As with any profession, some lawyers are good at what they do, and others lack the experience or dedication.
Car accident claims can be stressful, especially for victims under prolonged treatment or suffer from permanent disabilities. The longer the claim goes on, the more bills pile up, and the more time an insurance company has to apply all its strategies for minimizing your claim.
Being represented by a lawyer can make a recovery more efficient for a car accident victim by alleviating the burden represented by a tiring, complicated legal claim. But simply hiring a lawyer who claims they can win you the settlement will not guarantee that. As with any profession, some lawyers are good at what they do, and others lack the experience or dedication. Or it could be that you don’t have compatibility with your lawyer.
Can you change your car accident lawyer in the middle of the process? The answer is yes. However, it’s important to consider several important factors before making this decision.
When Should You Consider Finding a New Lawyer?
There are several possible reasons why you would want to change your lawyer. Fortunately, nothing can stop you from choosing another professional to represent you if the first one doesn’t work out.
Here are some examples of that:
- Your lawyer doesn’t return your calls and is hard to contact, leaving you in the dark about your own case.
- You are not convinced by their strategy or approach.
- They don’t take the time to explain the process in detail and you feel left out of it.
- You have valid reasons for not trusting your attorney.
Will the First Lawyer Have to Be Paid?
As you may know, car accident lawyers and, in general, personal injury ones are generally paid a contingency fee. This means that you are typically not paying anything until you receive a settlement, and their fee is typically calculated as a percentage of that.
If your first lawyer has worked on your case for a while before getting fired, they might file an attorney’s lien claim for the time they spent. If this happens and your second lawyer wins you a settlement, they will typically pay the first lawyer’s lien out of their own fee.
How to Proceed When Changing Your Lawyer Mid-Case?
There are certain documents to be submitted once you find a new St. Louis car accident lawyer to represent you, and they will be able to instruct you on that. Signing an agreement with your new lawyer and prompting the first lawyer to stop working on your case is amongst the most important.
Your Lawyer Should Represent Your Best Interests
A car accident is often a stressful and traumatic experience, and you need someone you can trust. You already have a lot on your plate, and constantly checking that your attorney is doing his job should not be on the list.