If you or a loved one has suffered an injury and you are considering filing a lawsuit or your actions have caused a personal injury lawsuit to be filed against you, finding the right personal injury lawyer is vital. How to choose a personal injury lawyer can be an intimidating question, but the process is imperative and should be handled in a timely manner. There are no secrets when it comes to choosing a personal injury lawyer but instead a few reliable tips.
- The first step in finding a personal injury lawyer should always be personal organization. A successful personal injury claim is an organized personal injury claim. Request and have in your possession detailed medical reports, police reports, bills, receipts, etc., and organize them in chronological and category specific files prior to an initial consultation or interview with a personal injury lawyer. Being organized will help you feel more in control as well as allow a personal injury lawyer to gauge a settlement or claim.
- Create a list of questions: This will allow you to stay focused during your research of personal injury lawyer candidates as well as during the initial consultation itself. Some examples are:
- What types of personal injury cases have you handled?
- What is your success rate for the cases you have handled?
- What is the statute of limitations for my type of case?
- Do I have a case? If so, what is the probability of settlement vs a trial?
- What is the value of my case?
- Who will directly be working on my case and who will my contact be?
- What is your fee structure; consultation and contingency fee (win or lose)?
- What is my role?
- Research lawyer candidates: First and foremost, when searching for personal injury lawyers, it is important to understand that personal injury law is a specialty. They should have knowledge of medical diagnoses and recovery; negotiation experience followed by trial experience and should have a greater knowledge of negligence laws and torts. You may or may not be able to gather this information from general online research, but there are recognized websites such as mobar.org or ksbar.org, that provide detailed information and status.
- Contact and schedule consultations with top candidates: Initial consultations are generally free but this should be discussed prior to arriving at the consultation. Remember, during the initial consultation that you are also conducting a personal interview with the lawyer and their office setting. You should feel comfortable in your surroundings, with their personality and most of all, their credentials. Take your time and write down responses to your questions and leave with a firm understanding of their fee schedule, your statute of limitations, and the probability of your case’s value.
- Making your decision: Before making your decision, request testimonials or referrals and personally call them. Also, request a written fee agreement to review in depth prior to signing. Another important piece of choosing a personal injury lawyer is listening to your instinct. Did you feel comfortable with them? Did you leave feeling positive?
- Hire your top personal injury lawyer: Once you have completed your due diligence and you are able to select the personal injury lawyer that best suits your needs, hire them. Review and sign the fee contract and get started.
This should be considered a brief introduction on how to choose a personal injury lawyer, but a good place to start. If you are in need of an experienced personal injury lawyer you can trust, contact Reginald Keith Davis, Attorney at Law, dependability you can trust.