What are Common Risks to Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney?

Meeting an accident is an overwhelming experience, especially if it has been caused by someone’s mistake or negligence.

In such a situation, you may suffer physical and emotional injuries.

Common Risks to Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney

Thus, you require professional legal advice who will guide you at every step to get fair compensation.

However, hiring a personal injury lawyer has several benefits.

There are certain risks associated.

This article will shed light on some common risks of hiring a personal injury lawyer.

Here we go!

Risks of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

1. Cost and Fees

Some personal injury lawyers charge higher than expected, which is a potential risk factor.

Many charge on a contingency basis.

This means they are paid after winning the case.

In such a situation, some lawyers may charge sometimes half of the settlement amount, which reduces the overall compensation received.

2. Unfilled Expectations

The risk of not getting the desired outcome always exists when you hire a personal injury lawyer.

Despite their best efforts and continuous practice, getting a higher settlement is not always easy.

Above all, certain clients have unrealistic expectations which results in disappointment.

 3. Delays and Lengthy Process

A personal injury lawsuit can take up your time.

As a result, it may take some months and even years to settle the case.

It also relies on various factors like:

  • The parties desire to settle through negotiation
  • The complexity of the case
  • Court scheduling

Clients should be aware that delays in legal processes are normal and should be ready for what could be a drawn-out process.

4. Conflict of Interest

A conflict of interest could occasionally exist between the client and the personal injury attorney.

For instance, a lawyer’s capacity to properly represent a client may be jeopardized if they represent several clients with competing interests or have a personal connection to the opposition.

5. Limited Control

When clients hire a personal injury lawyer, they give up some control over their cases to the lawyer.

Although this might be advantageous in terms of legal knowledge and representation, it also implies that clients may not have as much say in important choices and tactics that the attorney pursues.

Wrapping Up

Working with a personal injury lawyer has a lot of benefits.

However, there are certain risk factors.

Therefore, ensure you talk about everything during the consultation.

Chelsea Wilson
Chelsea Wilson is the Community Relations Manager for Washington University School of Law’s distance learning LLM degree program, which provides foreign trained attorneys with the opportunity to earn a Master of Laws degree from a top-tier American university from anywhere in the world.

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