It’s crucial to find the right personal injury attorney for your personal injury case because they will be representing you in court and fighting for you to get the compensation you deserve – thousands of dollars could be at stake and your future could be at risk. You’ll be relying on their legal experience and expertise, and you’ll be sharing a variety of personal information with them, so your attorney needs to be someone you can trust and rely upon in your case.
While you do want to find a personal injury attorney fast who can help you put together your case while evidence is still easy to gather and memories are still fresh in the mind of witnesses, you should still take your time to ensure they are the right fit for you and your case. These are some of the common mistakes individuals make when looking for a personal injury attorney and how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Not researching and evaluating your options
Before choosing an attorney, you need to do your homework. In addition to researching your options online, ask friends, family, and co-workers if they have experience with certain lawyers and what it was like. You should also look at reviews online. Online google reviews can be a great source of information to assess what former clients had to say about the attorney you’re considering for your case.
Mistake #2: Choosing an attorney based on advertising alone
Advertising can help make you aware of the attorneys in your area, but you should never choose a lawyer simply because you liked their ad or saw a billboard. A lawyer may have a funny commercial or create an eye-catching bus advertisement or billboard, but that doesn’t mean they have the experience or expertise you can trust. Creative advertising may be a way to get your attention but think twice before you entrust your case to someone who merely just caught your attention – these folks may rarely have the ability to adequately handle your case and the funny billboard may just be a joke that ends up at your expense when you find that they are not respected by their colleagues and they do not have the necessary skills to effectuate a substantial settlement or the ability to take your case to trial.
Don’t hire your attorney off a billboard but rather make a decision based on their experience, recognition within the practice of law, history of trial verdicts in personal injury cases, leadership appointments in their area of practice through state organizations and their reputation and abilities. Sometimes these roads can cross each other and an attorney with a sharp and funny billboard or advertisement is also effective and respected but make double sure this is true before you entrust your case to someone who is just a great advertiser.
Mistake #3: Not factoring in specialization or expertise
The best attorney for your personal injury case is…a personal injury lawyer. So, you shouldn’t even consider a lawyer that practices many different areas of law or is inexperienced when it comes to personal injury law. Evaluate each based on their relevant experience. We typically see instances of clients terminating prior attorneys who they later learned, after hiring them, that these firms didn’t actively practice personal injury full time and who had very little to no experience in that practice area. Thoroughly review the law firm’s webpage, are they primary divorce attorneys who are seeking to represent the occasional client in a personal injury case? If so, consider making a better decision by going with a firm that practices personal injury primarily and not just as a side hobby.
Mistake #4: Overlooking trial experience
Trial experience is tremendously important in personal injury cases because you’ll almost always receive more in a settlement prior to even going to trial if your lawyer has established large and successful trial verdicts in their career. Insurance companies recognize these successes and will be more likely to take your lawyer seriously and to understand their exposure and risk if the case ever did go to trial. A lawyer with multi-million-dollar trial verdicts and settlements is someone that the insurance companies will recognize as being a worthy opponent and serious threat to them if the case goes to trial. Even if your lawyer hasn’t been to trial recently, the lawyer’s track record and ability to litigate cases aggressively is something that will bring a larger settlement in your case.
Mistake #5: Not assessing communication and accessibility
You want your lawyer to be very clear, open, and honest with communication and conveniently accessible to talk so you can have all your questions answered and always know what’s going on with your case. Choose an attorney that offers clear and effective communication, can be easily reached, and makes themselves available for your questions. In most instances, the attorney is hard at work on your case, and you do not experience daily or even weekly involvement in that process, but if you need something then make sure that you can reach the attorney and that they get back to you in a reasonable amount of time.
Contact Whalen Injury Lawyers Today!
If you’ve been injured by another party and want to file a personal injury lawsuit, Whalen Injury Lawyers hopes to provide the experienced consul and representation you need. We specialize in personal injury matters and have a proven track record of success that speaks for itself. Contact us for a consultation today!