You want to file a personal injury claim but you don’t have a personal injury attorney. When you look online or in the Yellow Pages for one you are inundated with information – there are lots and lots of them and they all claim that they are the best at what they do. How can you know that you are choosing a personal injury lawyer who will give you good advice, help you file and argue your case or get you the right settlement? Here are some important qualities to look for:
- You should be looking for an attorney who specializes in personal injury matters. Different attorneys specialize in different areas of the law and if you want stellar representation you should hire a lawyer who mainly does personal injury cases. If, for example, you ask a divorce lawyer to handle your personal injury case they may not refuse but the odds of a successful outcome are reduced.
- Just because an attorney specializes in personal injury law doesn’t mean that they are any good at it. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask them about their success rate. You can ask them to tell you how many cases similar to yours they have handled in the past year and whether they won or were able to get settlements. You should find out what kinds of settlements they got – some attorneys go for smaller settlements because they are less tedious to obtain.
- Make sure that you choose an attorney that you can communicate with. You will be telling them all about how you came to be in your current position and you may need to share personal or embarrassing details. If you hold back information because you don’t feel comfortable with your attorney it may cost you your case.
- Make sure that you understand how much you will pay your lawyer. Personal injury attorneys are only paid if they win – they can take anything from 20% to 30% of your compensation or settlement. They will also charge you for expenses. However there are some lawyers who pad their bills and you may find that half or more of your winnings go to them. You should know right from the beginning how much he will be expecting to earn. You may want to compare a few personal injury lawyers to see which one gets you the most money.
- Can your attorney argue your case on your behalf? Two things can happen when you file a personal injury suit: the party that you are sued can approach you, admit liability and offer a settlement. Your lawyer is required by law to tell you of any offers that have been made and you can reject or accept them depending on the extent of your injuries. The other party may also refuse to acknowledge liability at which point your lawyer has to file the matter in court where you will all be heard by a judge and jury. Your lawyer needs to be competent enough to represent you whichever way your matter goes.
- Make sure that you choose a personal injury attorney who can do a proper investigation into your matter. In personal injury cases it helps if you can get as much information as possible about circumstances surrounding your injury. Good lawyers hire investigators and experts to furnish them with all the necessary information to strengthen their case.
Lastly, choose a personal injury lawyer who is available for you – if he is too busy the time to file your claim may lapse and you lose everything.