Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
Hiring a personal injury lawyer (or the right lawyer for any situation) can be a daunting task. You have to trust that your attorney will work hard to investigate your claim and obtain the compensation your entitled to, otherwise it is not worth hiring a personal injury attorney. Follow these tips for hiring a personal injury lawyer.
Referrals
Referrals are key in finding a great personal injury lawyer. Research and explore personal injury lawyers in your area. The best research you can do is simply asking your friends, family, and coworkers for referrals. Most people are extremely grateful for lawyers that have done well for them and will be more than eager to pass on his/her name. If your friend is raving about the lawyer that settled his father’s slip and fall case, it’s for a reason.
Other than word of mouth, the internet is a great place to find reviews. Most law firms will have a presence on the internet and social media and that’s a good indication that a firm is in touch with the modern world. Doing a google search to come up with different options or use one of the many websites specifically designed for searching and finding lawyers.
Experience
Hiring a personal injury lawyer with experience knows what to look for, where to look for it and will likely do it in half the time of a lawyer with less experience. The world of personal injury law is extremely complex. An inexperienced lawyer might have studied every rule in the book, but lacks real world experience of what techniques work in different situations. An experienced personal injury lawyer will confidently work your case, with years of experience in similar cases in which to refer.
Reputation
A good reputation can make a great lawyer into an outstanding lawyer. Not only their reputation from clients, but a lawyer’s reputation in the field, among judges, other lawyers, insurance companies, and medical experts. A lawyer with a reputation of handling cases correctly and professionally will ensure things go smoothly. Hiring a personal injury lawyer with a good reputation will also have access to expert witnesses in different fields and be well-respected in court.
Value
Value is an important consideration when hiring a personal injury attorney. Value does not mean going out and finding the most inexpensive quote from a lawyer or the lawyer that costs the least per hour. It means finding a lawyer who can get you the best possible outcome with the fairest price. The large retainer for an experienced lawyer with a great reputation is irrelevant, if your settlement is twice as much as it would have been with a “cheaper”, inexperienced lawyer.
Practice Focus
Another important criteria to consider is your potential attorney’s focus of practice. Why hire a personal injury lawyer with specialized focus and experience in motor vehicle accidents, when you have a medical malpractice claim? It`s important when hiring a personal injury lawyer that they know the ins and outs of your specific situation.
Personality
Another tip for hiring a personal injury lawyer, is to consider personality in your choice. If the two of you get along well, then your lawyer will likely be more attentive to your needs. It’s going to be a much less stressful experience if you’re lawyer is there for you when you have questions and returns your calls in a reasonable fashion. Personal injury cases can take a lot of time. You don’t want to be constantly butting heads with your lawyer or he/she might speed things just to finish the case and not have to work with you.
Location
It’s important to consider location when hiring a personal injury attorney. Personal injury cases can be complicated because there are significant differences between state laws. The three overarching differences are in statute of limitations, damage caps, and liability. Yes, the damage cap could simply be researched, however, each law often comes with many small loopholes, exceptions or other restrictions that take a lot of time to go over, and could be missed by even a very experienced lawyer, if he/she is unfamiliar with your state’s laws.
If you follow these tips for hiring a personal injury lawyer, then you’re guaranteed to get the best possible outcome for your case. Don’t be afraid to consult with a few lawyers first in order to find the best fit!