After being involved in an accident, there are many things to consider, including how to pay for medical bills, replace damaged property, negotiate with your insurance company and many other worries related to an accident. Do not wait to seek guidance from an accident lawyer who can help work with insurance companies, provide representation in court, and ensure the highest compensation is received. It is best not just to pick the first attorney who appears when conducting an online search but to learn more about the personal injury lawyers in the area and select one that is the best option for the accident and injury.
Personal Injury Law
Hire an attorney who specializes in personal injury cases, including automotive accidents. An attorney experienced in family law, including wills, trusts, and divorces, will not have the same experience as a lawyer experienced in handling auto accidents.
Trial Experience
Hiring an attorney with accident trial experience increases the chance of winning the case should it go to court. However, please do not settle for an attorney without trial experience because the attorneys are more likely to settle the case out of court for far less money than their client is owed. Additionally, attorneys with little to no experience can result in insurance companies knowing their inexperience and possibly taking advantage of it.
High Success Rate
Hire a personal injury attorney with a proven track record and a high success rate in handling similar cases. Ask the attorney their success rate and the average amount of money they get for their clients. Of course, not all cases are worth one million dollars, but if a case is, a client wants to ensure they have an attorney experienced and successful when handling these types of cases.
State and National Trial Lawyer Groups
Serious personal injury lawyers collaborate with and learn from other attorneys in the same practice area. Therefore, they are more likely to join state and national attorney groups where they can network, learn, and have experienced attorneys they can reach out to if they have questions.
Resources
Hire an attorney with significant resources to help with the case. Resources may include having a solid legal team behind them or a strong group of experienced professionals to handle investigations and collect evidence. Also, several attorneys have expert resources, such as life care planners, medical professionals, economists, and accident reconstructionists, who can appear in court to provide expert testimony about the accident.
Previous Clients
If an attorney is good at what they do, they should not have a problem sharing information about past clients who would be willing to act as a reference. On the other hand, if an attorney is ashamed of how well they handled a case or past cases, they will be less likely to provide references. If an attorney does not want to give references or cannot offer them, consider there may be reasons why and it might be best to seek another attorney for the personal injury case.
Fees
Attorney fees can be costly, and it is best to seek a personal injury lawyer who works on a contingency basis. Working on a contingent basis means they do not get paid unless they receive a settlement for the client or win the case in court. Typically, contingent fees range between 20 and 40 percent of the total payout to the client. Additional fees for out-of-pocket expenses may be added to the fee schedule, but those are not paid until after payment has been received. Please speak with the attorney about their fee schedule and how they expect to get paid and get it all in writing.
Professional Office
An attorney should have the resources needed to work on a case, and having a professionally established office is vital to staying organized and on top of their cases. An organized office shows the attorney runs a professional business and they are capable of handling a case. Nothing is worse than going into an attorney’s office, flipping through piles of paper, and looking for information about a specific case.
Communication
Clients typically have many questions about their cases. Therefore, having an attorney who can speak clearly and in a manner where clients understand what is being said is imperative to finding a personal injury lawyer. Avoid hiring an attorney who speaks down to the client or uses a lot of legal jargon, which can be very confusing.
People with personal injury cases should seek legal representation to help ensure they receive the highest compensation. Take time to talk with the attorney and learn more about their experience and how they will handle the case. It is not required to take the first attorney a person speaks with. If they do not like the attorney, they should move on and speak with another attorney to see if they like them better.
