Q: Seeking legal advice for car accident involving underage drunk driver in Oklahoma: lawyer communication issues, title problem, hit and run charges.
I was involved in a car accident last August with a drunk underage driver who fled the scene. My special needs son was also in the car. I've repeatedly requested all correspondence between my lawyer and the insurance company regarding the injury claims but have been ignored. I haven't communicated much with the insurance company directly about the injuries. For property damage, the insurer communicated but won't release payment because the car isn't in my name yet. I only have a bill of sale and can’t reach the seller to file for a lost title. I'm unsure if there are charges for the hit and run. What can I do about these issues, including possibly switching lawyers?
A: An Oklahoma attorney could advise best, but your question remains open for a week. I'm sorry about your accident. If you are able to produce a current registration, that is usually sufficient to process a claim. It sounds like you might have a total loss declaration for the property damage, which might create the issue with the title. The seller is not likely to be able to produce the title quickly if it's lost. You may need to consider going through DMV for a replacement title if that's holding things up. But even that won't be instantaneous - DMV could advise how long it would take. If it's only a registration that's holding things up, that could be quicker. You or your attorney (if they're handling your PD) may want to check with DMV and your carrier and find out exactly what they need. Good luck
A: Addendum - After responding, I realized I didn't hit all the points of your question. The part you ask about switching lawyers. That's up to you - no one here can make that decision for you. Clients are generally free to change attorneys, and vice versa, attorneys are generally free to withdraw from a client (outside certain exceptions, such as a looming statute of limitations, and a few others). Sometimes changing attorneys could result in a lien - it could depend on the outgoing attorney and how much work they performed. The other element you ask about - charges - a criminal defense attorney could advise how to learn that. It's possible that your insurance carrier might know. Good luck
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