Getting into a car accident is always a possibility, especially if you live in a metropolitan area. It doesn’t matter how good of a driver you are because all it takes is for someone else to make a mistake such as breaking unexpectedly, taking a right or left turn without indicators or running a red light. You may be aware of your surroundings and prepared for anything, but sometimes you simply cannot control every situation.
So, if you have been injured in such an accident, you should probably consider hiring an injury attorney if you want to be compensated for the trouble. Dealing with this kind of problem can be quite stressful, especially if you are hurt. You will have to collect evidence to prove that you are not at fault to the other driver’s insurance company. Having someone to help you guide you through your case is essential.
However, finding the right attorney is not as easy as you might think. Fortunately, we have made you a guide for 2024 that you can use to help you decide whether to hire them or not.
Find someone you can trust
According to Cummings Law, an attorney is someone you will need to trust because you will have to tell them everything you know about the case. Even if you feel like some of the information might hurt your case. You do not want to feel like you have made the wrong choice while you are already deeply progressed into the claim.
Your best option would be to hire someone that you have already worked with. If you have a family lawyer or if you used one previously that proved skilled in a trial, you should consider hiring that person. However, if they have proved useful in one part of the law does not mean that they will also be skilled in dealing with personal injury claims. If your family lawyer does not feel comfortable taking your case, maybe they could refer you to another attorney that can take your case.
Ask your friends and family
Another way of finding someone that is reliable and trustworthy is by asking your friends and family. The chances of someone in your inner friend/family circle to have dealt with a personal injury are pretty high which is why you should ask them whether they used a professional to help them in a trial. If you can trust your friends then you will probably be recommended of someone trustworthy too.
Check their rating
If you do not love the idea of word of mouth recommendation, you also have the option to check an attorney’s rating. There are a lot of online websites out there that you can use to search the person you are considering to hire. By searching, you might find information about their previous cases, ratings by previous clients and other information that you might find useful. You can then use this information to finalize your decision.
A lot of lawyers like to post client reviews directly on their website which you can rely on too.
Meet them in person
A lawyer might seem trustworthy and friendly in their advertisements or when you call them, but the best way to analyze someone’s professionalism and personality is to meet them face-to-face. If you call their office, make sure that you mention that you want to meet the attorney in person. Otherwise, you might end up meeting up with their paralegal or assistant. You can’t determine if someone is trustworthy by meeting with their assistant, right?
How much will I get?
A lot of legal representatives do not like to give exact numbers when it comes to this subject, but if you constantly push this question, they will be forced to answer it. Even though this type of case can be quite unpredictable, once an attorney reviews all of your evidence they should be able to give you a rough estimate of how much you can get for your personal injury. If they are unable to answer this simple question then you should probably continue your search.
If the answer to the question feels exaggerated, the lawyer might be trying to boost your expectations to increase the chances of you hiring them. This kind of behavior is not professional which means you shouldn’t hire them.
What is your fee?
It is important to consider the fees of the person you are hiring. You can’t hire someone that is out of your budget.
Many lawyers have a contingency fee which means they won’t take any money from you if they do not win the case for you. But, if they do, they will take a percentage of your winnings. We believe that this type of fee is your best option when it comes to a personal injury claim.
Will I go to trial?
Most of the personal injury cases almost never go to trial because the evidence is usually pretty obvious. An expert in this area of law will be able to easily analyze whether you will need to go to trial or not. If they can’t answer this question, you should probably start looking for someone else.
Have you had any previous experiences with cases like mine?
Having an attorney’s history of clients and cases is very useful. This kind of information can tell you just how experienced the lawyer is in this area of the law. If you ask them with a question like this, they can probably provide you with a detailed list of all of their previous cases. You can check this list of cases to find whether they have dealt with a personal injury claim that it is similar to yours. If they have previously won such claims then they will probably win yours too.
You can use all of this information to ensure that you have picked the right attorney for your situation.
