When Should a Lawyer Refer a Car Accident Case to Another Lawyer?

Should a lawyer always handle a car accident case, or refer to it? Find out when it is right for a lawyer to refer a case to another and the benefits?

Alabamians are very likely to have or witness auto accidents at some point in their lifetime. According to 2019 statistics, there’s an auto accident every 3 minutes, 18 seconds in Alabama. The report also documented about 930 accident fatalities in the same year. These statistics are disheartening, and as an Alabamian motorist, it’s important to exercise caution on the roads to avoid mishaps.

While you can vouch for your carefulness, however, you can still be a victim of another driver’s negligence. Many of these accidents cause bodily injuries and property damage to their victims. Fortunately, Alabama’s personal injury law allows for adequate compensation for automobile accident victims through auto accident claims. For example, victims can approach the at-fault drivers’ insurance companies for compensation for medical bills incurred due to medical treatment. 

However, regardless of the type of injury sustained, accident victims need injury lawyers for the best personal injury claims results. Sometimes, your personal injury lawyer may refer your case to another accident attorney for some reason. We’d discuss those reasons in this article.

Factors To Consider in Choosing a Suitable Personal Injury Attorney

The quality of lawyers that offer you legal advice influences your personal injury settlement results. Even where there’s a need for lawyer referral services, only the best, experienced attorneys can refer you to competent accident lawyers. Therefore, as an injured person or a licensed attorney, it’s best to consider these when choosing an attorney/law firm:

• Experience 

In the practice of law, experience matters a great deal. Apart from the lawyer’s decades of experience, it would help if you also considered their specialization. For example, a family law attorney isn’t the choicest lawyer for a personal injury matter. 

You should also factor in the types of clients the attorney or law firm represents. Do they handle more cases for personal injury victims, or they rather focus on providing legal services for insurance companies? Sometimes, an attorney may have experience dealing with the insurance companies in your case. That’s an added advantage for you.

• Size of Law Firm

Many personal injury victims think that large law firms can intimidate insurance companies into paying adequate compensation. However, this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, big law firms have busy accident lawyers who cannot offer the needed attention to all legal matters on their table. 

Insurance companies can leverage this to offer low settlements, hoping that the busy lawyer would hurriedly accept it. Also, large law firms usually charge exorbitant fees for their legal services. Meanwhile, a small firm would pay adequate attention to your settlement negotiations for lesser attorney fees.

• Attorney Fees 

You may not have enough resources to pursue your personal injury claims. Some attorneys demand upfront payment or propose hourly rates for their legal services. Others can offer you legal representation on a contingency fee basis.

• Your Goals

It’s important to choose an injury attorney that prioritizes client satisfaction. A good attorney seeks client consent before taking any action. They will ensure that settlement negotiations and processes are in line with your goals. In all, you should have a positive experience working with your attorney.

• The Attorney the Law Firm Chooses To Handle Your Case 

When you have many experienced lawyers coming together to handle your case, it puts them in a vantage position. They can work faster and more efficiently with their paralegal. However, in some cases, especially when considering the budget, an independent attorney can handle your matter just fine.

Why Should a Lawyer Refer Personal Injury Clients to Another Attorney? 

Even as a top-notch attorney, you can’t handle all the legal matters that come your way. Sometimes, you may have to refer a potential client to another qualified attorney for these reasons: 

• The Case Is Too Complex for You To Handle 

Some personal injury claims are more challenging to handle than others. There may be too many complexities in the case that it may be difficult to attend to. For example, some car accident cases may have product liability and medical malpractice elements in them. If you’re not competent in those areas, it’s best to refer them to a more qualified attorney. If you specialize in certain types of auto accident cases, say, truck accidents, you should refer cases outside that scope.

• The Cases’ Value is Too Low 

If you base your professional fees on a contingent fee arrangement, you must consider the cases’ value. If the estimated value for the case is too low, it will affect your payment. If you’re not willing to get meager sums for your legal services, it’s best to refer such cases.

• You Don’t Have Adequate Resources for the Case

Lack of resources is a valid reason to deny a client your professional services. For example, if you charge your fees on a contingency fee basis, you may have to bear some costs pre-settlement. If you don’t have enough financial resources to pursue the case, you should pass it on to a willing lawyer.

• Unfavorable Location

There’s a lot of stress involved in traveling long distances for a legal matter. Sometimes, the case may be in another state where you can’t practice law. As such, it’d be wise to seek legal representation for your clients in the appropriate location.

• You Can’t Offer Competent Representation in the Circumstances 

Every potential client or injury victim has the right to adequate representation in their claims. More so, the ethical rules for lawyers mandate them to put on their best efforts into representing a client. 

What Are the Benefits of a Referral Agreement?

There are many advantages you gain when you engage in lawyer referral services. We’ve highlighted some of them below, depending on your referral arrangement with the successor lawyer. 

• More Pay, Less Work: Depending on your referral fee agreement, you may get paid for referring a client while you do nothing more. In cases where there’s a joint responsibility arrangement for client representation, you get to gain more experience on the job.
• It’s a Better Alternative to Rejecting Cases: Even long-time clients will feel hurt when you reject their cases outrightly. Referring your case to other lawyers shows that you care about them.
• It Boosts Your Clientele: Your referring lawyer is more inclined to return the favor in the future.

Contact a Qualified Attorney Now!

Are you pursuing a personal injury lawsuit or settlement claim? Then it’s your lawyers’ legal responsibility to offer you excellent legal representation. To ensure that you get premium legal services, your attorney may refer you to another competent lawyer. 

Whether you’re a client or a personal injury lawyer, Sara Williams is always ready to take up your case. Contact us today, and let’s get started on your case.