If you were a victim of a personal injury accident that left you with a variety of injuries, you might have filed a claim with the help of a lawyer. Filing a personal injury claim against the party liable for your injuries could result in becoming eligible to recover compensation. In many cases, the specific details of a claim help establish the grounds for the claim’s success. However, for a claim to reach a successful outcome, a lawyer must present and support the claim efficiently. Lawyers must also consistently fight for their clients’ right to compensation and negotiate with insurance companies, for example. If an attorney is incompetent, the claim is likely to be unsuccessful.
If you suffered a personal injury accident, you might have hurried into the nearest law firm to start your claim. Whether you were injured in a car accident, truck accident, slip and fall, workplace accident, or motorcycle accident, for example, rushing into the nearest law firm might have resulted to you hiring an attorney that was incapable of handling your claim. After realizing the incompetence of your lawyer, you might have asked yourself some of the following questions:
- Can I change my attorney in the middle of a case?
- How can I fire my lawyer and hire a new lawyer for my injury case?
- What is the California law regarding hiring a new lawyer to represent me in an injury case?
If you are having doubts about your current attorney, you might benefit from contacting another law firm and speaking with a competent attorney. Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury law firm dedicated to injured victims. It does not matter how you were injured; if your injuries were caused by the negligent actions of a party, our attorneys could help you file a lawsuit and receive compensation. If you have already started your claim with another law firm, you might be interested in switching your attorney for a more prepared and more competent attorney. In the following sections, you will find information to help you understand how you could switch the attorney that is handling your injury case.
Reasons to Switch Your Attorney
Why would you be interested in switching your attorney? Before we discuss the reasons why injured victims fire their attorneys in the middle of their claims, we must discuss the positive characteristics that should be used to choose an attorney to represent you. When hiring an attorney, consider the following:
- Experience—the attorney you hire should have extensive experience in your type of claim. For example, if you are filing a motorcycle accident claim, you should not trust an attorney who only focuses on car accidents to handle your claim. If you suffered a slip and fall accident in a grocery store, you should hire an attorney with thorough experience with slip and fall claims. You should always ensure that the attorney you hire is knowledgeable and experienced in the claim you are pursuing.
- Understanding—the attorney you hire should understand the difficulties created by your accident. Your attorney should be committed to your claim; if there is a lack of commitment and understanding, your attorney will not be invested in winning your claim.
- Communication skills—the attorney you choose should be able to communicate with you and effectively relay the information you need to understand your claim. If your attorney cannot relay legal information in terms that you can understand, communication issues might get in the way of your claim’s success.
- Availability—the attorney you hire should be available to answer your questions and concerns. If your attorney never answers or returns your calls, or if he or she cannot fit a meeting with you into his or her busy schedule, the outcome of your claim might be affected.
So, why do claimants fire their attorneys? Claimants fire their attorneys when many of the points mentioned above are not met. If after a few months of your attorney handling your claim you realize that your attorney lacks experience, commitment, understanding, communication skills, or availability, you might be interested in switching attorneys. Can I switch lawyers in the middle of an injury case? How do I switch to a new lawyer for my injury case? If you are having doubts about the competence of your attorney, you might be asking yourself some of these questions.
California Law in regards to Switching Attorneys
Can I fire my lawyer in the middle of an injury case? You might be wondering about any laws related to switching attorneys in injury claims. There are two relevant sections of California law regarding firing your injury lawyer and hiring a new lawyer—CCP§284 and CCP§285. According to CCP§284, an attorney can be changed at any time during an injury case; however, both the client and the attorney must consent, or there must be a court order. According to CCP§285, there must also be a written notice given to all parties—the attorney being substituted and, if applicable, the court. For more information about the laws that allow injured claimants to switch attorneys at any time, you should contact Normandie Law Firm as soon as possible.
The Discharge Section of Your Retainer Agreement
Can I change my lawyer in the middle of an injury case? As described above, the answer to that question is yes. California law protects your right to switch attorneys at any time during your claim. You can confirm your right to fire and replace your attorney in your retainer agreement. When you hired your current attorney, you should have signed a retainer agreement. In your retainer agreement, you can find a section with information about discharging the attorney. These sections often summarize the client’s right to discharge the attorney at any time. In addition to a summary of your right to discharge your attorney, you should also find information about the fees due at discharge. When you fire your attorney, all dues for the services they provided up to the point of discharge become due. Some attorneys might place a lien on any settlement ex-clients receive in the future; a lien ensures that the substituted attorney is paid his or her dues when the client settles the injury claim. If you are uncertain about the terms explained in your retainer agreement, you should review your agreement or speak with your attorney as soon as possible.
The Process of Switching Personal Injury Attorneys
How can I hire a new injury lawyer if I am not happy with my current lawyer? You might have asked yourself the same question a few times after realizing that your current attorney was not fit to handle your claim. Your first response might be to fire your attorney as soon as possible. However, you should ensure that you find a new attorney before you fire your current attorney. How do you decide on a new attorney? You should contact law firms searching for the characteristics mentioned above: experience, understanding, communication, and availability. Many law firms, like Normandie Law Firm, offer free second opinions. During our free second opinions, you can speak with our experienced lawyers and have your claim evaluated. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will give you all the information that your incompetent attorney might have overlooked or neglected. If you decide that you want our attorneys to take over your claim, our experienced lawyers will help you complete the process of switching attorneys by giving written notices to the parties involved.
Normandie Law Firm
Normandie Law Firm is a personal injury firm dedicated to helping all victims of personal injury accidents file claims against the parties liable for their injuries. If you were injured in a car accident, truck accident, motorcycle accident, or slip and fall accident, for example, you have the right to file a claim to receive compensation. Unfortunately, many injured victims get stuck with incompetent attorneys that do not have the tools to handle their claims successfully. At our law firm, we believe that all injured victims should have access to exceptional legal assistance.
Normandie Law Firm offers free consultations and free second opinions to all victims injured in personal injury accidents. During our free consultations, our attorneys will evaluate your claim and give you all the information necessary for you to understand your legal situation. Our attorneys will answer all your questions and address all your concerns. We guarantee that you will receive the most relevant information for your claim. If you have already started your legal process with another attorney at a different law firm, you might be interested in how you could benefit from a free second opinion. Our free second opinions allow claimants who have wrongfully hired an incompetent attorney to receive the guidance necessary to get their claim back on the right track. Our attorneys will clarify and dispel all the doubt and confusion created by your incompetent attorney. After your free second opinion, you can decide whether you would like our expert personal injury attorneys to represent you. Can I hire a new lawyer in the middle of a case? As explained throughout the sections above, yes; you can hire a new lawyer in the middle of your personal injury case. Do not hesitate to contact our law firm as soon as possible—our attorneys are ready to fight for your right to sue and receive compensation.
Our free consultations and free second opinions are available through our Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients never have to worry about paying any upfront fees for our legal services. Our law firm is also based on contingency; therefore, our clients will not be required to pay any fees until our attorneys win their personal injury claim. If our attorneys do not win your claim and you do not recover compensation, you will not have to pay any legal fees. Do not hesitate—contact our law firm as soon as possible.
