1.
He does not seem to know you or your case very well and you are getting closer to a trial date.
Getting the maximum value for your personal injury case, no matter how small, requires that your attorney spend TIME preparing for trial.
Yes, you may hope that your case settles without going to trial; but if your attorney does not begin preparing early, not only are you not likely to get full settlement value, but in the event you do not settle, your side of the case at trial may be weak.
It takes time to develop the best practical theory to overcome the defenses and then let the evidence support the theory.
2.
He has not discussed both the strengths and weaknesses of your case with you.
In order for your personal injury attorney to get the maximum value for your personal injury case, all of the issues in your particular case must be thought carefully through.
Every case has potential weaknesses even if it seems like the person or company that caused your injury is clearly at fault.
Your attorney must be prepared for any "surprises" that confuse the issues.
Common issues that weaken an automobile accident case, for example, include a wide range of defenses: your past medical history, your past work history, visibility, low speed impact collisions and many others.
3.
He does not spend time preparing you for your testimony.
People that have been injured or "wronged" sometimes exaggerate or misstate the past.
Maybe it is a natural defense mechanism of a person who has been hurt.
However, allowing a client to do so will ultimately allow them to hurt their case.
Your attorney should help you be truthful about your past medical history by going over your past medical records with you.
Run as fast as you can from an attorney that encourages otherwise! 4.
He has not conferred with your doctors.
Your treating doctors are important in supporting that the injuries received were as a result of the accident.
Even when it seems obvious to you, that your rear end collision caused your back problems, the defense will try to prove otherwise.
It is important that your attorney has spent time with your treating doctors and really understands your medical.
5.
He has not hired the appropriate experts to prove causation.
In order to maximize your personal injury claim, you must be prepared to prove that the acts of the defendant did indeed cause your injuries.
This often means hiring the appropriate expert in the field, mechanical engineers, accident re-constructionists, etc.
Any lawyer can hurry a case through, but that does not always mean you will receive the best possible outcome.
Stay away from law firms that appear to be "law factories".
Sometimes a firm that mass markets their services, on television and billboards, are good at marketing but make their overhead by doing volume work.
That may be profitable to the firm, but the client may not receive the full value for their case.