A reader asked what to do when the attorney he/she hired for his/her accident refused to respond. The reader feels abandoned by the attorney. What can he/she do?
This can be a frustrating situation. Your attorney does not always appear responsive. Remember, that there may be a good reason for the attorney not to respond. Not that I am justifying it, but you should give your attorney the benefit of the doubt since I assume you hired him/her after meeting with them and making some type of personal connection.
The first thing you should do is send the attorney a letter, via certified mail, return receipt requested, and request a written update on the case. Second, you should contact the State Bar and ask them to help. If those two things do not work in getting you a reply that is satisfactory, you should then consult with another attorney. This is a three strikes and you are out situation – they didn’t respond to your calls, your letter and the State Bar.
You may have signed a lien with a chiropractor. If that is the case, remind him/her that the case is pending and that you have a contract that they will wait to get paid until the case is resolved. If your attorney is non responsive after you try one and two, your new attorney should be able to send a letter to the chiropractor advising them of this.
These are always tough situations. You are better off trying to repair your relationship with your attorney and then move forward. It is hard for a new attorney to step into the case.