Reasons Why a Personal Injury Attorney Might Not Handle Your Case

When you call a personal injury law firm after an accidental injury, you might assume they would jump at the chance to take on your case. After all, there are many commercials, ads, and millions of attorney websites claiming they can help you! However, skilled personal injury lawyers use discretion when taking on clients for different reasons.

Contingency Fees

Personal injury lawyers mostly work on a contingency fee basis. This means that injured clients do not pay any fees unless the lawyer successfully obtains compensation for their losses. If lawyers paid out of pocket to handle every case that came through the door, they would lose out on funds spent on claims that were invalid or unsuccessful. For this reason, injury attorneys must use business sense when accepting cases, and the following are some factors that may go into the decision.

The Cause of the Accident

In order to hold someone else responsible for your injuries and losses, you must prove that the party was negligent or acted intentionally wrongfully in some way. Common forms of negligence include drunk driving, distracted driving, violating safety laws, and more.

In Tennessee, you do not have to show that someone else was completely at fault to recover. State law allows you to seek damages even if you were partially to blame, as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault. Once you are 51 percent or more at fault, you may no longer recover for your losses. If an attorney determines that you cannot prove fault of at least 51 percent on the part of someone else, they will most likely turn down the case.

The Severity of Your Injuries

You can seek damages for your injury-related losses from a liable party, and such damages often include:

• Medical bills
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Permanent injuries

If your damages only include a few hundred dollars for out-of-pocket costs due to a trip to the doctor, the expected compensation will be minimal compared to other accident cases. The lawyer receives a percentage of your damages as a fee, receiving a small amount may not be worth handling the case. A lawyer may suggest that you handle your own insurance claim instead when there is not a lot at stake in your situation.

On the other hand, some lawyers may not have the resources to handle cases involving catastrophic injuries from complex accidents. If you have a severe injury and overwhelming losses, you want to make sure an attorney has the resources to successfully take on your case and be aware whether they hesitate about the matter.

Contact Our Nashville Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Case Evaluation

Bednarz Law handles a wide range of injury claims, including those involving devastating injuries and losses. If you would like to discuss a possible case for free, please call 615-256-0100 or contact us online to set up a consultation today.