While you might think a personal injury lawyer would take on any case involving personal injury, that’s not the reality.
There are a few reasons they might turn down a case as there are certain criteria that must be met. This type of attorney, as defined on The Balance Careers, is a professional who assists people who have been hurt mentally or physically by a third party due to negligence or an intentional act. If they don’t feel like they can make a good case with their time and resources, they won’t take on the work.
However, here are a few reasons that they would likely take a case on without much or any hesitation.
The Intentions of the Potential Plaintiff
Whether you’re looking for a personal injury lawyer in Kingston, PA, or another city, the lawyer needs to feel that as the potential plaintiff, your intentions for seeking a court case are for the right reasons. If the attorney feels that you are out for revenge or just trying to find a way to strike a gold mine, so to speak, they might turn you down. However, if they feel you have a good case, simply fighting for justice and compensation, they’re much more likely to take the case on.
There’s No Conflict of Interest
Lawyers have to maintain a certain amount of integrity, and if they come across a conflict of interest related to your case, they may have to turn it down. For example, if you were injured or became ill at a local restaurant that they had previously represented in another case, they wouldn’t be able to ethically go against that entity in court.
If they personally know or are related to whomever you are trying to take to the court for an injury, they might suggest another lawyer instead.
It’s Not Too Late to Sue
With certain injury cases, there are statutes of limitations that are set in place. If you are seeking to have a court case that is too far out from when the incident occurred, your case might get thrown out, and the attorney could also face sanctions from the court. For those reasons, they obviously wouldn’t take the case.
Your Case Will Be Easy to Win
There are certain factors that could make your case an easy win, which would be an appealing reason for any lawyer to take it on. If the other party is clearly at fault and you didn’t delay seeking medical treatment, the odds of winning a case are a lot stronger. The lawyer must also feel that you are telling the truth about what happened and are providing credible information that can be proven by evidence like a police report, medical records, etc.
The Potential Personal Recovery Amount Isn’t Too Small
In some cases, even if the would-be defendant is clearly at fault when the potential for damages is too small, perhaps you only received a few scratches on your arm, for example, they may not choose to take your case. If the person at fault doesn’t have insurance or assets, it may not be worth the time for the lawyer to fight against them as they’re unlikely to be able to recover compensation.
