The secret is out: there are some bad lawyers out there. It’s true. One thing that is obvious to us is that clients are not getting the attention or care that they deserve from their attorneys. Some care more about the value of your case than the value of your care and that is really a shame because after an accident, getting you back to 100% should be your attorney’s top priority. At Kiefer & Kiefer, many of our cases come from clients who are unhappy with their current attorneys who switch to our firm (and end up much, much happier). Here are the top 5 most frequent mistakes we see attorneys make when they are handling your personal injury or accident cases:
- Not Returning Your Phone Calls. This is the #1 complaint we receive from clients who switch to us from their prior attorneys. Put simply, not returning your phone call is unacceptable. At Kiefer & Kiefer, we understand that you are trusting us with a very serious problem no matter how big or small your case is. We give you our cell phone number so you can check in with us at any time you need to about your case.
- Making You Treat With Doctors who Specialize in “Litigatory Medicine.” It is a complete myth that if you are involved in an accident, you have to be seen by doctors who your attorney sends you to. We have found that many attorneys send their clients to medical providers (some of whom do not even have a Board Certification) who are quick to recommend expensive and aggressive procedures that make the case easier to settle, which just means more money for your attorney, less money for you, and more risk to your health. Many clients don’t know that there are even some doctors out there who only treat litigation-involved patients and have backroom deals with attorneys to profit off of litigation. We have seen a young man almost die because his attorney forced him into an unnecessary back surgery with a substandard surgeon when he had little to no pain to make his case more valuable. We don’t practice law this way and we don’t deal with doctors who practice litigatory medicine. At Kiefer & Kiefer, we only work with doctors who are the best in the city and who we would see ourselves. Our main goal is to make sure you are in good hands because we care about you and not just your case.
- Not Communicating with You About the Reasons Your Case is Not Resolved. We have taken over cases where our clients have said that their attorneys had not updated them in a year on the status of their case, which is shocking to us. It’s true that sometimes litigation takes time. It’s true that a case can sometimes last years. But, we promise you that every step of the way, you will know exactly what is going on in your case and the reason it is still around. We don’t let cases lie around our office – we aggressively push your case to resolution because we recognize that you don’t enjoy being involved in litigation and want us to help you through it as quickly as possible.
- Not Working on Your File. What is so frustrating to us is how we see time and time again that insurance companies or defendants are waiting on Plaintiff attorneys to simply give them information to evaluate a case for settlement. Oftentimes attorneys take many, many months before giving the basic information that the other side needs to give you money! The insurance company should never wait on your lawyer, nor should your case.
- Not Knowing What They Are Doing. With all of the lawyer commercials that run all day every day on TV, it is really difficult to determine who has your best interests at heart and who is competent. We have watched too many clients get lackluster results because their attorney was simply incompetent to handle their case, but took it anyway. You deserve a good attorney who knows what he or she is doing – this is the only way to get the best result on your case. Ask your attorney what her experience truly is and do not be satisfied with vague responses. It’ is ok to interview your attorney before you hire one and you should definitely do so! Experience Matters. At Kiefer & Kiefer, we have been practicing personal injury and accident law for over 60 years. Our current attorneys have a combined total of almost 100 years of experience in this field.
If you are unhappy with your representation, you can always switch attorneys. You can do so for any reason, at any time, and at no additional cost to you. We have recently published an article about how easy it is to change your lawyer. Read about that here: https://www.kieferandkiefer.com/can-i-change-my-lawyer-and-do-i-have-to-pay-an-extra-fee-if-i-fire-my-attorney/. We always give you a free consultation any case you may have.