You’ve done the hard part. You have done your research and decided you think you have a legitimate personal injury claim. Now comes the even harder part: finding the right personal injury layer.
But hiring an attorney doesn’t need to be such a daunting task if you know what to look for in a personal injury lawyer.
1. Practice: There are almost as many practice areas of personal injury law as there are ways to get injured. An attorney could specialize in anything from animal bites and slip and fall cases, to worker’s compensation, or drug liability.
Your main concern should be finding an attorney with experience handling cases like yours. So if you’ve been injured in a car accident, you’ll want to talk to a car accident attorney rather than a medical malpractice expert.
2. Past: With the experience noted above should come clients your prospective attorney has previously represented. So you should seek out referrals from past clients.
While rave reviews from past clients in similar situations may provide some key insight into a lawyer’s experience, demeanor, and ability, you should also remember that every case is different. So past performance is not a perfect predictor of your lawsuit’s chance of success.
3. Price: There’s no way of getting around it: price matters. What’s important is that you and your attorney are on the same page about all aspects of the attorney’s fees.
Some personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning that they will receive a percentage of any damages you get. Other attorneys charge an hourly rate. Any attorney should provide you with a clear and accurate fee agreement before any representation begins.
4. Partners: Your attorney doesn’t need to belong to a huge firm, but they do need to have some help when it comes to investigating your claim. Ask about how the lawyer will handle your case and the various resources available to him or her before, during, and after litigation.
5. Personality: Finally, when you hire a personal injury attorney you are hiring an advocate for your case. Therefore you want someone who works well with your personality, and whom you trust with your case. There’s no magic formula for getting along with your attorney, so this will really come down to your personal comfort level.
There are a few things a personal injury lawyer can do that you may not be able to, so you might want to contact if you are really interested in going forward with your case.
Related Resources:
Have an injury claim? Get your claim reviewed for free. (Consumer Injury)
5 Reasons You Shouldn’t Wait to Call a Personal Injury Lawyer (FindLaw’s Injured)
5 Questions to Ask a Personal Injury Lawyer (FindLaw’s Injured)
5 Things a Personal Injury Lawyer Needs to Know About Your Case (FindLaw’s Injured)
Source: Legal Law Firm
