When you have been involved in a serious accident, it is crucial to not only understand your rights, but to exercise caution when you talk with anyone. You should be able to work with a professional attorney to move forward with getting the settlement you need to heal and recover, although many people don't see it that way.
Choosing a new attorney could be the difference between getting a great settlement and watching possibilities slip out of your fingers. On this blog, learn more about what it means to work with a new lawyer, and how they could help you to start on the road to recovery.
Should You Find a Different Auto Accident Attorney?
Hiring a personal injury attorney is one of the best ways to improve your odds of receiving the settlement you deserve after a car accident. However, you may begin to wonder if you should change your personal injury attorney in the middle of your auto accident case. There are several circumstances in which you might want to do that.
Your Lawyer's Experience
If your lawyer does not have the experience necessary to help you fight your case, you may choose to switch to another lawyer. For example, your lawyer might have only handled more simple car accident cases. Your attorney is likely to warn you that they will not be able to adequately help you. You may also feel like you do not have a connection with your lawyer.
The Lawyer Is Not Able to Continue Representing You
Due to personal reasons, your lawyer might simply be no longer able to continue adequately representing you. Your case might also seem like it's taking longer than you expected. However, there is nothing wrong with hiring a different car accident lawyer if you feel like your current lawyer is not able to adequately represent you.
How to Change Lawyers
You will always want to find an attorney to replace the current one before ending your relationship with your current attorney. Otherwise, you will risk slowing down the process of receiving a settlement. You will want to examine your retainer agreement. This is the agreement that gives your attorney the right to represent you.
When you begin the process of changing your lawyer, the new lawyer will send forms to the current one which will inform the attorney that the new attorney will now be representing you. You will simply sign a retainer agreement with your new lawyer. However, the judge may choose to not approve your new lawyer. This is possible if the judge believes that changing your lawyer will disrupt the case.
How to Find a New Lawyer
You will want to find a lawyer who has a good track record with cases like yours. Even if you do not end up choosing the attorney and end up remaining with your current lawyer, it's a good idea to receive a second opinion. Another lawyer will give you their opinion of how much they believe your case is worth. The process can be difficult and time-consuming, especially when you're injured, but will also be worth it.