If you were recently injured in a car accident in Arizona, you may have hired your current law firm because you saw them everywhere.
Billboards.
TV commercials.
Internet ads.
Buses.
Radio.
Their name may be impossible to miss.
But now that you have signed the paperwork, you may be discovering something else:
You cannot get your lawyer on the phone.
Your calls go to voicemail. Your emails sit unanswered. When you finally get someone on the line, you may be talking to a case manager or staff member you have never met instead of the attorney whose name convinced you to hire the firm in the first place.
If that is happening to you, you are entitled to ask a simple question:
Who is actually handling my case?
The Personal Injury Assembly Line
Large personal injury firms are built for volume.
They advertise heavily. They sign large numbers of clients. And they need systems, staff, case managers, intake departments, and layers of personnel to move those cases through the office.
That model may work perfectly well for some people.
But it does not work for everyone.
If your calls are not being returned, you do not know what is happening with your case, and you feel more like a file number than a client, then the size of the firm is no longer an advantage to you.
You are the injured person.
You are the one going to the doctor.
You are the one losing sleep.
You are the one dealing with pain, bills, lost wages, and an insurance company that would prefer to pay as little as possible.
You should not have to fight your own law firm for information.
You Hired a Lawyer. You Should Be Able to Talk to One.
There is nothing wrong with paralegals, legal assistants, or experienced case managers helping with a personal injury claim.
Good staff is important.
But there is a difference between having staff assist your attorney and having no meaningful relationship with your attorney at all.
At The Law Offices of Daniel J. Marco, PLLC, I practice differently.
I have been practicing law for more than 40 years.
I am not the biggest personal injury firm in Arizona.
I do not have a massive advertising machine.
I do not want thousands of files moving through my office.
What I do want is to know my clients and know their cases.
When you hire my office:
- You know who your lawyer is.
- You can talk to your lawyer.
- Your calls are returned.
- I review the facts, medical treatment, and evidence in your case.
- I explain your options.
- You make the final decision about settlement.
You are not a number on a corporate conveyor belt.
You are my client.
Can You Fire Your Personal Injury Lawyer?
Yes.
If the attorney-client relationship is no longer working, you generally have the right to discharge your lawyer and hire someone else.
Personal injury cases can move slowly. Medical treatment takes time. Records take time. Insurance companies take time.
But there is a difference between a case moving slowly and your lawyer simply disappearing from your life.
If you repeatedly cannot get answers, do not know what is happening, or have lost confidence in the person supposedly representing you, it may be time to get a second opinion.
What Happens If You Change Lawyers?
Many people stay with a lawyer they no longer trust because they are afraid changing attorneys will create a financial disaster.
Do not assume that.
The prior attorney may have rights concerning fees or costs depending on the fee agreement, the work performed, and the circumstances of the case.
Those issues can often be addressed as part of transferring the representation.
Before you make any decision, I can review your situation and explain what changing lawyers may mean in your particular case.
There is no obligation to hire me just because we talk.
You Do Not Have to Trash Your Current Lawyer
You do not have to call me and tell me your current lawyer is terrible.
You do not have to convince me that another firm did something wrong.
You can simply say:
I cannot get anybody to call me back.
Or:
I have no idea what is happening with my case.
Or:
I thought I hired a lawyer, but I never talk to one.
That is enough to start a conversation.
I will tell you what I think.
If I believe you have legitimate reasons to consider changing counsel, I will explain your options.
Small Firm. Direct Access.
I cannot outspend Arizona’s largest personal injury firms.
I do not intend to try.
They can buy more billboards.
They can buy more television time.
They can buy more internet advertising.
What they cannot buy is a personal attorney-client relationship for every person in an enormous caseload.
That is where a smaller law practice is different.
If you want a giant organization, there are plenty of firms in Arizona that can provide one.
If you want to know the lawyer handling your case, talk directly with that lawyer, and have your case treated like it actually belongs to a human being, call me.
Tired of Being a File Number?
If you already have a personal injury lawyer but are frustrated with the communication, uncertain about what is happening, or simply want another lawyer to look at the situation, call me.
You hired a lawyer. You should be able to talk to one.
Call Dan Marco at 480-275-4894 for a free consultation.
The Law Offices of Daniel J. Marco, PLLC
1166 E. Warner Rd., Suite 101
Gilbert, Arizona 85296
480-275-4894