Will a St. Louis Car Accident Attorney Take My Case?

By Christopher Hoffmann  May. 20, 2019 7:48a

You’ve been in a car accident, and want to file a claim to get compensation for your injuries. You reach out to a St. Louis car accident lawyer and get a free consultation, where you present your case to the lawyer. You know that's the best way to maximize your chances, and you are right.

But at the end of the meeting, the lawyer tells you the firm can’t (or won’t) take your case. What happened? Well, here are a few reasons why a car accident lawyer won’t take your personal injury case.

1. There Is No Case

Lawyers will listen to your story and assess whether or not you have any chance of winning with your personal injury claim. If they don’t, then they’ll most likely deny representing you in any proceedings.

They may tell you ”you don't have a case,” which can mean anything from not having sufficient injuries to justify a claim to a lack of hard evidence that can prove your story.

2. Proving Liability Is Unlikely

Sometimes, it’s not that clear who or what was the cause of the accident. And without a clear party to ask damages from, the lawyer may deny to represent you.

3. Other Lawyers Turned You Away

If you tell your lawyer you’ve discussed your case with other attorneys before, that may be a red flag. A lawyer can justifiably wonder why the others did not take your case. If that is the case, you should be open with your lawyer and tell them exactly why the others denied to represent you.

4. The Accident Was Caused by a Government Employee

You generally cannot sue a government employee in Missouri. Only the agency that employs them can do that. And since there are sovereign immunity laws in place, it can be very difficult to prove liability and get damages, which is why a lawyer may not accept your case.

Don’t get discouraged by the possibility of a lawyer not taking your case. You won’t know if you have one until you reach out to a St. Louis car accident lawyer and sit down with them. If you have a case, you can be sure that an experienced attorney will not only take your case but will do everything they can to get you the full amount of compensation you are entitled to.