Most lawyers are highly skilled, knowledgeable, and committed to their work. Like any industry, though, the legal sector does have its bad apples. If you want to prevail in the courtroom, it’s important to avoid these bad apples and connect with a good personal injury lawyer in Baltimore. Here are a few signs you may not want to work with a particular attorney.
Lack of Communication
Lawsuits are not resolved in the manner often seen on television shows and in movies. It is typically a slow process and there will be periods of time when nothing is going on. However, that doesn’t excuse a lack of communication on your attorney’s part. An attorney who doesn’t keep you abreast of events in the case or who fails to return phone calls and/or emails in a timely manner may mean the person is not making your case a priority or doesn’t care about customer service. While it is true attorneys have more than one client, they should be efficient enough at their jobs to juggle them all.
Missed Deadlines
In many personal injury cases, time is of the essence. Paperwork must be filed and summons responded to in a timely manner. Missing a deadline can mean the difference between successfully presenting your case to a judge or jury and having the case dismissed. If the attorney misses a deadline, particularly court deadlines, it’s time for you to get a new lawyer.
Bad Attitude
Being a lawyer is challenging, and sometimes attorneys will show signs of the strain. However, that doesn’t mean the lawyer should be disrespectful towards you or other people in the court system. A lawyer who is constantly rude, condescending, impatient, arrogant, or displays other poor personality traits can make it difficult to work with him or her and even negatively impact your case if the attorney offends the wrong person. It’s best to terminate the relationship with a lawyer who falls in this category.
One way to avoid hiring a bad Personal Injury Lawyer in Baltimore is to interview the lawyer first. Most offer a free consultation. Use that time to get to know the person and make sure he’s someone you want to work with.