If you or someone you love has been injured in an accident, you are probably finding yourself overwhelmed by all of it. You need to worry about your recovery and rehabilitation. You’re no doubt worried about being out of work while the medical bills pile up with no end in sight.
If you’ve been the victim of a personal injury accident and this story sounds familiar to you, you need to find a good personal injury lawyer. Now, you’re thinking, great, that’s one more thing to worry about. How do I find a personal injury lawyer who I know will do a good job taking care of my case?
It can feel like one more thing you need to stress over. Yet, finding the best personal injury lawyer means you can stop doing so much worrying and let them help you with your case. With so many lawyers available, how can you know you are finding one who will do your case justice?
Read on for what you need to know to help you find a personal injury lawyer to handle your case.
Take Stock and Consider Your Needs First
Before you hit up the internet and grab the first attorney that pops up, first do some thinking about your case so you are ready to share what an attorney would need to know.
Clearly be able to explain your case so you make sure you get the right kind of personal injury attorney like the attorneys at www.veronbice.com. You want an attorney who has participated and has experience in your type of case.
Start Your Search
You’d think with so many options it would be easy to get an attorney. Getting the right attorney requires a little more forethought and effort.
Start by asking friends and family for names of attorneys they know or who they have worked with before. Then you can get a first-hand account, both good and bad, about their experiences. It might help to get you some names on your list.
Then widen your search and go to the internet. Do a refined search so you aren’t just searching for attorneys. or even just personal injury attorneys. Search for attorneys who have handled cases like yours. If your injury came from a motorcycle accident, you want an attorney who has participated in cases involving motorcycles many times.
While you are searching, spend some time reading the reviews put on the internet about the potential attorneys. Remember, not to get too hung up on a few disgruntled reviews. There are some people who are hard to please. Instead, look for patterns in the reviews.
Check Out the Attorney’s Website and Social Media Presence
In today’s world, any business owner knows, and this includes attorneys, the importance of their website. Spend some time on the attorneys on your list websites. Really read and look around.
You should be able to get a good feel for how they interact and how they communicate based on the messages they put out on their website.
Don’t just scroll the homepage either. Open tabs and read how they approach the law, clients, and cases. Learn about their firm.
In today’s social media-driven world, it also makes sense to go on their social media. What kinds of posts do they share with their followers? How do they choose to represent themselves?
As long as you are searching online, read their bio too. What is their background with the law? What kinds of cases do they handle? Reading an attorney’s bio will tell you how they present themselves to the world.
Prepare Questions
Now you should have a narrowed down list based on the research you have done. And it’s likely this helped you to generate more questions you want to be answered.
Don’t waste valuable face to face lawyer time by not being prepared. Spend some time writing down every possible question you might want to be answered as you consult with them the first time. Some possible questions include:
- Have worked on or tried cases like mine before?
- Have you tried other cases in my city?
- How often do you settle cases?
- Will you be the lawyer actually working on my case?
- Does my case fit into your schedule right now?
- How will you communicate with me about my case?
- How do you approach negotiations in personal injury cases?
- How often do you take your cases to trial?
- How will you expect me, as the client to participate?
- It makes sense to ask the attorney how they see your case proceeding. What do they anticipate happening and ask them to walk you through their process in handling a case like this one?
Meet the Attorney Candidates
Many attorneys will offer a free consultation to briefly go over questions and hear a little about your case. This is good for both sides. It gives the attorney an opportunity to hear about your case and decide if they are a good fit for the case. Remember, they don’t want to lose either.
It also gives you a little time to hear how they answer your questions and get a feel for how they communicate with you as a potential client.
Discuss Retainers and Fees
Many lawyers take personal injury cases on a contingency, meaning they get paid when you get paid. But that is not the case for all. Some might still require a retainer to get started.
You want to have a very clear picture of the financial expectations before you commit to a lawyer. They should be willing to spell this out for you and put it all on paper for you.
Find a Personal Injury Lawyer for Your Case
If you have done all of those steps to find a personal injury lawyer, then finally it’s time to trust your instincts and choose the attorney who makes you feel comfortable and confident about your case. Read more about the California Lemon Law.
Not all clients and lawyers fit well. It doesn’t mean the lawyer is bad. You need an attorney who communicates well with you and makes you feel okay about proceeding with your case.
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