Articles Tagged with lawyer

Why Won’t My Lawyer Return My Phone Calls?

Published on: May 9, 2018 | By Clay Hodges

This is the question I get most often from people who have hired a lawyer but are not happy with the legal representation. Above almost everything else, good communication is the key to a healthy attorney-client relationship. I try not to be the kind of lawyer who doesn’t return phone calls. I don’t want any of my clients talking to another lawyer about me. And I understand: every client deserves to be updated regularly on his or her case.

Let’s look at some reasons why your lawyer may not be returning your calls:

Your lawyer is doing lawyer things.

Handling Your Product Liability Case Without a Lawyer: Good Idea?

Published on: January 20, 2017 | By Clay Hodges

Now and then I get calls from people who are representing themselves in product liability litigation. (An individual who represents himself in litigation is called a pro se litigant.) Usually these callers have worked their cases to a point and have questions. Sometimes the questions are rather modest: “I’ve been offered this amount of money to settle? Is that fair?” Other times the questions are ominous: “The judge now says I need an expert witness. What is an expert witness?” The first question is a mere judgment call. Is $150,000.00 enough to compensate you for the pain and suffering of a failed artificial hip? That is mostly for the injured person to decide (though lawyers have plenty of insight into the value of such a claim). The second question poses a serious threat to your case. If an expert witness is required to prove your case, and you don’t have an expert witness (or worse, you don’t even know what an expert witness is) your lawsuit will be lost. And quickly. (You can read about expert witnesses here.)

I get the impulse to “do it yourself.” Prior to attending law school, I sued my landlord in small claims court for the return of my security deposit (I won). I also tried to replace the steering box in my 1974 Ford Bronco (that didn’t turn out so well).

These phone calls from pro se litigants are often interesting. Plainly some people have developed a distrust of lawyers. For others, the thought of paying legal fees for a good attorney seems unpleasant and undesirable, even overwhelming. Some may be trying to litigate their claim “on the cheap.” But the real question is: does it work? Can a person represent himself or herself successfully in a product liability injury case?

Don’t Choose Product Liability Lawyer Based on a “Free Consultation”

Published on: November 3, 2016 | By Clay Hodges

I see this on many lawyers’ websites or print advertisements: Free Consultation! It sounds great. Something is free! It’s a free con-sul-TA-tion, from an actual lawyer (although this last part is often not true; instead you likely get an “intake specialist,” a person gently trained to take down your story and type it up, usually for a paralegal to read). The “free consultation” is not all it’s cracked up to be.

The Free Consultation Has Very Limited Value

Let’s start with the hourly-rate case. If the legal representation will ultimately be subject to an hourly fee payment arrangement, this “free consultation” will not likely save you much or any money. First, some lawyers allow thirty minutes “free” and then announce, “if we go further I’ll need to charge you my hourly rate.” But even if the attorney sits patiently and listens carefully to you explain your case for forty-five minutes or an hour, it is unlikely the attorney will be able to give you sound legal advice at that point. Quite simply, a legal dispute is complex (otherwise you could have handled it yourself). Even a basic breach of contract action will usually have two conflicting stories, and behind those stories will sit documents: agreements, letters, invoices, emails, texts, witness statements, all of which must be reviewed carefully and analyzed. So a one-hour consultation usually gives the attorney a surface understanding of your issues. Imagine if a doctor offered a “free consultation,” and after a twenty-minute visit announced, “I understand completely. We must perform surgery and remove one part of your lung.” It doesn’t work that way. Instead, the doctor listens to your story (and charges an office visit fee), then orders the appropriate tests (more fees), and finally makes a decision on proper treatment (again, more fees).

★★★★★

I was involved in a case for the faulty hip replacements. Clay Hodges represented me. I can't say enough about how much he has helped me. Clay was able to win multiple settlements on my behalf with most of them being the maximum amount able to be awarded. Matt J.

Clay, thank you sir for making a disheartening experience at least palatable, you and your staff were honest, caring and understanding through the entire process of my wife’s hip replacements, while monetary settlements never make the pain and suffering end, it sometimes is the only way people can fight back to right a wrong. J. V.

We are absolutely pleased with how Clay Hodges handled my husband’s hip replacement claim. He always kept us informed of the progress. And, his work resulted in a settlement which we are extremely pleased. Thank you, Clay! Carol L. & Norm L.