English 
Spanish You may think you have a valid complaint against a business or person. Yet, you’ve called a personal injury attorney and they didn’t seem interested in your personal injury case and recommended someone else. You’re surprised. Don’t be. It’s not as uncommon as you’d think. There are several reasons why personal injury law firms refer out personal injury cases.
There’s a Conflict of Interest
One of the common reasons for a lawyer to refer out personal injury claims is due to a conflict of interest. It can be as simple as the person you want to sue for damages is a regular client of the attorney you’re trying to hire.
The Restitution Isn’t Enough to Justify the Time They’ll Spend
The legal fees for many personal injury cases are paid only if the lawyer you hire wins the case. In the U.S., American Tort Reform says the average contingency fee is 33.3%.
Say your lawyer wins the case, but you only end up receiving $1,000. The lawyer would get around $333 of that. If it’s taken days of preparation and hours in the courtroom, $333 isn’t really enough money to justify taking the case.
The Complexity of the Case is Too Much for Their Lawyers
Like everyone, a lawyer has more experience in one area than another. Availability and resources are other factors. If your situation is more complex than an attorney feels comfortable handling, you’ll be referred to someone with more experience.
This is done for your benefit. You want the best attorney possible when you’re filing a personal injury lawsuit. The more skilled the attorney is, the better the odds of winning. Think of it this way. If you were seeking medical care, would you trust a medical student or licensed doctor more? In a personal injury case, you want the lawyer with the experience and skill to win your case.
The Expenses Necessary for Trial Are Excessive
When a law firm calls on expert witnesses, there are factors to consider. While that expert helps out, there are hotel fees, travel fees, and meals to consider. There may also be an hourly fee charged to replace the income the witness is losing while testifying. If the cost is too excessive, an attorney may refer out the case to someone else.
The Case Will Take More Time Than They Can Devote
During a free case evaluation, a personal injury attorney calculates how much time it will take interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence, filing paperwork, and arguing your case in the courtroom. If the case will take months and that firm is already busy, they may refer it to a law firm or attorney with more time. If the fee is contingency-based, the attorney may worry about going for months without getting paid.
Many law firms have clients walking in looking for representation. They also get cases via online chat, email, and phone requests. There are so many lawyers and paralegals in a firm, and they can only handle so many cases. If they believe a case has merit, but they don’t have the time, referring the case to a fellow attorney is best.
The Trial Location Is a Problem
Depending on your situation, the trial location can become problematic. If you’re hiring a California personal injury lawyer, but your accident took place in Nevada, the lawyer may not be able to help you. You may need to be referred to a lawyer in the other state.
This can also happen if you see a lawyer in one county, but the accident took place in another county. The travel costs and driving times may be too extensive for one firm to want to handle. Instead, they refer out the personal injury case to an experienced attorney in that other county.
Do you have questions about a car accident? Did you slip and fall on a spill a store neglected to clean up? Have you been turned away by other law firms but still need help?
KJT Law Group offers free case evaluations. Get an expert’s opinion as to whether you have a valid complaint. We can help you with your personal injury case. We specialize in slip and fall, dog bite, and car/bike/motorcycle accidents. Contact us or call us to schedule a free consultation.
