When a Georgia car accident lawyer turns down a client, they don’t do it for personal reasons. They have rules they need to follow. They also have to think if it makes financial sense to represent you. That’s one of the reasons they offer their clients a free, initial consultation. It gives both of you a chance to see if the relationship is for the best.
Do You Have a Valid Claim?
The first thing an attorney has to ask before they accept a case is whether it’s valid or not. If it’s clear that you caused the crash, no attorney is going to want to take the case. If they don’t win or negotiate a settlement for you, then they get nothing. They can’t afford to represent clients that don’t have a good chance at winning.
Georgia Car Accident Lawyers Won’t Take Cases that Are Frivolous
Some people like to sue for the sake of suing. They may claim that they suffered several thousand dollars in damages. If your attorney doesn’t feel your case has merit, they won’t want to represent you. The court can discipline a lawyer who files a frivolous lawsuit. They simply won’t take that risk.
You May Be Past the Statute of Limitations Deadline
In Georgia, you only have two (2) years to file your car accident lawsuit. This is because of the statute of limitations. The two years start on the date of your car accident. If you wait too long and miss the deadline, your case will be dismissed. Your Georgia car accident lawyer doesn’t want to take that risk. They could waste a lot of time and money on a case that will never get through the courthouse doors. That’s why it’s important to meet with your attorney early on. That way, they’ll have ample time to prepare your case without having to worry about the statute.
Your Attorney Could Have a Conflict of Interest
Every now and then, an attorney has a potential client come in and they have to turn it down. If they represented the other driver at some point, they won’t be able to handle your case. That is what is referred to as a conflict of interest. The court rules don’t allow a Georgia car accident lawyer to file a case against an ex-client. There’s the smallest chance that they won’t be able to separate themselves from their old loyalties. It’s safer for them to just turn down the case than put themselves in that position. What they can do is refer you to another attorney who can help you.
The Defendant May Have No Assets
One of the reasons your Georgia car accident lawyer doesn’t want to handle your case is that the defendant has no assets. If they don’t have car insurance, they may be no point in filing a suit. Of course, if they have property and a good job, it’s worth pursuing. What you’ll do is ask your attorney to file suit. Ideally, you’ll win, or the other driver won’t respond. Once you get judgment, you’ll have to try to get the judgment paid. You can do that in a variety of ways. It all depends on what sort of assets the other party has.
Call and Talk to a Skilled Georgia Car Accident Lawyer Right Away
Most people who get into a car accident don’t ever need to call a Georgia car accident lawyer. Either the insurance company pays your claim, or the damage was only minor. There are times, however, when your claim is too big to just walk away. That’s when it’s time to call an experienced Georgia car accident lawyer. They can review your case and let you know if you have a valid case. If your case isn’t worth more than a couple of hundred dollars, they probably won’t want to spend any time on it. They could offer to send a demand letter on your behalf and hope that sparks payment. But if your case is valid and worth a decent amount of money, there won’t be a reason not to represent you. The only way to find out is to call and set up a date and time to come into the office. If you aren’t comfortable doing that, we can handle the free consultation by phone. Our goal is to keep your best interests in mind. With COVID-19 cases on the rise again, it may be best to do your consultation remotely.