People usually make the mistake of thinking that personal injury lawyers are all the same, and therefore, it does not matter whom they hire. However, nothing can be further from the truth as it is imperative to find a good lawyer who will represent you in court and get you compensation for your injuries. An example of personal injury lawyers is Breakstone, White & Gluck. Below are some mistakes that people make while choosing an attorney:
Wrong instincts
The biggest mistake that most individuals make while hiring an attorney is going with their gut instincts and hiring whoever happens to be available. This leads to situations where clients get represented by law firms with no experience in dealing with cases related to their specific type of case. Moreover, these attorneys may not have any legal background in this field, which makes them useless.
Research
It is always recommended to do your homework and ask pertinent questions about the law firm’s experience with cases like yours. You should also consult with family or friends who can recommend you a good lawyer or at least guide you in choosing one for yourself instead of looking around randomly. Ensure that your attorney specializes in personal injury claims. Only then will they be able to provide you with satisfactory service.
Confidentiality
Attorney-client confidentiality/privilege is considered an essential part of this relationship. Still, numerous clients disregard their responsibility when utilizing attorneys, which leads to loss of confidentiality whereby insurance companies are informed about your case, consequently reducing the amount you receive in compensation. Suppose the attorney chooses not to share information about their client with the insurance company, and the attorney has no way of knowing that this person has done so. In that case, they cannot be held accountable for revealing information. While it is understandable that everyone needs to share their story, it is always better to ask your attorney whether you can talk about your case before disclosing any information.
Wrong communication
Other than breaching confidentiality by sharing facts of the case with friends or family while waiting for their lawyer to prepare for court, people also make mistakes while communicating on the phone, leading to loss of attorney-client privilege. Such privileges are considered sacred in legal practice, but there are numerous ways through which they can be lost. For example, if an individual accidentally mentions another party’s name during a phone conversation, the entire conversation becomes part of the public record. Similarly, if someone accidentally discusses their injuries or any progress in a case during a phone call, this will become available to insurance companies.
Therefore, it is recommended that individuals must always ask their attorney beforehand whether they can discuss anything related to their case before doing so. Otherwise, keep all communication strictly professional and formal instead of personal and casual. Additionally, do not sign any document without reading it entirely, as ignorance cannot be used as an excuse in the court of law.
Finally, most people ignore hiring an attorney because they presume that they are getting more than enough compensation for their injuries or loss of life due to some accident. However, everything should be taken into consideration before making a final decision.
One must never forget that, along with money, many other things cannot be compensated for by any amount of money in this world, such as loss of life, pain, suffering, etc. It is appropriate to hire a personal injury lawyer compared to representing yourself. In addition, when you hire an attorney, they can guide you in getting an appropriate settlement from the insurance company or court in your favor, so in return, you get fair compensation for the injuries sustained due to some accident.
