If you’ve been injured in an accident of some kind, suffered the wrongful death of a loved one, or been involved in a product liability case, you need a personal injury lawyer. But how do you find a good one?
You can’t rely on television ads, billboards, or bus stop benches to point you in the right direction. You should ask around to find an attorney that comes highly recommended. Set up a consultation and ask the right questions. Make sure you understand the attorney’s fee structure and what you’ll owe if you win your case versus what you’ll owe if you don’t win your case. The right attorney will make you feel comfortable and will work hard to get you the outcome you need. Here’s what you need to do to find him or her.
Ask Around for References
If you can’t rely on advertisements to help you find a good lawyer, where can you turn? Ask your family and friends if they’ve used a personal injury attorney that they liked. If your family and friends aren’t litigious, try asking a leader in your community for help. A pastor, for example, will be in a position to know some of the community’s personal injury lawyers, and/or their clients. You can also search for local attorneys on Google or Facebook, or find recommendations from your state bar association.
Look Up Attorneys Online
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to three to five local attorneys, look them up online. Anyone can put together a professional-looking website these days, but look for previous client reviews and case lists. Client reviews will help you tell a good lawyer from a bad one. Case lists should help you get an idea of whether a lawyer is often successful and how much they tend to win for their clients. Of course, the details of your own case will influence your potential settlement or award.
You should also contact your state bar association to make sure the attorneys you’re looking at haven’t been disciplined for unprofessional behavior. You want an attorney with a squeaky clean record, not one with a history of complaints and disciplinary records.
Schedule a Consultation
Many truck accident attorneys in Clearwater, FL will come right to your hospital bed for a consultation. While that’s certainly convenient, you should aim for a consultation in the lawyer’s office if you can. This gives you a chance to see how they run their operation and whether it’s professional, organized, and effective. Are their offices nice or run-down? Do they seem to be adequately staffed? Are they organized and professional during the consultation, or do they seem frazzled and confused? You want an attorney you can trust to tackle your case with professionalism and aplomb.
Ask the Right Questions
It’s on you to ask the right questions during your initial consultation. These include:
- How much experience do you have handling my type of personal injury case?
- How much trial experience do you have?
- Have you ever been disciplined or censured by the state bar or any other ethical or legal bodies in the past?
- How long will the lawsuit take?
- Do you have time to devote to my case right now?
- Who will be working on the case?
- What sort of settlements have you obtained for clients in the past?
- What connections do you have with expert witnesses, including doctors?
- How will you expect to be paid? How will those payment obligations change if the case goes to trial?
The answers to these questions will help you determine whether you want to work with a specific attorney.
Understand Your Payment Obligations
Most personal injury attorneys work on contingency, which means they will take a cut of your settlement or award if you win your case. Most attorneys will want to take about a third of your settlement for their fees. You may need to pay court costs on top of that. Ask attorneys if they can work on contingency and what their fee will be. Sometimes the fee will go up if your case goes to trial, so make sure you ask about that. Also ask whether court costs come off the top of your settlement, meaning you pay them before the attorney takes his or her cut, or whether they are paid after your attorney takes his or her cut. You’ll end up with more money in your own pocket if court costs are taken off the top.
Choosing a personal injury attorney is a big decision – it could be the difference between you getting a settlement for your injuries or not. Take some time to shop around and carefully vet the lawyers in your area. You won’t regret it when the payday comes.