Your Rights As A Client
In Florida, you can file a personal injury claim and recover compensation when you suffer an injury in an accident because of someone else’s negligence. However, before filing your personal injury claim, you would need to hire a personal injury attorney. It is not wise for you to handle your personal injury case alone. Remember, the at-fault party’s insurance company is actively working against you. The insurance company is doing whatever it can to settle your case for as little as possible. It is doing whatever it can to find reasons to deny your claim. An attorney can help you deal with the insurance company and handle the negotiations.
As a personal injury victim, you probably already know that you have certain rights that need to be protected as you navigate the personal injury process. For example, you have the right to refrain from giving a recorded statement to the at-fault party’s insurance company. But, do you know that as a client of a personal injury attorney, you have rights when it comes to your interactions with your attorney and their team? The following are some of these rights.
The Right To Be Treated With Professional Courtesy
After you hire a personal injury attorney, it is your right that they treat you with professional courtesy regardless of your age, race, gender, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or any other protected class.
The Right To Reasonable Fees
You have the right to be subject to reasonable fees. You have the right to know how legal fees will be assessed and billed either before the attorney starts working on your case or in a reasonable period after they start working on your case. You have the right to refuse any fee arrangement that is not satisfactory to you.
The Right To Competent Legal Representation
Your personal injury attorney is required to provide you with competent legal representation. If you feel dissatisfied with how a personal injury attorney is handling your legal issues, you are free to end their representation and hire a new attorney.
The Right to Your Attorney’s Unbiased Guidance and Independent Judgment
It is your right to receive your attorney’s honest but independent and professional judgment. It is also your right to receive your attorney’s unbiased guidance. Your attorney should provide you with advice and judgment that is free of any conflicts of interest. A conflict of interest can be related to business issues or personal matters.
The Right to Timely Answers to Questions
It is every client’s right to ask questions and receive timely and professional answers to their questions. In line with this, you also have the right to receive prompt feedback when it comes to the emails, messages, or faxes you send your attorney.
The Right to Request and Be Informed of the Status of Your Claim
You have the right to ask your personal injury attorney about the progress of your case. You have the right to be kept up to date about the progress of your case. If you request your attorney for any information about your case’s progress, they should provide you with that information. It is also your right to be provided with information that allows you to take a meaningful part in the personal injury process.
The Right To Make Decisions Regarding Your Case
You have the right to have your legitimate objectives followed by your attorney. For instance, if you decide you want your case settled out-of-court, you have the right to have that particular objective followed. With that said, you should note that, in some circumstances, if you want a certain objective followed, you may need to get court approval.
The Right To Conforming Attorney Behavior
You have the right to expect your Florida personal injury attorney to conduct themselves with a level of ethics. You have the right to expect your attorney to conduct themselves in a manner that conforms with the Florida Rules of Professional Conduct. For example, in Florida, personal injury attorneys are required to keep in confidence information relating to the representation of a client to the degree required by the law. If your personal injury attorney unlawfully discloses information about your case or life, you have the right to take action against them.
Contact a Fort Myers Personal Injury Attorney
At The Law Offices of Marc L. Shapiro, we are dedicated to upholding a high standard of service to all our clients. When you hire us to help you with your personal injury case, you can expect us to treat you with courtesy, keep you updated about the progress of your case, and give you timely answers to your questions. Contact us today at 239-329-8577 to schedule a free consultation with one of our Fort Myers personal injury attorneys.
