A personal injury lawyer can really come in handy for anyone that suffers an injury due to any type of accident.
They’ll help to fight your case so that you can get the compensation that you deserve. But, you must first find an attorney who’s willing to take on your case.
Here are some of the most common reasons why a personal injury lawyer may not want to take your case on.
- Expired Statute of Limitations
There’s a different statute of limitation that governs the way personal injury claims play out in every state. The statute of limitations might expire, preventing you from pursuing the case.
An example would be the state of Georgia where the statute of limitation is two years for personal injury cases.
This means that you must file the case as soon as the accident occurs to ensure the accuracy of medical exams and witness testimony to create a solid case.
That’s why there’s a statute of limitations to prevent people from filing a lawsuit years after an accident has occurred.
- You Might Have Minor Injuries
When reviewing your case, a personal injury lawyer will look at how serious your injury is in order to determine your chances of getting compensation because that determines your expected return.
They might decline the case because you have minor injuries that either won’t get much in the way of compensation or none at all. It’s just not worth it for them.
- The Defendant is Unknown
A personal injury lawyer will look at how viable your case is based on who the defendant is and their willingness to take responsibility.
The lawyer must also ensure that the defendant is actually responsible for the injury in the first place which means that you shouldn’t be partially at fault or else you might not get compensation due to the modified comparative fault approach.
- You’re Seeking an Unreasonable Settlement
While it can be extremely frustrating to suffer from personal injuries, you still shouldn’t seek an unreasonable settlement as that can sabotage your case.
Just because radio ads and TV commercials tell you that you can get an exorbitant amount for your claim doesn’t mean that this is a reliable goal to shoot for.
The job of a personal injury lawyer over and above helping you to get your deserved compensation is to set and manage your expectations.
So, they might refuse to take on your case if they can see that you’re set on a specific number that’s unattainable or unrealistic.
- The Risk Could Be Bigger Than the Potential Reward
A personal injury lawyer also reserves the right to deny your case if they can see that the risk is greater than the reward.
Keep in mind that a personal injury lawyer only gets paid if they win so they won’t take on a case that they don’t have a good chance of winning.