After suffering harm at the hands of a negligent doctor or medical professional, you are ready to seek justice, but you might not know who you should turn to or how to find the right attorney for your case. One of the main factors in choosing a lawyer is finding out if that attorney has experience in the field of law you need. There are many attorneys to choose from, but not all of them will have experience practicing medical malpractice law.
Because the laws associated with medical malpractice can be complex, your case outcome will hinge on the experience your attorney can bring to the table. An experienced medical malpractice attorney should have a thorough understanding of the laws and be equipped with the right theories and techniques to use in order to build a strong case. We suggest some questions you can ask of an attorney to verify whether or not that lawyer has the appropriate experience you need. Attend your first meeting with the following questions:
- How long have you been practicing law—and more specifically medical malpractice? Because you really don’t want a brand new lawyer handling your medical malpractice case, it is important that you start off by asking the attorney about his or her experience. Find out how long the attorney has been practicing law and how long the lawyer has been handling medical malpractice cases. You don’t need an attorney who exclusively practices medical malpractice law, but you should be hiring one who has a significant part of his or her caseload devoted to this area of the law.
- Do you have courtroom experience? Not all attorneys take cases to court. In fact, the great majority of cases are settled outside of court, but you want to make sure your attorney has trial experience and isn’t afraid to go to court, if needed.
- Do you have past results you can share with me? You should be cautious about hiring an attorney who can’t share his or her past successes or losses with you. A lawyer should be able to tell you how many medical malpractice cases he or she has handled and how the cases were resolved. In addition, a lawyer should freely provide information to you about any cases similar to yours he has had in the past and what type of settlement or verdict he received.
- Do you provide free information to educate me about the laws and my rights? Our law firm provides our potential clients with access to numerous free articles, blogs, and frequently asked questions and answers. We even have free books that help patients determine if they have a case and more about their rights. While not every law firm will have a book about the subject, it is important that a lawyer answers your questions and helps educate you about the laws and your rights so you are informed in the beginning and along the way.
- Do you work on a contingency basis? Our law firm, as well as many lawyers, takes cases on a contingency-fee basis. This means that you do not get charged a cent until your case receives a successful outcome. The good news about this arrangement is that you don’t have to spend any money out-of-pocket and you know the attorney has a vested interest in your case because if the lawyer doesn’t make a recovery for you, he or she doesn’t get paid.
- Do you offer free consultations? Before hiring an attorney for your case, you should meet with him or her. But you shouldn’t have to pay for that meeting. Call or email the law firm to verify if they offer free initial consultations. That way you can meet with the attorney to find out if he or she has the experience you are looking for and whether or not the lawyer is someone you want to work with.
We know there are many law firms you can work with, but not all of them may be suited to handle your medical malpractice claim. Because we have been handling medical malpractice claims for years—getting our clients both successful settlements and jury verdicts—we would be honored to help you get the justice and just compensation you deserve. We offer an initial complimentary consultation with no obligation to you, as well as free information like our book,Do I Have a Case? A Patients Guide to Virginia Medical Malpractice Law. Please pick up the phone or email us today and allow us to help you right the wrong you have suffered.
