Planning To Hire A Personal Injury Lawyer? Here Are Some Tips

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer can feel like a daunting task, especially when you are dealing with recovery and trauma from the accident. You need to get someone that knows the law, has worked with your type of case, and understands your specific needs so that you can get the best representation and a favorable outcome. Choosing the right lawyer can be difficult, especially if you don’t know where to start. Here are a few tips for hiring a personal injury lawyer that is right for you.

1. Choose an Attorney Based on Your Case

In law, personal injury is quite a broad category. It is an umbrella for everything from medical malpractice to car accidents to wrongful death, but you can quickly narrow down your choice of attorney based on the type of personal injury law they practice and what you need represented in your case.

2. Find an Experienced Lawyer

If you were injured in a car accident you should be looking for an attorney that has experience handling auto accident cases. Personal injury attorneys with extensive legal experience in a particular field will understand the law relevant to the case, know how to investigate your claim, and will be able to create a strong legal argument for your case.

Start by looking at a law firm’s biographical information. Take a look at their website for articles related to your case and if these articles appear informative and helpful. This can help you gauge the level of knowledge and experience of the lawyers working at the firm and from there you can book a consultation.

During the consultation, you can better determine if they have the proper level of experience by asking them questions. Remember to note down what they say, so that you can compare their answers to those of other attorneys from other firms.

Consider the following questions:

• How much does your firm focus on these kinds of cases?
• How many cases have you handled like mine?
• What was your most recent case?
• What was the outcome of the case?

Pro-tip. To make things easier, focus your search on personal injury firms rather than general firms.

3. Find a Lawyer with a Good Reputation

Attorneys with good professional reputations typically have a lot of experience and are also very likely to have a history of success. A good reputation will mean that they have also gained the respect of their peers, which is beneficial in your case. While searching, look for attorneys and find out if they have received awards or hold leadership positions.

You can also search for law firms and attorneys based on reviews of previous customers. Clients may describe their experiences working with a certain lawyer and how they handle customer relations. Don’t take a good review as gospel. Reviews can be manipulated, so unless you know the review source is unbiased, basing your final choice on reviews is not the right way to go.

4. Search for a Lawyer with a History of Success

While there are likely many attorneys in your area, you should choose one based on their level of success. When handling a case, do not choose your lawyer based on their relative geographical closeness as the Attorney Brian White Personal Injury Lawyers, Houston TX, express the importance of having a proven track record of winning. Experience and reputation are important, but they don’t always show whether an attorney can achieve a successful outcome with your type of case.

Most law firms today will have a section on their website that describes their past cases and their outcomes.

Pay close attention to the following on a law firm’s website:

• When was their last successful court case?
• What type of case was it?
• What was the outcome?

5. Compare Fees for Each Law Firm

Attorneys will always charge fees for their legal, but different firms will have different types of fee structures. Be sure to consider:

• How much do you charge?
• Do you charge hourly or a flat rate?
• Do I need to pay upfront?
• Do you offer payment plans?

Typically personal injury lawyers bill their clients on a “contingency fee.” This means that the lawyer only gets paid if the client does and that they take a percentage of the settlement as payment for their services.

Make sure to discuss and agree upon a fee structure that makes you comfortable before hiring an attorney.

Choosing the right personal injury lawyer can feel daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Use these three tips to make a better-informed decision and to come out on top of your case. Make a list of pros and cons around each lawyer if that makes you feel more comfortable with your final choice.