7 Signs Your Car Accident Attorney Is Ripping You Off

There are more than 50 million car accidents that happen in the world every year, and most of these crashes are non-fatal. However, statistics have shown that almost 2 million people lose their lives in these accidents annually, and more than 50 million people are mildly or severely injured. Every driver is going to get into an accident during their years as an active driver, and sometimes, we need to present our case in front of a judge or we need to settle with the other parties involved. We trust our legal representatives to help us during this difficult time, but not every consultant is going to be honest with us. If you have been wondering if your lawyer is being transparent, then you should continue reading and learning about some of the signs that your car accident attorney is ripping you off.

1. They are charging for more hours than they work

Source: stories.avvo.com

It is true that all of us don’t work our full hours, and in the hour that we are paid to do our work, we will take short breaks, we may go get coffee, or we will just make a bathroom break. This is all normal, and working actively for 50 minutes instead of 60 every hour is completely fine.

However, if your car accident attorney is charging you for dozens of hours every week, and the case seems to go nowhere, chances are, they are trying to rip you off.

2. They have another client for the same hours

Unless we pay our legal advisors to have us as the only client during our cases, chances are, our attorneys will be working on other cases when they are not consulting us. No one needs a lawyer for 40 hours per week, so your attorney is free to take other cases in their time.

One thing that they are not allowed to do is double-billing, meaning, charging two clients for the same hour. If you have suspicions that they are doing that, or if you have proof of that happening, you can sue your legal advisor and get your cash back.

3. The case seems to go nowhere

Source: elderlawanswers.com

More often than not, these cases should be done within several weeks, however, some of the extremely complex cases may take months or even years. During the first few weeks, your legal advisor will be on top of your case, but after a while, they won’t need to work more than a few hours per week or even a month.

If you have been paying them for dozens of hours every week, and if the case seems to go nowhere, maybe it is time for you to check what is actually happening.

4. You are paying for things that you shouldn’t

We are all aware that we are paying for the hours that our legal advisors work on our cases, but that does not mean that we need to pay them for everything. Many people who have been victims of their lawyers ripping them off have noticed that they have been paying for random things including the heater or the AC being on during weekends, gas, and even phone calls that were not even made to them.

You should be aware of what your attorney is charging you for, and you should know which rights you have as a client. Note that a good car accident attorney Kansas City is going to offer you a free consult and they will be transparent about the other charges.

For more information on the things that a reliable attorney should provide you, along with info on free consultations, visit https://www.royceinjurylawyers.com/personal-injury/car-accidents/.

5. There is dragging all the time

Source: thelawplace.com

One of the things that dishonest attorneys will try to do is drag the case and prolong it for as long as possible. These people don’t have a lot of clients, so they are trying to use every last penny from the naïve person that hired them.

If you think that your case is being prolonged for too long, and if you think that it should’ve been done by now, then you should look for a better Kansas City auto accident attorney.

6. They don’t know what they are doing

Not every legal advisor is trained properly, and sometimes, there are going to be firms that present trainees as proper lawyers and they charge as if they are with all the needed experience. Your legal representative should know more than you about car accidents, laws, and, regulations, and they should be able to help you out by answering all of your questions.

If you see that they need to research or additionally consult before they answer any of your questions, or if you notice that they are giving you wrong answers, chances are, you need to change your representative.

7. They are charging you an extremely high hourly rate

Source: elawtalk.com

The rules of how much should your attorney charge differ depending on your location, your specific case, and their experience. It is said that the legal advisors should not charge you more than 40 percent of the settlement, and their hourly rate can vary between 100 dollars and up to four hundred.

If your legal consultant is trying to get more than 50 percent of the settlement, or if they are trying to charge you four digits per hour, they are either the best attorney that you have ever met, and they are going to make miracles happen, or they are being extremely dishonest and they are trying to rip you off.

Other signs that will show you that your advisor is not being honest include them working for too long, even weekends, and charging you for hours when they are supposed to be asleep; them not knowing anything about car accidents and still practicing those cases, them making you pay for the most trivial things including the research they are doing, and them being disrespectful with you, and not honoring the non-confidential agreement. If you ever suspect that they are ripping you off, you are most likely right, so you need to react right away, and you need to find a better legal advisor. If you’ve been in a car accident and suspect that you’re not getting the compensation you deserve, don’t wait to find a better legal advisor – contact an experienced car accident attorney today at 800 Pain Law.

Radulovic Jovica
Radulovic Jovica

I started my career at websta.me following the completion of my studies in Agricultural Economics at the University of Belgrade. My fascination with this field arose from recognizing the pivotal role marketing plays in companies' business strategies.

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