When a client comes to you with a case outside your area of practice or from another state, you might want to take their case and try to help them because of a preexisting professional relationship. However, if you are not equipped to handle a car accident case, referring your client out to another lawyer might be the best way to help them.
Our attorneys take referrals for Alabama car accident cases from all kinds of attorneys in and outside of Alabama. If you have a client who was injured while traveling in Alabama or you are a criminal defense lawyer, family lawyer, business lawyer, or other attorney whose client needs a personal injury attorney, we can take the referral.
For a free case review, contact our attorneys for car accident referrals today at Howe Law by calling (844) 876-4357.
Injury Attorneys Taking Referrals for Auburn, AL Car Accidents
Our attorneys for car accident referrals can take referrals from attorneys across the country or right here in Alabama. Whether the problem is that you work in a different practice area, you are an out-of-state attorney, or you simply do not have space in your caseload, our lawyers can help.
Referrals From Lawyers in Other Practice Areas
Many criminal defense lawyers, family lawyers, and business attorneys have clients who come to them with legal questions outside of their typical area of practice. While you are certainly free to take their case and try to work out how to get them damages and how to proceed, professionalism might dictate that you refer them to another lawyer.
Part of zealous advocacy is being able to stand up and represent your client regarding the issue at hand. If you do not have the right experience to help your client with a car accident injury case, then it might be best to send them to an attorney who does.
Our attorneys focus their legal careers on helping injury victims. We have attained $1 million plus settlements for clients and work to help injury victims get the damages they deserve.
Referrals from Out of State
If you are in another state and need to find a lawyer in Alabama for a client or acquaintance, our attorneys are happy to take your call. Our lawyers understand the complications that can arise when trying to pro hac into another state or even trying to get admitted on motion to another state’s bar. Instead, referring your client to us might be the quickest way to get them the counsel they need without delay.
Keep in mind that to be admitted to the Alabama Bar under Alabama’s reciprocity rules (Rule III of the Rules Governing Admission to the Alabama State Bar), you must have been in practice for 5 of the 6 prior years in order to qualify. Especially if you have not yet reached this milestone, referring your client to us might be your best way to get them the legal help they need for their car accident case.
Packed Caseloads
If you simply do not have the time or staff to handle a case, referring the potential client to another attorney might be the only ethical way to help that client. Rather than biting off more than you can chew, count on our lawyers to handle a car accident case on a referral basis. Especially if you are in a small practice, are a solo practitioner, or are a new attorney, our injury lawyers are happy to take cases on a referral basis from busy attorneys at or near their case limits.
Alabama Car Accident Laws for Auburn Car Crash Claims
There are a few laws that are specific to Alabama that attorneys must be aware of when bringing a plaintiff’s case in Alabama. Our attorneys are practiced with these laws and can make sure to take them into account when taking a referral case.
Alabama’s Contributory Negligence Laws
Alabama uses a pure contributory negligence standard. This can be incredibly important in car accident cases where defendants often accuse the victim of contributing in slight ways, such as by speeding or taking their hands off the wheel for a second.
If the defense can show that the victim’s contribution – however slight – was a real factor in causing the crash, then that could blow up the plaintiff’s whole case. As such, it is important for us to take this into account when arguing causation and making sure that our claims cleanly place 100% of the blame on the defendant’s mistakes.
Alabama’s Fault/Tort Rules
Alabama, like many of its neighboring states, uses an at-fault or tort system for car accidents. If you are an attorney from Florida or another state where a no-fault system is used, then you might not be familiar or practiced with using an at-fault system and getting compensation straight from the defendant’s insurance.
Keep in mind that in a no-fault system, the victim’s insurance is the first place to turn for benefits, and accepting a payout will typically not be the end of the case. In a fault state, accepting a payout from the defendant’s insurance often functions as a settlement and ends the case. Without first-party claims, there are also different issues to worry about, such as locking down the facts surrounding fault. There is also less need to worry about subrogation claims since your client’s insurance might not be paying anything toward their injuries.
Damages in Alabama
Using Alabama’s specific rules on damages is important when bringing an injury claim in Alabama. First, punitive damages are only awarded in cases where there is clear and convincing evidence of deliberateness or similar standards, each of which is specifically defined by statute. Second, there are specific caps on punitive damages and bars to punitive damages for employee conduct in some respondeat superior claims. Alabama also has special laws about how to calculate future damages, among other particular laws regarding damages.
Call Our Auburn, AL Car Accident Attorneys for a Car Accident Referral
To refer a case to our attorneys for car accident referrals, call Howe Law today at (844) 876-4357.
