• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

Whiplash & Whiplash Injury St. Louis

  • Whiplash
    • What is Whiplash?
    • How Long Does Whiplash Last?
  • Symptoms
  • Treatment
    • Exercises
    • Physiotherapy
    • Surgery
  • Compensation
  • Car Accident
    • What to Do When You Get in a Car Accident
    • The Most Common Causes of Car Accidents
    • Wrong Way Car Crash
    • Why Hire a St. Louis Car Accident Lawyer?
    • Injuries
      • Brain Injury
      • Delayed Injuries
      • Head Injury
      • Leg Injury
    • T-Bone Accident
    • Uninsured Motorist
    • Who Pays My Medical Bills?
  • Whiplash St. Louis Blog

Why Choosing an Inexperienced Car Accident Lawyer Can Do More Harm Than Good

April 1, 2020 by Christopher

Hiring a car accident lawyer can help you get a better settlement, most of the time.

There are many ways in which a St. Louis auto accident lawyer will help during negotiations with insurance companies or during the trial. However, hiring the wrong car accident lawyer can actually harm your case.

st louis car accident lawyer

A lot of people deal with an insurance claim or hire a lawyer for the first time in their life when they are involved in a car accident. It’s very likely that they don’t personally know a lawyer, and may not be sure where to look for them. Searching online for a car accident lawyer is one of the easiest ways to find someone, but you don’t always have the guarantee that the lawyer you find has the necessary experience to handle your case.

Here is why you need to check and double-check that the lawyer you hire is, indeed, reputable. Inexperienced or inefficient lawyers can harm your case in many ways.

Poor Communication Can Increase Stress

It’s normal to have “silent” periods in a car accident case, especially in the discovery period, when evidence is gathered and organized. But normal pauses in the communication with your lawyer are different from poor communication. If you don’t know what your lawyer is up to, if they don’t respond to your messages or haven’t provided a date for the next meeting, it can add a lot of stress on you and harm your case.

Lack of Engagement Will Likely Get You a Lower Settlement

For a lawyer to win you a high settlement, they really have to make an effort of gathering evidence, hiring expert witnesses, being in touch with your doctors, etc. If they are disengaged, you’ll likely get a smaller amount.

You May End Up Having to Pay Their Fee Even If You Don’t Win Anything

Most car accident lawyers work with a contingency fee, which means you will pay only if they get you a settlement. Inexperienced lawyers sometimes charge a fixed fee, which can leave you with no settlement and a bill for lawyer’s fee to pay out of your own pocket.

They Are Overwhelmed by the Amount of Work on Your Case

Sometimes, young lawyers or those who don’t get many clients try to reduce expenses by not hiring enough people and handling the extra work themselves. Unfortunately, this “solution” is not good, since it often makes them under-equipped for the cases they take.

As you can see, a case depends a lot on your lawyer’s experience, skills, and engagement. If you hire someone who does not provide a quality service, you might not get the settlement you deserve or even a settlement at all.

When hiring a St. Louis car accident lawyer, check their referrals and feel free to ask questions during the first consultation.

FREE Consultation

Speak with an experienced attorney 24/7

Click to Call: (314) 361-4242

Related Posts:

  • St. Louis Car Accident Attorney
    St. Louis Car Accident Attorney
  • When to Get a Lawyer in a St. Louis Car Accident
    When to Get a Lawyer in a St. Louis Car Accident
  • When Is It Too Late to Hire a St. Louis Car Accident Attorney?
    When Is It Too Late to Hire a St. Louis Car Accident…
  • How Much Money Will I Receive from a Car Accident Settlement?
    How Much Money Will I Receive from a Car Accident…
  • Pre Existing Injury Aggravated in Car Accident
    Pre Existing Injury Aggravated in Car Accident
  • What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do
    What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do

Filed Under: Whiplash St. Louis Blog Tagged With: Car Accident Lawyer St. Louis

Footer

The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.
130 S Bemiston Ave # 603
St. Louis, MO 63105
(314) 361-4242

Free Consultation Request

    RSS Car Accident Lawyer & Auto Accident Attorney St. Louis

    • Yellow Light Accident Lawyer St. Louis
    • How Cold Weather Can Increase Your Risk of a St. Louis Car Accident
    • Receiving Medical Care After a Car Accident
    • 3 Common Brain Injuries That Occur in Car Accidents 
    • St. Louis Pile-Up Car Accident Lawyer
    • St. Louis Car Accident Cause by Failing to Use Turn Signals
    • Can Car Safety Features Cause Accidents and Injuries?
    • 5 Face Injuries Common in Car Accidents
    • 3 Types of Evidence to Prove a Drowsy Driver Caused Your St. Louis Car Accident
    • Leg Injuries from Car Accidents

    Copyright © 2023 The Hoffmann Law Firm L.L.C.
    The images included on this site are not actual attorneys, events, or clients. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely on advertisements. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established. Attorney Chris Hoffmann handles car and truck accident claims throughout Eastern Missouri and Western Illinois. He represents injured clients in St. Louis, St. Charles, St. Peters, Clayton, East St. Louis, Alton, Hillsboro and Belleville, and other cities in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and Jefferson Country, MO, and St. Clair County and Madison County, IL.