After suffering an injury and deciding you want an attorney to handle your personal injury claim, it is important that you don’t just turn to any lawyer for legal assistance. Your case outcome may be determined by the attorney you have in your corner representing you, which is why it is in your best interest to spend some time looking for just the right lawyer.
Here are some tips for choosing an attorney following a personal injury accident:
- Confirm the lawyer has experience in the area of law you need legal representation in. Not all attorneys practice the same area of law. In fact, some lawyers are just getting started or will specialize in a different area of law than what you need. For example, if you were injured in a car accident or some other type of motor vehicle accident, it will be in your best interest to find an accident attorney who handles personal injury cases.
- Find out if the attorney has trial experience. Not all lawyers are willing to take cases to court and don’t have experience representing clients in front of a judge and jury. For this reason, it is critical to your case outcome that you find a law firm that has been successful trying similar cases in court. While most cases are settled outside of the courtroom through negotiations, sometimes going to trial is necessary to get fair compensation. If you don’t have an attorney who will take your case to court or doesn’t have experience trying a case, you might not get the maximum compensation you deserve. This is because insurance companies know which attorneys do and don’t take cases to trial, and they won’t present their best offers to lawyers who have never stepped foot inside a courtroom, knowing they don’t have to worry about those lawyers threatening trial.
- Review the lawyer’s case results. An attorney you are considering hiring should be forthright in sharing his or her past case results with you. Although every case is different, past case results can give you an indication of what that lawyer can do for you. If a lawyer doesn’t provide you with past case results or doesn’t make them accessible to you, you should look for a different attorney.
- Read testimonials from past clients. When choosing an attorney to handle your case and represent you, it is important to know what past clients have said about their experience with that lawyer and law firm. Testimonials are a great way to find out how past clients feel about the attorney who handled their case. In fact, testimonials will give you great insight into whether you feel that lawyer or law firm is one you want to trust your case to.
- Look at the attorney’s bio and profile and meet with him or her. It is important to read a lawyer’s bio in order to know the attorney’s background, experience, and type of law he or she practices. After learning what you can online, it is helpful to meet in person with a lawyer you are considering hiring to find out if he or she is a good fit for you.
Our law firm would be honored to meet with you so that you can get to know us, and we can answer any of your additional questions in a free consultation. Also, we are happy to share our past case results, testimonials, and attorney profiles with you. In fact, we have this information easily accessible on our website.