There is a growing concern about the way lawyers are getting injured workers to hire them. Law firms are requiring callers to sign a retainer agreement before they even speak with an actual lawyer about their case. They will email a contract out to be signed online without any type of meaningful communication even taking place. We feel this is very wrong and could leave the injured caller confused, stressed, and severely compromised. This is especially true with the growing influence of mass marketing law firms.

We have received several calls from people who were roped into hiring an attorney this way and then had almost no communication from them afterward. They were never told of what benefits they may be entitled to, the facts that would need to be established to secure them or the strategy to be used to make this happen. Some had no idea what was happening with their case until they were told that it was being settled – whether they wanted it to be or not.

When an injured worker is currently represented by another attorney, ethical rules prevent us from discussing what can and should be happening in their particular case. As such, they cannot compare and contrast different attorneys’ knowledge, skill, and responsiveness if they have already been pressured into hiring one. In addition, the involvement in the claim by one attorney can make it more difficult for a new attorney to come in and take things over.

The bottom line recommendation is that no retainer agreement should be signed until you are able to speak directly with the attorney who would be representing you. That attorney should be able to explain what is required to win your claim, what is available to you if your claim is won, and the strategy for pursuing it. You deserve to feel confident both in your attorney’s abilities and in their concern for your situation. That is what you are signing up for, so know these things before you do so!