit, especially personal injury attorneys.