Why do many of us dread seeing an attorney even when we know we need the legal help, like after a significant car accident, slip and fall injury, dog bite, or medical malpractice by a medical Simple. We often don’t trust attorneys, especially if we’ve never seen one before or worse, we’ve had a bad experience with an attorney, or we’ve heard bad things about attorneys. What do lawyers do to earn this reputation? Justified or not, here are a few common complaints about personal injury attorneys:
  1. “I haven’t heard from my attorney in three months. What’s going on?”
  2. “My car accident lawyer doesn’t return my phone calls. He’s so inaccessible.”
  3. “My lawyer speaks in a language I just don’t understand, and I feel too dumb to ask her to repeat herself.”
  4. “I get the feeling my personal injury attorney isn’t telling me everything, like why is he pushing to settle this case early and for so little compensation to the victim … me?”
  5. “I’m feeling lost, confused, and anxious in the maze of doctors, and my personal injury attorney gives me no clear direction about whom I should see, when, and for how long.”
  6. “I’m scared about all the expenses, and my attorney doesn’t keep me abreast of how much of my PIP (Personal Injury Protection) coverage is used up and how much PIP coverage is left for my medical expenses.”
  7. “I don’t really understand how much this lawyer is going to cost me.”
  8. “I don’t know if this personal injury attorney is any good, but even more scary, I won’t know until my case is settled, possibly leaving me with a persistent injury and nothing in my pocket to pay for medical expenses and lost wages.”
  9. “I get the feeling my lawyer’s first priority is himself. And his second priority: himself.”
If you’ve already hired a personal injury attorney and experience any of these complaints or other uneasy feelings, call your attorney and have an overdue, honest discussion with him or her. If the issues aren’t resolved, find a competent, communicative, trial-tested attorney who cares about you. Do the research and then, trust your guts. After all, this is your life and your body. If you’re still dragging your feet to call a personal injury attorney, the time is NOW to make that phone call and get a consultation — at no charge to you. (By the way, your personal injury attorney never gets paid unless you get paid. Period.) The longer you wait to call, the more ammunition you’re giving the insurance company to dominate and trounce you.