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After an Accident, Can an Attorney Contact Me?

Being involved in an accident is a very stressful and trying time, especially for the injured victims. Seeking legal counsel after suffering injuries due to a car accident is a good idea as they will help organize details of your accident and guide you through the legal claims process.

Car Accident Attorney: Direct Contact with Potential Clients

While we recommend that victims contact a car accident attorney following an accident, it is a violation of professional conduct for a lawyer to contact an individual in need of legal services via phone, in-person, or in real-time electronic communication after their accident.  The information below has been paraphrased from Rule 7.3: Direct Contact with Prospective Clients from the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct:

(a) a lawyer shall not meet someone in person, call them on the phone, or contact them through electronic media if the lawyer’s motive is to make money on that person unless the person contacted:

(1) is a lawyer; or

(2) has family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer.

If the individual has made it known that they do not wish to be solicited, and the communication is not prohibited by the points made in the above paragraph (i.e. if the individual has had a previous relationship with the lawyer, but they have made it known that they do not wish to communicate further with them), the lawyer is not able to solicit professional employment. This is explained by the below components of Rule 7.3: Direct Contact with Prospective Clients:

(b)  a Lawyer shall not solicit professional employment by written, recorded or electronic communication or by in-person, telephone or real-time electronic contact even when not otherwise prohibited by paragraph (a), if:

(1) the target of the solicitation has made known to the lawyer a desire not to be solicited by the lawyer; or

(2) the solicitation involves coercion, duress or harassment.

Marketing Materials from Car Accident Attorney

While an attorney may not contact a car accident victim by phone, in-person, or real-time electronic contact, they are able to send letters to the victim, as well as recorded or written electronic communication. An example of this would be in the form of a pamphlet sent to your home with information regarding car accident claims, or an email that explains the legal options available to you.

Calls from Unknown Phone Numbers

In some cases, car accident victims can receive multiple phone calls from unknown numbers after their accident. It is likely that these calls were made on behalf of a personal injury attorney as some utilize secondary services to contact prospective clients on their behalf.

Contrada & Associates does not operate on the basis of soliciting business in a manner that is unethical and intruding on the privacy of car accident victims. Attorney Charlie Contrada believes that by posting helpful information on our blog, we are able to offer useful legal advice to retain clients. Contrada & Associates does not send letters because we feel it is a burden and overwhelming experience for those who have been injured.

If you have been injured in a car accident, don’t sign or say anything. Contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss your case. Attorney Charles V. Contrada will explain your legal options, guide you through the process.

To speak to attorney Charles V. Contrada about a personal injury accident in Ohio or Michigan, call 419.841.4400. Charles has helped thousands of individuals with personal injury claims and will explain the legal options that are available to you. Call Contrada & Associates for comprehensive legal guidance that will help you to receive the most favorable outcome.

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Attorney Charlie Contrada has been practicing law since 1979, focusing his career on personal injury, car accident, and mesothelioma cases. Over the years, Charlie has helped thousands of clients throughout Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan to receive the settlements that they deserve.