Tips for choosing a good personal injury attorney


There are probably more than 10 pages and in some larger cities maybe more than 20 pages of personal injury attorney listings in any phone book. So how do you choose the right one for your case?

Personal injury cases are serious business. Sometimes they involve large trade-offs. Victims of a personal injury will depend on their attorney’s ability to recover financial damages that will be necessary to cover medical treatments, replace lost wages, and hopefully compensate for pain and suffering if the person had been involved in an injury. very serious injury, including permanent disability and even death.

Remember, insurance companies don’t want to see you happy. They don’t care about you. They are more concerned with paying a dividend to their shareholders than with their welfare. The insurance company’s attorneys will seek to pay you the lowest amount possible. Therefore, choosing a good personal injury attorney with a good track record of successful negotiations is essential to getting the most out of your case.

Personal injury cases can include car accidents, product defects, workplace physical injuries, medical malpractice, to name just a few. To make sure your case stands up in the eyes of the law, contact a legal professional in your city.

Here are some tips to help you find a good personal injury attorney.

Experience – Of course, a highly experienced personal injury attorney, and not just years of practice, but a track record of a favorable number of successful negotiations is a huge asset to your case. Most personal injury lawsuits are settled out of court. But a personal injury attorney with a good number of settlements can win your case if he threatens to take the case to trial. Defendants are often willing to pay plaintiffs more money to avoid negative publicity, costly lawsuits, and even the possibility of the court awarding plaintiffs more money. If your personal injury attorney has never won cases in court, the defendant in your lawsuit may not take the threat seriously.

Get a Personal Injury Lawyer Who Takes Your Case on a Contingency Fee Basis – This is a fee that is charged at the end of the case and only if your case is successful. This means that your attorney does not get paid unless you get paid. Lawyers who primarily represent people in accidents generally charge a contingency fee. Your attorney will deduct the fees from the money you receive for your injuries. You can expect your attorney to take around 30% of your final settlement. Therefore, it is essential that you clearly understand the payment structure before signing the retainer agreement.

Face to face meeting with your future lawyer – Your personal injury attorney will be your closest advisor. She should feel comfortable talking to him or her and feel that she can trust them. If for some reason you don’t like that particular attorney and don’t feel comfortable talking to him or her, you should keep looking.

Martindale-Hubbell score – With a history spanning more than 133 years, Martindale-Hubbell Legal Network has a database of more than one million attorneys and law firms in 160 countries. This service evaluates lawyers based on peer reviews. Their website, Martindale.com, has a helpful attorney locator service and will explain the rating system.

And last but not least – never, ever give a recorded statement or speak on the phone (since the phone conversation may be recorded) to a representative of the defendant or the insurance company until you first consult with your personal injury attorney. If prompted, you can simply say, “I am not prepared to provide any statement at this time.” A recorded statement of yours could and will be used as evidence against you in settlement negotiations and at trial if you overlooked facts or missed details when giving the statement.

Disclaimer: The author and publisher of this article have done their best to provide you with useful, informative and accurate information. This article does not represent or replace the legal advice you need to obtain from an attorney or other professional if the content of the article involves a problem you are facing. Laws vary from state to state and change from time to time. Always consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions on the issues described in this article. Thanks.