How to Pick a Good Personal Injury Attorney
A personal injury lawyer’s services come in handy when seeking damages following an accident. But not all attorneys are the same, and their differences become drastically important when you think about the at-fault party’s insurer moving hell and high water to drive down your payout (that’s what they do).
So what are the factors you should look into when deciding on a personal injury lawyer to hire?
Experience
When you talk about claim assessment and investigation, no one does it better than an experienced personal injury lawyer. By having a professional who knows just what you need and how to get it, you would have won your case before it even rolls. For instance, different states have different laws or standards governing such issues as negligence, statutes of limitation, contributory negligence, and the like.
Additionally, an experienced personal injury lawyer will know how to pick a venue for the case in a way that maximizes the compensation that may be received. Although it’s obvious that a slip and fall case would be filed where the incident happened, some cases aren’t that clear cut.
Say, a product you purchased while vacationing in another state caused you injury when you used it at home, the issue of where to file the case is rather complex and may actually impact the amount you are entitled to receive.
Hence, before you hire anyone, ask them about the types of cases they’ve handled (must be similar to yours), their success rates, and whether or not they are ready to go to trial just in case.
Focused Area
With personal injury lawyers’ knowledge and training in determining negligence, causation and related issues, they can provide the most accurate valuation of the amount you should get as compensation. With most personal injury lawsuits settling before trial, having a pro negotiator lawyer is key.
Professional Reputation
An attorney’s reputation can make a huge difference in the outcome of your case just by the way it precedes him, not just from your perspective but also from the defendant’s and even the court’s. And with a reputable lawyer, you get instant advantage in terms of maximizing your compensation.
Personality
Finally, one of the factors that usually get overlooked by anyone looking to hire a lawyer is personal chemistry. You don’t need to hang out with this person, but at least, you should be able to call them for anything – ask a question about your case, ask for updates on its status, etc. – and get decent and timely responses. Regardless of how busy they get, they have to find time to reply to your communications, personally or through a junior associate or secretary, because it’s part of what you’re paying them to do.
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