When you sustain injuries from car accidents and medical malpractice, filing a personal injury case may be the best step to make the negligent party responsible. Likewise, it’s also the right thing to do if you want to get reimbursed for the medical expenses you incurred.
On the other hand, you should be careful when choosing an injury lawyer. There are plenty of personal injury lawyers who might be skillful but are not trustworthy. These people are often more focused on earning more than helping the client and the family concerned.
And so, what will you do to hire the right one? Fortunately, there are some tips that you can follow to find the best personal injury lawyer. That said, you can read on to learn those tips.
Consider The Lawyer’s Experience
The first step is to examine the lawyer’s experience. You can narrow your choices by opting for a legal professional with a good background in personal injury cases.
Lawyers who are experienced in handling personal injury cases are not just experts in tort law, they also know how to maneuver legal processes and ensure you get a fair compensation for your injuries.
Aside from that, you have to make sure that your prospective personal injury lawyer is licensed and practicing in your state. Remember that laws may be different from state to state, and if your lawyer is not well-versed in the personal injury laws in your state, then
Overall, if you want to hire a personal injury lawyer with the right experience, then look online to find law firms such as Grillo law firm. The firm specializes in personal injury cases such as slip and fall accidents, car accidents, product liability claims, disability claims, and other similar concerns.
Carefully Assess The Lawyer’s Reputation
As personal injury can affect you financially, physically, and emotionally, you must choose the one that puts your best interest in mind. Yet, how will you know that you’ve chosen the right one?
There are many ways to sense that the lawyer is the right fit. For one, the attorney must be honest about the strong and weak areas of the case. He or she must be able to explain the possible outcomes of the case—whether positive or negative. It’s perfectly normal for lawyers to be cautious and not guarantee you anything. This is how you’ll know that they are being honest.
If you feel uneasy about a particular lawyer, listen to your guts, and opt for another attorney to deal with the legal battle. If you really want to be sure, you can check with the state bar association in your area and try to find out if your prospective lawyer has had disciplinary records before. Doing this step ensures that you’ll avoid someone who’ll just capitalize on the legal circumstance and who might lead to a bad outcome.
Discuss The Fees
Lawyers and law firms have varying fees. Fortunately for personal injury cases, many lawyers and firms accept cases on a contingency basis. This means the client won’t have to pay anything until a positive resolution is reached for your case. So, if you are low on funds but you need to pursue a personal injury case against a person or establishment, you can always find a lawyer who will agree to take on your case without requiring a down payment.
However, it’s crucial to get an estimate of the contingency fees that most personal injury lawyers may charge. But what is a contingency fee? Simply put, this fee is demanded after a lawyer settles a case.
Most personal injury lawyers ask between 33% to 40% of the total payout to which you’re legally entitled. For example, if the lawyer has a contingency fee of 40% and the total payout awarded in your favor is USD$100,000, then the lawyer will get USD$40,000 from that. You will be then left with USD$60,000.
You have to discuss the contingency fees and make sure you and your lawyer have a clear understanding to avoid issues with payment in the future. If you lose the case, however, your lawyer will not be entitled to a contingency fee.
Ask Your Family Members And Friends
Word-of-mouth is one way to find the right personal injury lawyer. As such, it’s good to ask your friends and loved ones if they have hired an attorney that helped them resolve certain legal issues. It’s helpful to do this as it’s hard to gauge the personal qualities of a lawyer if you only met or talked with them once through a consultation.
The following questions are also worth asking:
- Is the lawyer approachable and responsive to queries?
- Did they care about the well-being of their clients?
- Did they properly expound the implications of the case?
- Is the lawyer patient and understanding when they ask a lot of questions about the case?
If your friend or family member says yes to all those questions, it may signify that the lawyer is a good candidate. Yet, it still doesn’t guarantee that the lawyer is fit for the job just because your loved ones and friends have a positive experience. You still have to assess if the lawyer is indeed experienced in handling personal injury cases.
Wrapping Up
Filing a personal injury case ensures you get proper compensation for any negligence committed against you. But before you get there, you need a competent personal injury lawyer at your side.
However, it can be challenging to choose the right lawyer. Therefore, knowing some tips can be ideal. For one, you should choose a lawyer with outstanding qualities, such as experience and knowledge. Another factor that you should take into account is the credibility of that legal professional.
Another tip is to ask your family and friends for referrals. Although personally talking to the lawyer is still much better, it will give you some glimpse into the ones that may be fit for your case.
Lastly, you and the lawyer must discuss the fees before filing a case. You must seek a lawyer who accepts cases on a contingency fee basis if you don’t have sufficient funds to pay lawyer fees upfront.
