There are many reasons injury victims may benefit from hiring an attorney to help them seek compensation for their damages. For example, attorneys have legal and ethical obligations that are meant to protect injury victims and help ensure your case is handled in a competent manner.

Below, our experienced attorneys discuss some of these obligations and how they benefit clients. If you were injured in an accident and are considering seeking legal representation, you should review these obligations.

At TSR Injury Law, we are deeply committed to pursuing the justice and compensation injury victims need and managing cases with the utmost professionalism. If you have legal questions or concerns after suffering an injury, our Bloomington personal injury attorneys are ready to help.

Give us a call today to learn more: (612) TSR-TIME.

Providing Competent Representation

Your choice of an attorney is one of the most important decisions to make following an injury caused by another’s negligence. You need an attorney who is capable and can manage your case and defend your best interests.

However, the attorney needs to consider if he or she is capable of competently managing your case. That means the lawyer needs foundational knowledge of how to establish liability and build a strong case. Lawyers can still consult with others at their firm on a case, but they should still be able to manage the case.

Competence is not only about legal knowledge but also resources. Your attorney should have the resources to investigate the accident and gather evidence.

If a lawyer does not have the competence for the case, he or she may have an obligation to seek help from another attorney who is more qualified. If you meet with an attorney who has not managed a case like yours before or mainly works on cases in a different practice area, he or she may be obligated to inform you of that, so you may choose to work with another attorney.

At TSR Injury Law, we take on personal injury cases and have done so for more than 20 years. We have secured well over $1 billion on behalf of our clients.

Acting Ethically

Your lawyer needs to manage your case in an ethical manner. For example, conflicts of interest should be disclosed, and lawyers should not take cases where these conflicts exist. Acting ethically also means being honest and forthcoming with clients about their cases, as well as following the laws pertaining to personal injury cases.  You should be told both good and bad news by your attorney.

Acting in the Best Interests of the Client

Lawyers have an obligation to act in your best interest. For example, if a lawyer thinks you should accept a settlement offer because it provides the compensation you need, the lawyer should tell you that. On the other hand, if a settlement offer is too low, your lawyer should tell you that also. You do not want a lawyer giving settlement advice because they need to pay rent.

If the insurance company does not offer a fair settlement after negotiations, your lawyer may discuss taking the case to court. However, your lawyer must explain if he or she thinks going to court would be a good or bad idea. Your lawyer needs to explain what the result of going to court may be or what it is likely to be.

Your lawyer should not urge you to go to court or accept a settlement offer if he or she thinks it is a bad idea. Your lawyer should also not file a lawsuit unless you have agreed to do so, and you agree with your lawyer’s assessment of the case.

Your lawyer’s advice to you should be based on your needs and not the needs of his or her firm.

TSR, like most personal injury law firms, takes cases on contingency. That means we do not charge upfront fees. We are not paid unless our clients get paid. Our interests are aligned with your interests and there is no financial risk in hiring us to represent you.

Honest and Consistent Communication About the Case

Your attorney has an obligation to keep you informed about your case. He or she needs to provide accurate and honest communication about what is happening with your case and answer your questions in a reasonable amount of time. Your lawyer is legally obligated to inform you about settlement offers the insurance company makes.

Honest, consistent communication helps to build trust between the attorney and the client. The client is likely to feel more comfortable reaching out to his or her attorney if the attorney responds quickly. The client will likely have a more positive view of his or her experience if there was good communication in addition to a favorable result in the case.

If there are things you can do to help your lawyer, your lawyer should inform you. There are various questions your lawyer may have about your case and if the answers to those questions would help your lawyer do a better job managing your case, your lawyer should ask you those questions.

Protecting Attorney-Client Privilege

Attorneys are legally required to keep conversations about your case confidential. This is part of attorney-client privilege. This applies to conversations and communications about the case that fit certain criteria.

Attorney-client privilege helps to encourage open and honest communication between attorneys and clients. This can benefit your case because your attorney will be well-informed about your situation, and this helps when preparing a strategy.

TSR Injury Law is Ready to Help. Call Today

For decades, our firm has been helping injury victims obtain compensation for damages. We have obtained millions on behalf of our clients in various cases.

We work on contingency, which means there are no upfront fees for our services and the initial consultation is free. We do not get paid unless you get paid.

TSR is here to help injured victims. Contact us: (612) TSR-TIME.