- Personal Injury
When you see advertisements on television for Carrollton personal injury lawyers, they make it seem like they take every client that walks in their door. This is not the case. Any lawyer you meet needs to thoroughly review your case before they promise to represent you. There are three (3) main things they need to consider before they even think about taking you on as a client. These things involve the following:
- Is your case worth more than a couple of thousand dollars?
- Is there an actual or potential conflict of interest?
- How much time is left under the statute of limitations?
The answers to these questions will help them determine if they want to handle your case. The only way to know for sure is to call and set up your free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Carrollton.
Does the Lawyer Have a Conflict of Interest?
Your Carrollton personal injury lawyer may decline the case due to a conflict of interest. If your attorney represented the defendant in any prior case, they won’t be able to handle your case. The rationale behind this is that they may not be able to set aside what they know about their prior client.
This can make it very difficult for them to work on your case. Their only option would be to get everyone involved to sign a waiver. However, this rarely happens. You don’t want to take it personally if the attorney tells you they can’t represent you due to a prior conflict of interest.
You May Have Already Missed the Statute of Limitations
In Georgia, there’s something called a statute of limitations. This is a law that spells out how long you have to file a suit. For any personal injury case, the statute of limitations is two (2) years. If you don’t plan on meeting with a Carrollton personal injury lawyer early on, you could run into a statute issue.
For example, imagine you get hurt on September 1, 2019. Your filing deadline is September 1, 2021. If you don’t meet with an attorney until the middle of July, they won’t have enough time to prepare your case. It’s not just a matter of filing a complaint and waiting for the defendant to respond.
Your attorney wants to have plenty of time to properly prepare your case before they file suit. This can take at least 3-4 months minimum.
Your Case May Only Be Worth a Few Hundred Dollars
Just because you were involved in an accident, that doesn’t mean you’re automatically entitled to damages. In order to recover damages, your Carrollton, GA personal injury lawyer needs to prove several things. First, they need to prove that the defendant was negligent. They also need to show that you didn’t contribute to the accident or your injuries.
They also need to demonstrate that you suffered certain damages. If they can’t do this, then it doesn’t make sense for them to pursue the case. Or if they find that your case is only worth a few hundred dollars, they wouldn’t want to take your case on. That doesn’t mean they won’t be willing to write a simple demand letter on your behalf. Make sure you clarify this in your meeting.
Call and Set Up a Meeting with One of Our Carrollton Personal Injury Lawyers
It can be overwhelming to meet with a Carrollton personal injury lawyer. If you’ve never been involved in something like this, it can be scary. The good news is that your only job is to be upfront and honest. As long as you tell your attorney the truth, you can’t go wrong. Now, that doesn’t guarantee that they’ll be willing or able to handle your case.
You have to keep in mind – your lawyer wants to make sure the case is worth their efforts. But they also want to make sure they’re the right attorney for the job. If they feel they can’t fully represent your interests, they’ll tell you that upfront. The last thing they want to do is waste your time or their time.
The only way to find out if your case is worth pursuing is to schedule a free consultation with one of our Georgia personal injury lawyers. Set up a date and time that works for you. You can conduct your consultation over the phone, online, or in person. Just figure out what is best for you and your attorney. And remember, the initial consultation is free. You really have nothing to lose.