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Letters from Lea: The Limited Lawyer

At Lewis & Keller, we really see ourselves as champions for our clients. We take their cases personally and put everything we have into them, scraping, clawing, negotiating for the win we know they so desperately need. That’s why when we can’t do something for our clients, we take that personally, too. And while we’ll always try to give our clients everything they’d ever hoped for in legal services, one thing we can always guarantee is that we’ll be honest with you.

When someone sustains a personal injury, one of the first questions they might ask is “what can a lawyer do for me?” Our managing attorney, Lea Keller has written a letter directly to the people of Winston-Salem, breaking down exactly what a personal injury lawyer, any personal injury lawyer, is able to do for a client and their family.

Dear neighbors,

Oh what a shot to the ego it is to admit over and over and over again to clients that there are limits to what we can do for them. But that’s what a good lawyer does. A good lawyer is honest and forthright about a case – even when they know they will catch wrath from the client for delivering the message. Here are a couple of examples of ways we are limited in our practice that people often don’t realize.

  1. We can’t take a case to court if there is no chance to win it under the current law. We can’t just file any lawsuit.
  2. We can’t pay for your medical treatment.
  3. We can’t force a doctor to treat you without upfront payment.
  4. We can’t subpoena phone records or surveillance video without filing a lawsuit.
  5. Sometimes, we can’t even add value to a case because we know that an insurance company is going to evaluate a case the same whether you are represented or not (this comes up a lot in very small fender bender cases).
  6. We cannot force an insurance company to make a reasonable offer. We can file a lawsuit if their offer is low, but we can’t force them to negotiate without the teeth of filing a lawsuit.
  7. We generally can’t make insurance companies pay more than their policy limits no matter how badly someone was injured.

So you must be wondering… what in the world CAN we do? We can offer you the expertise of people who have worked cases just like yours for years. We can drill down every possible way to win and recover for you. We can walk you through the process every step of the way so you don’t feel alone and confused. We can make the countless phone calls and follow ups it takes to get a case done. We can answer almost any question you throw our way. We can be your best advocate against insurance companies. We can deliver winning strategies that enhance your case and increase the perception of risk, motivating insurance companies to pay out.

As much as we wish our job was about fairness, it’s really more about helping clients make tough choices and moving the case in a way that is best for them.

It is rare that any client walks away going, “I am sure glad I was in that crash because I got a settlement or a jury verdict out of it.” It’s never worth it, and we can’t make it worth it. But we CAN make sure you don’t have to walk it alone.

Sincerely,
Attorney Lea Keller

Lewis & Keller: Here to Help You Make The Tough Choices

If you were injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, Attorney Lea Keller and our team at Lewis & Keller can help you make the tough decisions about your case and move it towards a solution that is best for you. Get in touch with us today for a free case review.