Are legal malpractice claims generally charged on a contingency basis?

Pittenger Law Firm only handles legal malpractice claims on a contingency basis, so we only receive a fee if we make a recovery on behalf of our client.

What if my lawyer is still representing me in a case?

If your lawyer is still representing you in your case, you can always ask for a copy of your file and then bring that to Pittenger Law Firm, and we’d be willing to take a look at it and make a recommendation to you. Simply because you’re currently being represented by a lawyer you think made a mistake doesn’t prohibit you from seeking counsel from someone who handles legal malpractice claims.

What if my lawyer doesn’t have legal malpractice insurance? How does that impact my case?

In most cases, if a lawyer doesn’t have legal malpractice insurance, we tell the client that we will not be able to represent them. It is very important when you hire a lawyer to make sure that they have legal malpractice insurance.

Is it worth it to pursue a claim for only a few thousand dollars in damages?

Typically, we don’t get involved unless your damages are in excess of $100,000. A smaller case, where you suffer just a few thousand dollars in damages, is not something that Pittenger Law Firm would take on. We know other lawyers who would be interested in taking a look at those types of cases, but we typically don’t get involved at that level.

What outcome or damages should I be seeking in a legal malpractice claim?

You should be seeking all the damages that you lost because of your lawyer’s negligence. For example, in a motor vehicle accident case, all the damages that you would have received from the auto insurance company, you should seek in your legal malpractice claim. You want to be made whole, as if your lawyer had not made a mistake and you had made a recovery against the insurance company.

What sort of evidence or witnesses are utilized in legal malpractice claims?

Legal malpractice claims almost universally require expert witness testimony and reports. It can be an expensive endeavor for the Pittenger Law Firm. In every case, we hire an expert to give us an opinion on whether legal malpractice took place. Those experts that we hire are expensive and we don’t pass that cost on to our client unless we make a recovery.

For more information on legal malpractice claims In Louisiana, an initial consultation is your next best step. Get the information and legal answers you are seeking by calling Pittenger Law Firm at (225) 930-4901.