Hiring the Right Lawyer Sometimes Means Getting a Second Opinion
December 21st, 2016
By Dean I. Weitzman, Esq.
SHARE:
If you go to a doctor and get questionable advice about a medical condition, it’s likely that you’ll go and seek a second opinion.
So why don’t people think about getting second opinions when it comes to lawyers? Actually, it’s a good question that came up recently with a client who called MyPhillyLawyer in May seeking our help in just such a scenario.
Our client, a middle-aged man in Northeast Philadelphia, was severely injured on Jan. 5, 2015, as he crossed Castor Avenue in Oxford Circle in the middle of a block. He had walked halfway across the road and was waiting in the center of the wide street, standing between the yellow lines of the median strip, so that the remaining vehicles could move out of his path and he could finish crossing the street. As he waited, a car plowed into him in the center median and one of its side-view mirrors struck him in the head, causing traumatic brain injuries and other horrific injuries.
The driver of the car that struck him was apparently distracted by something in the vehicle and didn’t see the man in the median as the vehicle crashed into him.
The man’s family went to a local law firm and sought legal help to seek compensation for his devastating, life-changing injuries. The crash and aftermath took away his career and put him in a wheelchair. He now lives in a nursing home and has only a limited vocabulary.
The law firm that his family hired did some research into the man’s case but sent him a letter a few months later explaining that they would not be able to help with the case. They essentially abandoned the victim and his family.
Then the family came to MyPhillyLawyer in May through a referral from another previous client.
Three months to the day after we were retained, MyPhillyLawyer was able to settle the man’s case for the maximum policy limits of the at-fault driver’s insurance coverage, getting $100,000 in compensation so far. And that’s not all that we are doing. Now we are also planning to pursue an under-insured motorist claim from the victim’s auto insurance company since those coverages come into play if you are injured in an accident involving a vehicle in any way. With this case, we will seek additional compensation for our client to help care for him and his long-term catastrophic injuries.
So what does this all mean?
It comes back to the legal second opinions we discussed earlier. As a plaintiff, if you are represented by a law firm and you don’t feel that they are handling your case properly, then you are entitled to get a second opinion to protect your legal rights. And what often happens, as in this case, is that a fresh set of eyes and specialized legal expertise can help turn your case into one that can bring you and your family fair compensation that is needed for your injuries, pain and suffering and long-term care.
With a second opinion, you may find that something more can often be done on your behalf than is being portrayed by the original law firm. A key reason for that is that sometimes the law firm you originally contacted doesn’t specialize in personal injury cases and they may not tell you that at the outset, leaving you to find out after you have invested time and effort into seeking fair compensation for your losses. Sometimes attorneys will take cases that they are not qualified to handle just because they want your business. That’s certainly not an attorney that you want to retain.
Instead, you should hire a qualified law firm that can handle complex personal injury cases because they specialize in such case law. That’s where MyPhillyLawyer can help.
These kinds of tragic legal cases occur every day when innocent victims are severely hurt or killed in vehicle crashes through no fault of their own due to the actions, inattentiveness or indifference of others. That’s why it is critical to have a legal team on your side that uncovers every fact to bolster your case and maximize your damage award.
We here at MyPhillyLawyer stand ready to assist you with your legal case if you or a loved one is ever seriously injured in a vehicle incident or accident anywhere in the United States. We represent the families of victims who die in such tragedies as well, to ensure that their families receive every penny of damages that they are eligible to receive.
Call MyPhillyLawyer at 215-227-2727 or toll-free at 1-(866) 352-4572 anytime and our experienced, compassionate, aggressive team of attorneys and support staff will be there for you and your family every step of the way as we manage your case through the legal system.
When Winning Matters Most, Call MyPhillyLawyer.