Depending on the details of your case or your settlement agreement, the actual time it takes for your check to be delivered varies. While many sett...
If you need your settlement check as soon as possible, there are a few ways to speed up the process. Once you get close to a settlement, start draf...
A lawsuit loan, also known as pre-settlement funding, is a cash advance given to a plaintiff in exchange for a portion of their settlement. Unlike...
What is the purpose of pursuing a claim after being involved in a personal injury accident? When you pursue a personal injury claim, the goal is to hold the liable party accountable for his or her actions, which contributed to the harm that you suffered.
Why is my lawyer trying to settle my case when I still have pain? Why is my lawyer trying to settle my car accident case when I am still treating with doctors? Why is my lawyer trying to settle my slip and fall case if I still have not gotten better? Have you found yourself asking these questions? It is possible that your lawyer is trying to settle your case even though your treatment is still ongoing.
Do I have to accept a settlement offer from my lawyer for your injury case? When you accept a settlement offer, you are agreeing to bring your case to a close and accept the monetary compensation that is being offered.
Can my lawyer settle my case and not tell me? A lawyer is not allowed to settle a case without the clients’ strict consent. As mentioned above, the client is the party that makes all final decisions – attorneys are simply there to offer recommendation and guidance.
Finally, your attorney gets a settlement check; it is deposited to their trust account and you don't get your check. What is going on? In theory your attorney is supposed to not distribute the settlement to you, any lien holders, and him or herself until the check has "cleared.".
If you are waiting longer than that, "waiting for the check to clear" is not likely a satisfactory explanation. In addition to the problem of the check clearing there can be a much longer wait problem with liens. Suppose some of the medical bills in a personal injury case were paid by Medicare.
The banks simply won't commit themselves to saying the check has cleared. The guidelines the banks use for estimating when a check should have cleared or bounced depend on the location and identity of the issuer, but they are only estimates.
If you have already filed a lawsuit and a global settlement has been announced, your attorney may present evidence to the settlement fund's claims administrator detailing the extent of your injuries and negotiate for the highest settlement amount possible.
When a class action settles, most class members will receive an email or letter informing them of the settlement and instructing them, in most cases, to visit a website to claim their part of the award.
If you hear that a mass tort case has settled and have not yet filed a lawsuit, this does not mean you have missed your chance at compensation. In some cases, a settlement fund is established to encourage more patients to come forward and file their own lawsuits.
If you have filed a mass tort lawsuit (these usually involve injuries related to defective drugs and medical devices) and litigation surrounding the product settles, your attorney will negotiate and help you claim your portion of the settlement.
Once your lawyer receives the check, they usually hold it in a trust or escrow account until it clears. This process takes around 5-7 days for larger settlement checks. Once the check clears, your lawyer deducts their share to cover the cost of their legal services.
Most of these bills have a fixed amount, but your lawyer might have to negotiate a payment for other services. While your lawyer cannot release your settlement check until they resolve liens and bills associated with your case, it’s usually best to be patient so you don’t end up paying more than necessary.
When you finally reach a settlement, there are a few more things you and your lawyer need to do before the defendant gives your lawyer the check. Even so, once the check reaches your lawyer, there are a few obligations they must attend to before they give you the final balance.
While many settlements finalize within six weeks, some settlements may take several months to resolve.
Unfortunately, some organizations use this to delay the processing of your settlement check as much as possible.
Unfortunately, some organizations use this to delay the processing of your settlement check as much as possible. For example, a defendant or insurance company may take the full time given by the law to process your settlement check once they receive your release form.
As soon as your case settles, you have a legal obligation to pay these bills. Once your lawyer receives the settlement check from the defendant, they usually use the proceeds to pay any liens on your settlement for you. It’s usually easy to settle liens, unless the government has a lien against your settlement.
Your attorney may want to settle because you have a weak case, or you are not a sympathetic victim. It is incredibly important that the jury feels sympathetic for the victim in a personal injury case. If you attorney feels that this will not happen for you then they will have no interest in going to trial at all.
The attorney may also advise settlement because trials are lengthy and expensive. If you have interest in seeing your money within the next year, settling is the option for you.
The attorney may be grateful for the settlement offer that is already on the table . In fact, based on previous cases, your attorney may feel that you have been offered an award far more than what could be expected. If that is the case, you may want to listen to your attorney.
The attorney is there to represent your wishes to the best of his or her ability. That in mind, you should very heavily consider the attorney’s recommendation as to whether or not to settle. Your attorney has spent years in law school, and probably years practicing law. Those years help him or her prepare to evaluate your claim ...
Your attorney may want to go to trial because the defendant is drastically undervaluing the claim.
That is why it is important to hire the right attorney; you will be able to rest easier knowing that they are making all the right decisions. A car crash can be one of the more significant events in your life, it is important that it is treated as such. Trials can be very unpredictable, juries are difficult to read.
You may get more than you ever hoped for, you may get nothing. It’s quite a gamble. In the end, if you cannot agree with your attorney, keep in mind that you always have the right to fire them for any reason. Do not do this out of merely spite. Your attorney will be paid for his or her work anyway.
Your attorney may know details about the evidence, the insurance agreement or the law in your state that could be driving the settlement offer and/or making trial inadvisable.
On the other hand, it is not acceptable for a lawyer to push for settlement simply because her caseload is too big or he is currently working on another case with a higher payout potential requiring more of his billable time.
On the other hand, if your attorney recommends a trial, you need to listen to exactly why the attorney thinks a trial is the best strategy. Focus on the facts and reasons. Your emotions are bound to be strong, especially if you feel like you need the money from a settlement right away.
While the decision is ultimately up to you, the client, your attorney’s opinions and advice weigh heavily in the choices you end up making with respect to your claim. No attorney can legally force a client to accept a settlement offer or go to trial.
However, you need to remember that without the contingency “payoff,” you may have to pay all costs and fees that you have incurred by working with your attorney up to that point. You’ll need to check your fee agreement to find out exactly what your obligations are.
If you are on the fence about going to trial, discuss your concerns with your lawyer, including the financial risks that you feel you are unwilling to take. Remember, the decision is ultimately yours and your attorney cannot make you go to trial if you decide the risks are too great.
If you fire him, and the money is in his trust account, he would be entitled to take payment. He could probably disburse the balance to you since he is no longer your attorney. You would then be responsible for payment of all liens and medical subrogation requests.
You can fire your attorney at any time, but he is entitled to compensation for his time spent on the case. The settlement check is probably made out to the firm and you, which means the attorney has to deposit it into his client trust account, and then disburse the funds from there.
He may or may not be able to disburse the net funds to you, depending upon what the medical claims are. If medi-cal or medi-care, or if there is a lien, he cant. If it is just some outstanding medical provider without a proper lien, he can give you the money. if it is your auto ins med pay reimbursement, he can give you the money.
Asuming your attorney signed a lien for the medical treatment, as did you, the attorney must do the negotiation and disbursement.
If the release is signed and the case settled I think you have to pay your attorney according to the retainer you signed.
That is an unusual question, and perhaps another attorney can cite a specific code or law. I would think the attorney is responsible for the funds even if you do technically fire him.
This looks like a personal injury law question due to the rental car and medical bills issue. Also, there is no employer-employee relationship between an attorney and client.