If you are approached by a potential client who needs help with a car accident case, it is important that you consider whether your firm is currently equipped to handle their case. Many times, you simply might not have the time or resources to take on another client, or you might not be a good fit based on your practice area.
If that is the case, our attorneys are willing and able to take on car accident claims from in and around the Vestavia Hills area and throughout Alabama. Our lawyers have experience with car accident cases in Alabama, and we are happy to take cases on a referral basis from out-of-state attorneys, Alabama attorneys in different practice areas, and attorneys who are simply too busy to handle new cases.
For a free case review, call the attorneys for car accident referrals at Howe Law today at (844) 876-4357.
Referrals Our Car Accident Lawyers Accept in Vestavia Hills, AL
Our attorneys for car accident referrals are willing and able to accept cases from all kinds of attorneys to help clients get the legal help they need. Keep in mind that there are ethics rules, legal restrictions, and simple matters of practicality that might actually show it is in the client’s best interests to refer their case out to another firm.
Our lawyers accept referrals from all of the following kinds of attorneys in all of the following situations:
Out-of-State Attorneys
If you have a preexisting client or someone brand new reaches out to you, but you find out that their case is actually better filed in Alabama, our attorneys can take on the case. If you are not barred in Alabama, it might not be possible or practical to get yourself admitted “without examination” under Alabama’s reciprocity rules. It might also be impractical to travel to Alabama to pursue the case, preventing you from providing the zealous advocacy the client needs. Ultimately, referral might be best.
Although you might be able to represent someone in a car accident case pro hac vice, it may be impractical or too disruptive to your other cases to do so. In that case, we are also available to accept a referral.
Attorneys in Other Practice Areas
In order to provide the best legal services you can, it is imperative that you have the right kind of experience and legal skills to help with the case at hand. If you do not typically practice in personal injury law or car accident cases, then you might not be able to provide the best service you can to the client at your door. In that case, legal ethics rules might actually best be fulfilled by transferring the client to another attorney.
Our attorneys handle car accident cases in Alabama specifically, and we are always accepting new clients for car accident claims. This is a big part of our practice and is well within our wheelhouse.
If you have a client who already trusts you and puts their faith in your legal skills for their family law, criminal defense, or business needs, it might be hard to say no to them or admit that you do not handle a certain area of practice. Our attorneys can make sure that your client is in good hands if you refer their case to us.
Busy Attorneys
All industries have been dealing with staffing issues, but litigation rarely slows down. If your firm is small or you are an individual attorney, you might not have time or resources to take on a new car accident claim. This is especially true for complex car accident cases that might involve substantial damages, highly scientific accident reconstruction, or injuries that practically require a medical degree to understand.
Our team has the staff, the training, and the experience to handle complex car accident cases and other injury cases. If you simply do not have space to take on a client, we are more than happy to accept a referral.
Alabama-Specific Rules that Affect Vestavia Hills Car Accident Cases
If you are not experienced with car accident cases and personal injury law in Alabama, then there might be a few surprising complications under Alabama law that make it harder to bring and win car accident cases. Our lawyers have experience with these legal issues and can put that experience to good use in car accident claims for our clients.
Contributory Negligence Rules in Alabama
In our neighboring states – and in most states in the U.S. – they use a comparative fault standard. For car crashes, this often applies when determining fault so that courts and insurance companies can assign partial blame to each driver. The drivers will then pay their share of damages, with the plaintiff having damages reduced by their own percentage of fault.
Alabama’s laws are far more strict, and any degree of fault that is assigned to the plaintiff will block them from receiving damages. Even if the victim is found to be 1% at fault for the crash, their case is over. Because of these rules, it is important to shut down victim-blaming and isolate any issues that the defense might try to claim in a contribution defense early on in the case.
Punitive Damage Caps
Punitive damages in Alabama must meet a clear and convincing evidence standard to issue under Ala. Code § 6-11-20. More specifically, there must be clear and convincing evidence of fraud, “malice,” or “wantonness” under subsection (a) of that statute.
In the rare cases where these standards are met and punitive damages are issued, they are also subjected to caps under § 6-11-21. For physical injury cases, the cap is set at the greater of $1,500,000 or three times the compensatory damages.
Contact Our Attorneys for Car Accident Referrals in Vestavia Hills, AL Today
If you have a case to potentially refer to our attorneys, contact Howe Law’s attorneys for car accident referrals at (844) 876-4357 right away.
