Finding A Good Personal Injury Lawyer

Seeking a personal injury lawyer is rarely pleasant. Luckily, it’s something we only have to do every so often. Don’t let your emotional state get in the way of a rational decision, or your inexperience might land you incompetent counsel. We hope the standards in this article might be of help. They are pretty exacting, so don’t be surprised if your lawyer doesn’t pass them all with flying colors, but following them will paint a pretty accurate portrait of who they are as a professional.

What are their references? The issue of references is a tricky one in the legal profession, as contact details cannot be revealed due to attorney-client privilege. Ask your lawyer and see how they respond to this request. A good attorney will be able to point you towards public records that indicate their name as legal counsel, as well as the outcome of the case. These records are public.

Do they have social media profiles? If so, check them out. LinkedIn has a space for recommendations where you can review a past client’s experience. Take these with a grain of salt as you can choose which reviews to publish to your profile and which to delete. If an attorney has numerous referrals from people with extensive profiles, it’s a good sign. Also, go on their Facebook. See if any of the business connections on their page (under the “likes” tab) were former clients. A good lawyer is like a good mechanic, if you’ve found one, you will be happy to share the news.

Are they registered with the local Bar association? This one seems obvious but you never know. We are not aware of any recent cases of personal injury lawyers operating without accreditation but it is always better to check.

Is it a large outfit or a small shop? Though it’s not fair to generalize, there is a general tendency amongst smaller offices to be more available and perhaps work a little bit harder to retain your patronage. But they are not equipped to go to bat on large or complicated cases such as pharmaceutical injuries, defective product cases, or any case really where there are a lot of complexities at stake. You have to make this determination yourself but keep in mind, no major lawsuits are won by solopreneurs- It requires a sophisticated team.

What’s their track record like? The law is considered an open record, and most court cases can be dug up at your local law library. Take a few hours out of your day to visit the law library or county registrar and do some old-fashioned research. See if there are any cases involving the lawyer you’re considering and note their results.

What is their fee structure like? Personal injury lawyers need to accept pay-per-performance terms and if your attorney tries to slip in extra fees you should be suspicious. Also, the percentage of the settlement they take ought to be equitable. You are the victim here, after all.

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