When you’ve been injured in an accident that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to compensation from the party at fault in the form of a personal injury settlement. While it can be tempting to try and represent yourself in court or to hire the cheapest lawyer you can find, it’s usually worth it to get an experienced attorney on your side, especially when the other party has representation. Here are some things to look out for when finding personal injury attorneys, as well as how to tell whether your attorney is doing the best they can for you.
1. Competitive Rates
Your attorney should be able to give you an estimate of what your case will cost by looking at the facts of your accident, as well as the number of potential claims you could bring against the other party. If they can’t give it to you in writing, ask them to do so in a letter. They should also be able to tell you what compensation is being offered by the other party’s insurance company. Finally, check with general counsel departments at local hospitals and clinics that treat injured pedestrians. They’re frequently on the other side of these cases and may be able to tell you what sort of fee to expect from different attorneys, depending on the case.
2. Experience With Similar Cases
Every attorney is going to have a different approach in handling your case, as well as their own area of expertise. A family lawyer will be more focused on working out child custody and visitation arrangements, while criminal defense attorneys will focus primarily on making their client’s charges less severe. If you’re defending yourself against a charge that has criminal penalties attached, be sure to find an attorney who has experience with similar criminal cases.
3. Communicates Effectively
This may sound like a no-brainer, but it’s easy to assume your attorney will just figure out the facts of your case, put together the legal arguments, and argue them in court. That’s what they’re paid to do, but personal injury lawyers are there to help you with more than just your legal arguments. They have personal knowledge of the case that can be invaluable when presenting statements to the judge.
4. Knows Their Case Law
This is one area where most attorneys fall short in today’s litigious world. When you first hire an attorney, they should go over all the details of your case with you and point out any areas where you could run into trouble. Make sure they know all of your options as well as the outcomes of other similar cases. It’s also a good idea to ask them any questions that you have on a legal topic or two that they aren’t familiar with. If they don’t know the answers, you may need to find someone else.
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