They say that a little bit of knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge at all. The problem with people knowing 5 percent is that they start making up the rest of the 95 percent.
As a lawyer, this is the problem I face all the time with clients who like to conduct their own research about their cases. This makes my giving them personal injury claim advice tougher because they can muddle up any strategy or procedure.
I would like to be clear that I do not mind a client who asks a lot of questions. In fact, I prefer one who asks questions because I know where they are coming from. And when I know more about what they want, I can guide them to get it.
The clients whom I find difficult to deal with are the “know-it-alls,” the people who think they are better lawyers when all their exposure to the law is reading up on a few articles in the internet or watching several seasons of law programs on the television.
It is these people who are a danger to themselves because not only do they ignore any
personal injury claim advice I give them, they unexpectedly decide to do something outrageous without consulting me in the first place.
One of the biggest problems I face with stubborn clients like these is that they sometimes decide to sign an agreement when a little money is thrown their way by the other side.
For many, twenty thousand quid sounds good, the agreement my clients end up signing may state that they are admitting that the accident was their fault in the first place.
And while the current claim may be settled, it opens them up to future litigation. One example is if other people happen to be injured in the same incident, my clients now become liable for their compensation.
To avoid any problems, I advice clients to listen to the personal injury claim advice their lawyers give them. If they do not trust their lawyers enough to listen to them, then they should change lawyers and get someone they will listen to.
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