Conflicts of Interest in Auto Accident Cases: A Hidden Risk

Conflicts of Interest in Auto Accident Cases: A Hidden Risk

When you hire a lawyer after a car accident, you expect one thing—someone fully on your side. But in some cases, it’s not as straightforward as it sounds.

Conflicts of interest come up more often than people realize in car accident cases, especially when multiple people are involved.

Take a common scenario: a driver and passengers in the same vehicle are all injured. At first, everyone’s claims seem aligned. But if it turns out the driver may share some responsibility for the crash, those interests can quickly diverge. A lawyer who represents both can’t fully advocate for one without potentially harming the other.

Another issue arises when there’s limited insurance coverage. If multiple injured parties are making claims against the same policy, there may not be enough money to go around. This causes clients to compete directly, leading to a conflict of interest.

The bottom line: you should always know exactly who your attorney represents—and whether anything could interfere with their ability to fight for you.

Because at the end of the day, your lawyer’s loyalty shouldn’t be divided.

View video of Bruce J. Cheriff, Esq. of Cheriff & Fink, P.C. speaking on this topic: