Understanding how to find a personal injury lawyer is important to protecting your rights and getting the full compensation you need to rebuild your life after an injury. Finding the right attorney is one of the biggest factors in ensuring the success of a personal injury claim or lawsuit, but that can be easier said than done. After you are injured, you may be inundated with calls, ads, targets social media campaigns, and other forms of advertisement meant to rush you into signing with an attorney that may not be best for your interests. Here’s how to find a good lawyer for personal injury cases and weed out the ones you should avoid.
What to Look For in a Personal Injury Attorney
When it comes to finding the right lawyer to represent you, there are no guarantees, and any lawyer who offers or implies a certain win should be viewed with skepticism. While a savvy attorney can increase the likelihood of a better-negotiated settlement, help you build the strongest possible case, and improve your odds of winning in court, it can still come down to the judge and jury. Asking any potential attorney questions that relate to improving your chances of success is how to find a personal injury attorney who is prepared to help you win.
General Experience
One of the first questions you should ask is about your lawyer’s experience. Whether someone has just passed their Bar exams after leaving law school or been in practice for decades, they still have the right to call themselves an attorney and offer legal services, but that wide disparity in experience levels can make a big difference.
Trial Experience
Aside from their general experience as a lawyer, ask specifically about their trial experience. Despite the assumption otherwise, not every lawyer has argued a case in court, instead building their experience in filings and offering advice and review on legal matters in the office. While these are useful skills, you want to know you’re putting your financial future in the hands of a professional who can effectively argue before a judge and jury if your claim winds up in court.
Specialized Practice Area Experience
As you talk about the specifics of your personal injury, pay close attention to relevant practice areas your attorney may have had with similar circumstances. This can be part of how to find a good personal injury attorney where niche information is important, such as a rash of premises liability cases related to a specific property.
Referrals From Other Attorneys
Lawyers practicing in your area know who is good at their job. While it may seem counterintuitive, not every lawyer will have the availability or experience practicing in personal injury law. Sometimes, a law firm or lawyer may not have the time to allocate to your case or may lack the specific case expertise you’re looking for. This is why firms may choose to refer you to another, more qualified attorney if they find that it will help you win your case.
Referrals From Friends And Family
If you have a friend or acquaintance who is an attorney, asking how they would find a personal injury lawyer can lead you to a referral you may not have uncovered on your own. They can help you understand an attorney’s disposition toward clients, work ethic, and may help you get a feel for how they do business.
Remember, however, that each case is different and their results may not match your own. Keep in mind also, when asking them how to find a personal injury lawyer, that their recommendation may be based solely on their outcome. Good lawyers have lost cases and poor attorneys have won them, despite their best efforts on both accounts.
Case Loads
Make sure your attorney has the time, staff, and resources to focus on your case. Much of the in-office work may be conducted by paralegals and clerks working under your lawyer. While the lawyer will need to be available to negotiate on your behalf with the defendant’s lawyers and argue your case in court, they should also be able to focus on the work done in their office toward securing you the best possible settlement.
Past Success
Previous settlement results do not guarantee the success of your case, but a track record of successful settlements through both negotiations and trial judgments show that an attorney knows how to win cases. This is very much a case of “the trend is your friend”.
Legal Fees
While you will want to understand how your lawyer prices their services, avoid price shopping. A lower cost doesn’t help if you don’t win. While most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, only collecting attorney’s fees in the case of a settlement, the percentage can vary from lawyer to lawyer. In addition, you’ll want to understand how out-of-pocket expenses are charged and expected to be paid. That way you avoid unpleasant financial surprises.
Getting The Real Answers
While you may be inundated with information from the internet, TV, and even well-meaning friends, that doesn’t mean it’s the information you really need to make an informed decision. Advertisements will always be filled with promises. Another person’s case may be wildly different than your own, although, referrals shouldn’t be completely dismissed in the process.
That’s why our personal injury attorneys offer a free initial consultation so they can talk to you about the details of your specific personal injury situation. This is a great opportunity to ask the questions that give you actionable information. Going through this due diligence will help you find an experienced personal injury lawyer to represent you.
Making Your Case Our Cause
If you want to know how to find a good lawyer for personal injury claims, we’re ready to answer your questions. We work to get the best possible settlement for our clients. By protecting your rights and fighting for every cent of compensation you deserve, we’re able to help our clients rebuild their lives from some of the lowest points they’ve reached. Contact Anapol Weiss to schedule a free initial consultation with a Philadelphia personal injury attorney today.