Top 10 Tips for Choosing the Right Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured before due to wrongdoing or negligence, you understand that personal injuries can sometimes be extremely devastating. Aside from causing physical constraints and severe injuries, personal injuries can often result to serious economic consequences.

Navigating through the legality of personal injury cases can get quite messy and difficult. So it’s important to consult a personal injury lawyer to at least alleviate some of your pain and suffering. Choosing a personal injury attorney who can actively investigate and preserve your rights and claim is crucial in being compensated like you are entitled to. So what do you consider when choosing the right personal injury lawyer? These 5 tips can help:

1. Identify your needs

When it comes to choosing a personal injury lawyer, the type of case is a great determining factor. In general, a straight forward car crash resulting in modest injuries for instance, can be easily handled by most personal injury lawyers. On the other hand, serious injuries or complex cases require a very experienced trial specialist with a strong track record. At the moment of the incidence, you may think that you don’t really need an experienced lawyer. But, you want to take note that insurance companies take into account the experience of your attorney when deciding the compensation amount to offer. Generally, lawyers who do not try cases regularly will often secure less compensation compared to those who do.

2. Personality

Most people often overlook the personality factor when hiring a personal injury lawyer. While you don’t expect to have dinner with them every night, the last thing you want after an injury is an attorney who won’t be available to ask questions for you, keep you updated about the case’s progress or return your calls in time. So when hiring the attorney, take note of their personality and ethics, and find out if you really connect with them. Feel free to talk to several attorneys before settling down on one that meets the cut.

3. Research several lawyers

Most lawyers offer first consultations for free, so use this opportunity to interview several lawyers before you make your choice. Ask your family, friends and community leaders if they know of reputable lawyers. Don’t take their word for it though; perform a background check from their website and previous clients. Similarly, don’t be sidetracked by TV ads, billboards or flashy websites. Have a look at their actual profiles on the internet with the following specific areas in mind;

• How long have they been practicing?
• The associations they have been involved in, particularly; find out if they belong to the “justice” association
• Have they ever held a leadership position?
• What is their track record of trial results?
• Have they written any professional papers?
• Do they attempt to handle a bit of everything or are they focused on personal injury?

4. Who will actually be working on your case?

In some cases, you may think you are hiring a specific lawyer. But with time, you may realize that they are actually not the ones working on your case. Find from the onset the person who will be working on your case and their specific roles. It is important to note that some firms are set up to handle numerous cases at a time. In such a case, you may not really get a personalized attention, and your case may be handled as if on a production line. Keep in mind also that some law firms have intern students or new associates handling most of the work. So find out how your case will be staffed to avoid misunderstandings in the future.

5. Double check the paperwork before signing

While finalizing your paperwork, notice if the attorney is more interested in you signing the retainer agreement, than interacting with you. If that’s the case, then take it as a warning sign. It is ok for the trial specialist to worry about you choosing a different attorney. However, if they don’t have enough confident to let your make your own decision, in your own time, then it casts doubts on whether they will be able to fight for your rights in court.

Conclusion

Well, that’s a general summary of the most important things you should be looking for in a personal injury trial specialist. If you can’t readily find recommendations from family and friends, you can always such from the internet for pointers. If you reside in Southaven and it’s neighborhood for instance, you can always find reputable personal injury lawyers such as David E. Gordon. He once represented insurance companies in Southaven and he knows how they operate, in addition to years of active practice. All the best in your search.