Signs Of A Bad Personal Injury Attorney

A poor or dishonest personal injury attorney will capitalize off of your weaknesses to his or her advantage. They will lure you with the promise of large settlements, guaranteed wins, and quick trials before they even hear out your story. They may even go so far as to create false evidence in order to win your case. While some scammers may get away with this, eventually all of them will be caught and you might end up punished as well. To avoid these predatory lawyers, watch out for these warning signs.

Confusion Tactics

Any good personal injury attorney knows that their average client is not well-versed in legalese, or technical talk. An experienced and skilled lawyer will carefully choose their words and encourage you to ask questions or speak up if you don’t understand what they are trying to explain. A personal injury attorney who does not have your best interests in mind will throw around legal words with abandon, ignore questions, and speak rapidly. They may make little sense and will gloss over your questions and concerns to revert the focus back on their confusing speech. Their goal is to get you to sign a paper or agree with them, even if you’re unclear as to what it is you are doing.

Incrimination

Yes, there are some lawyers who want you to incriminate yourself so they can attain their goals with little regard for your welfare. How do they do this? They will first try to confuse you with their legal jargon, leaving you feeling incompetent without their “expert” knowledge. After they’ve trapped you, they will have you sign an even more perplexing document that can end up destroying your case. Don’t sign anything you don’t understand or agree to be recorded unless you are fully aware of the purpose behind it and how it will be used.

Lofty Promises

A personal injury attorney who makes several guarantees such as large settlements, workman’s compensation, or access to disability without first fully researching and understanding your case is lying. Each case is different and there are many times when the outcome is unclear. There are many varying factors as well that can affect the outcome of a claim such as the judge, circumstances of the accident, insurance, and the other party involved. There are no absolutes when it comes to trials as there are too many variables. While making reasonable estimates for possible outcomes is perfectly normal, be wary of anything that sounds too good to be true.

Unlicensed

You do need to check that your personal injury attorney is properly licensed by the state’s governing authority before hiring them. There are some scammers out there who run practices that have no legal right or even the proper educational background to be serving clients. Just because they can afford an office, receptionist or ad in the yellow pages does not make them a legitimate personal injury attorney. Do your research so you don’t suffer any more than you have already.