Choosing The Right Personal Injury Lawyer

A personal injury (on account of someone else) is a serious issue and you are entitled to be compensated for the loss of health or income. What you need is a personal injury lawyer who can handle your claim properly. In fact, having the right lawyer can make a huge difference to the final outcome.

Following are some useful tips on how to ensure that your case is in the right hands from the start itself:

• Search the field: You can start seeking word-of-mouth recommendations from people you know who have been successfully represented by a lawyer in their own personal injury claims. Scouring the internet will also give you good leads. Keep in mind that you are looking for lawyers who exclusively specialize in personal injury cases. That too, they should represent the plaintiff’s side (party filing the lawsuit) and not the defendant’s (party being sued).

• Experience: This is the most important consideration when hiring a personal injury lawyer. Determine how long the lawyer has actually been practicing personal injury law. Find out how many times the lawyer went to trial, his success rate and percentage of claims that get settled. Most importantly, verify if he has experience in handling cases like yours.

• Knowledge: It goes without saying that the lawyer should be specialized in personal injury law and especially the particular type of your case – be it auto accident, legal malpractice, nursing home neglect or a slip and fall. He should be well-versed with the specific laws and standards of the state as they pertain to your case. Furthermore, he should be a member of legal associations where he networks with other attorneys and keeps himself updated with the latest tricks and manipulations employed by insurers.

• Reputation: Your personal injury lawyer’s reputation will precede him in the defendant lawyer’s chambers, the insurance company and the judge’s court as well. He should be known for getting results in a focused and objective manner.

• References: Ask for a list of past clients and approach them to verify their satisfaction with the lawsuit proceedings. Be wary if the lawyer hesitates to provide references. You can also check reviews and testimonials to get a sense whether people are comfortable using the lawyer’s services and his success with their cases.

• Fees: Money matters a lot and it is best to look for a lawyer who works on a contingency fee basis. For instance, there are Los Angeles car accident lawyers that do not expect to be paid legal fees unless and until they manage to secure a settlement from the defendant. The Los Angeles car accident lawyer will only get a percentage of the money awarded to you in the claim!

In sum, proceed with caution as your choice of personal injury lawyer can make or break the case!

The author is a experienced person who has a complete knowledge about personal injury and car accident law firm works.