Car accidents are often complicated and stressful experiences. Dealing with the aftermath of a crash is no simple task. You will have to negotiate with the at-fault driver’s insurance company to obtain a fair settlement, all while recovering from the injuries you sustained in the collision. Nevertheless, you don’t have to do it all on your own; a car accident attorney can help you navigate through all of this while you maintain your peace of mind.
However, many people often get frustrated with their attorneys because they fail to provide information about their cases. Some attorneys don’t call their clients back promptly, while others don’t do so at all. If you are going through something like this, you may be asking yourself, “Why isn’t my lawyer answering me? What can I do now?” The answer may be more straightforward than you think.
Here you will find the main reasons why your lawyer might not be answering your calls and the things you should do to deal with the situation.
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Why is my lawyer ignoring me?
If it’s been a long time since you’ve gotten updates on your case, you may decide to contact your lawyer to get information about it. But if your lawyer doesn’t respond or call you back in a reasonable amount of time, it’s easy to get upset. However, there may be a good reason why they are not answering.
They’re working on your case
If you feel that your attorney is ignoring you, keep in mind that they may be working on your case at the time. They may eventually contact you with news about progress. Try to be patient while you wait for them.
There’s nothing to report
A common reason many attorneys do not respond quickly is that there is simply nothing to report. Car accident claims can take a while to resolve, and you may have to wait a few weeks or months for updates on your case.
However, if nothing happens for a long time, your case may have stagnated. In that case, you should contact the lawyer by any means necessary, or your claim may be at risk.
They’re handling other cases
If your lawyer isn’t getting back to you, they may be working on other cases at the moment. Most attorneys often deal with multiple cases at once, and time management can be a significant challenge.
However, some attorneys take on more cases than they can handle, which causes them to not devote the necessary time to all of them. If you suspect this is the case, you may want to find another attorney who can commit the required time to your claim.
They’re bad communicators
Let’s face it; some attorneys are just downright poor at communicating. If there is nothing to report or they are too busy at the time of your call, they should still contact you eventually, so you know there is nothing to worry about.
Yet, certain legal professionals are terrible in this department and may not contact you quickly, even if there is important news to report or if they need any necessary documents to move forward with your case. Before hiring a lawyer, you should ensure that their communication is excellent, or you may find yourself trapped in an uncomfortable and annoying situation.
Are you their actual client?
It may seem like a strange question, but it is tied to another common scenario. Suppose your husband was in a car accident and decided to hire an attorney to help him obtain compensation. In that case, you, as his wife, probably should not contact the lawyer without your husband, as they would not be obligated to respond.
There may be bad news coming
The last common situation where your attorney is not responding to you is that there may be bad news on the way. Maybe the insurance company sent a very low offer or rejected your claim altogether, and your attorney doesn’t know how to break the bad news to you.
This is especially common when your attorney is inexperienced and doesn’t want you to react negatively to their work. However, it is always best to be well informed about what is going on at every point in your case, especially if the news is not good.
What to do if the attorney isn’t answering
If you have failed to contact your attorney, here are some things you should try to do:
1. Try to contact them in another way
If you’ve been calling your lawyer incessantly and they never answer, there may be a technical problem that is preventing you from reaching them. Therefore, you should try communicating with your lawyer through other means, such as email or regular mail. If you still don’t hear from your lawyer, you can attempt to do a couple of other things.
2. Speak to a paralegal
Many attorneys work with a large team of paralegals to streamline their workflow. They often handle the most time-consuming tasks in your claim process. If you can find a paralegal who works closely with your attorney, they may be the key to getting you in touch with your lawyer again.
3. Visit the law firm
Most law firms have a physical location where you can visit them. If all else fails and your injuries permit, you may need to go to them to ask for explanations about the lack of communication.
4. Change your attorney
If you are tired of dealing with an attorney who isn’t communicating correctly or isn’t providing the results you are looking for, you may want to consider changing attorneys if you want to secure compensation after a car accident.
Many car accident lawyers, such as C&B Law Group, are ready to help you get the compensation you deserve after a car crash. By working with them, you won’t have to worry about poor communication; they will keep you updated on your case every step of the way. In the meantime, you can focus on your recovery and maintain your peace of mind.
