There are instances when a personal injury attorney may turn down your claim. This may leave you wondering if there is any hope for justice but, keep in mind the fact that civil lawsuits are not really about justice; they’re about compensation. If you’ve been turned down as a client by an attorney, some or all of the following may be true. Chicago Now gives the following information about why attorneys sometimes may send you out the door without legal representation.
No Case
Every single one of us is capable of falling prey to thinking that we have been a victim when we have not been a victim. An attorney might look at your claim and decide that you have no legal grounds to sue someone, even if you are utterly convinced that you do. If they do this, remember they’re doing you a favor. There helping you to avoid wasting your time on a claim that just isn’t going to win, no matter what judge and jury hears it.
Not their Area of Expertise
Personal injury attorneys do tend to have areas of specialization beyond personal injury law. For example, some of them specialize in cases involving birth injuries, others specialize in representing clients who have been in car accidents and so forth. If you’re talking to an attorney who really doesn’t have much experience handling the type of claim you’re presenting them with, they may turn you down based on that. Some of them, however, may actually recommend a different attorney who does specialize in what you need.
No Money
Before you get too cynical about it, remember that attorneys have to pay their mortgage, their light bill and their other bills just like you. If your lawsuit doesn’t involve enough money to make it worth their while, they may very well turn you down. For example, if you’re suing for $1,000 over a slip and fall and it’s not clear that you’re even going to win, it may not be worth even an hour of the attorney’s time to put together a case for you based on the money you could stand to win.
Remember not to give up right away if you get turned down by an attorney but also remember that, sometimes, you can be completely certain that you have a lawsuit worth filing and also be completely wrong about that. Sometimes the best thing an attorney can do is just let you know that you don’t really have a case.