If you were injured in an accident and need help getting your expenses covered, you may have approached a personal injury lawyer for help. Many injury victims find that the first lawyer that they turn to might not be a good fit for their case or their needs. Alternatively, that lawyer might give them a low value on their case or say that they don’t have a case. In many cases, seeking a second opinion can get the help you actually need. Fayetteville AR personal injury lawyer Ken Kieklak explains when you can get a second opinion on a personal injury case and what kinds of issues might indicate that you should get a second opinion.
When Can I Get a Second Opinion on my Personal Injury Case with Another Lawyer in Arkansas?
When you meet with a lawyer it is important to remember that they work for you. In an initial consultation with a lawyer, you might feel overwhelmed by the degree on their wall or their legal terms or fast talking, and you might not feel comfortable. You could also end the meeting feeling embarrassed if they told you that your case wasn’t worth much or that you probably didn’t have a case. In reality, you are the boss, and you can fire that lawyer and hire a different attorney – or at least set up another legal consultation – practically whenever you want.
If you are only at the beginning of your case and you haven’t actually signed an agreement to retain the services of a lawyer yet, you can meet with a different lawyer and get a second opinion. After you hire a lawyer, you might still be able to drop them at any point if you are dissatisfied with their services – but you might need to pay for services they already rendered.
One thing that is important to consider when seeking other opinions is that each lawyer you meet with must run certain ethical checks. For instance, lawyers cannot represent you if they represented someone involved in your case or have other cases against lawyers you previously met with. There might be other limitations as well, so it is important to take into account that some of these rules might limit the pool of attorneys you can work with after meeting with the first attorney.
When Should I Seek a Second Opinion on an Injury Lawsuit in Arkansas?
Just as you would when hiring anyone to do a service for you, it might be important to shop around and meet with multiple lawyers. There are many red flags that you should look for when meeting with a lawyer that should inspire you to seek a second opinion with another Crawford County personal injury lawyer or other attorney in Arkansas, including the following:
The Lawyer Doesn’t Offer Free Consultations
When you meet with a lawyer, you are merely consulting with them to see if their services are a good fit for you. The initial consultation on a personal injury case should almost always be free. If you had to pay for your first meeting or phone conference with a lawyer, that is a red flag that might call into question what else you will have to pay a high premium for.
The Lawyer Doesn’t Use Contingency Fees
If you are injured and need money for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, the last thing you want to do is pay out of pocket for a lawyer. Most Greenland, AR personal injury lawyers will work on a “contingency fee” for their services. This means that you do not pay anything for their services until you win your case. If you do win, your lawyer will usually get paid out of the winnings in the case – which could include damages for some of your legal fees anyway. This often helps you maximize how much money you can receive in your case without worrying about the claim becoming too expensive or running out of funding for your lawyer. If your lawyer doesn’t offer this kind of contingency fee, they might be more focused on getting paid than winning your case for you.
The Lawyer Says You Don’t Have a Case
If you were injured and you know that someone else was at fault, it can be disheartening to be told that there’s nothing you can do about it. If a lawyer tells you that you don’t have a case and doesn’t really explain why, you could feel embarrassed or misunderstood. Meeting with a second lawyer could help you understand why you don’t have a case, or it could reveal that the first lawyer was completely wrong. Our lawyers will investigate every avenue to receive compensation for your injuries and work to determine what the laws of Arkansas can do for you.
The Lawyer Says Your Case Isn’t Worth It
If the lawyer you met with tells you that your case isn’t worth enough money, that could feel like a huge waste of your time. In some cases, lawyers will refuse cases that don’t have a big payday. If you need compensation for your injuries, you need a lawyer who will work with you and work to get you the damages you need. Get a second opinion and find a lawyer who will take on your case.
You Don’t Like the Lawyer
Personalities are important. A lawyer-client relationship is a relationship like any other. You don’t want to work with someone who you don’t feel comfortable talking with or asking question of, and you certainly don’t want to work with a lawyer who talks down to you or forces you into decisions you don’t want to make. Get a second opinion if you don’t get along with the first lawyer you meet.
Call Our Fayetteville, AR Personal Injury Lawyer for a Second Opinion on Your Injury Case
If you met with a lawyer and were dissatisfied with the meeting, seek a second opinion. Ken Kieklak is an Arkansas personal injury lawyer with decades of experience representing injury victims and their families, and he offers free legal consultations to help potential clients. Call us today to set up a free legal consultation, whether we are the first lawyer you will meet with or the last. Our phone number is (479) 316-0438.