How to Find a Personal Injury Lawyer

Personal injuries happen quickly and often:

In the United States, one person every fifteen seconds is either injured or disabled in an automobile accident.

Medical malpractice is now the third-leading cause of death in America.

Every hour, forty-one Americans seek emergency treatment for dog bites.

Almost 55 people die every day in a slip and fall accident.

Often, when these accidents happen to you or your loved ones, it can affect your or your family’s ability to go to work, medical expenses, and other financial needs.

Being sick or feeling unwell makes the basics of any day frustrating. So many times when you want to hire a lawyer to aid you in your battle, it can be frustrating.

Perhaps, you do not know where to start. Or ambulance chasers and billboards distract you from finding a lawyer with the qualities you desire.

Here are the top tips on how to find a personal injury lawyer.

Make a List of Your Priorities

This may seem like a painstaking task when you already have so much on your plate. But it is important for you to go in knowing what you want before you even look for a lawyer.

Think about this the way you would think of any other sort of “shopping.” If you go to the grocery store without a list, you often end up with a cart of things you do not need.

When you go to find a personal injury lawyer, it is a similar process. You should not just choose someone because they are flashy or convenient. You need to choose what works best for you.

This list can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Some things you may want to consider thinking about:

• The practice’s focus
• A firm’s reputation
• The longevity (how long) the firm has been open
• The firm’s trial experience and expertise
• The firm’s winning record
• Whether or not the practice has complaints filed against them and how many
• The location of the firm

This is just a short list of things to prioritize, but all of the matter. For example, many lawyers specialize in things like personal injury but have never dealt with a dog bite case.

Having a list prepared may take time, but it can pay off in the long run.

Do Not Be Afraid to Ask Around

Many people think that between the internet and social media, word of mouth has become an archaic practice.

Surprisingly, word of mouth is still the most important and trusted form of recommendation for consumers.

While this is important for businesses like car dealerships, hairdressers, etcetera: it is a pivotal factor when choosing a lawyer. When you want to find a personal injury lawyer, and this person is going to be dealing with you during a very sensitive time in your life.

After you have a car accident, the trust you already have in the people close to you can either make or break whether or not you will place your trust in someone who is essentially a stranger.

Even if you are not someone who tends to ask for help or recommendations, you should in this case. A good lawyer can literally be a matter of financial or physical life and death.

So, do not go at this alone. Ask the people you know and love if they know who to trust with your legal matters.

How To Find a Personal Injury Lawyer Conclusively: Process of Elimination

Finding a good accident lawyer is really a long process of elimination. Once you’ve made your list of priorities and received suggestions from those close to you, start hounding in on your top choices.

1. Start With the Internet

Before you talk to anyone in person, you can start by looking online. You can look on websites like Google for lawyer reviews. Even Yelp [yes, the restaurant people] offer lawyer review services.

There are also countless websites made specifically to review lawyers in your area. So, do not be afraid to take advantage of the what the world wide web has to offer.

As personal injury lawyer Julie Johnson of Julie Johnson Law points out, there are several sources online like Avvo ratings, Peer Reviews, and the Better Business Bureau that can all be found online.

2. Once You Lessen Your List Online, Make Some Phone Calls

The Internet is a great resource, but like previously said: never underestimate the power of the human voice. Call your state’s bar association, county’s bar association if it is available, and then begin calling law firms that have peaked your interest.

P.I. attorneys are people in a service just like anyone else. You should not be afraid to call with questions or concerns that you may have for them.

For example, if you are leaning towards a larger firm, and want to see their ability to giving you personal attention, feel free to call and ask.

3. Make a List of Your Top Choices and See Them in Person

Make a list of five to (maximum) ten good accident lawyers that you would like to talk to in person. Initial consultations are often and should be free.

Before you make appointments with these lawyers: make sure to come up with questions to ask them when you go. Sometimes–especially when something is emotional–we can lose track of what we want to say. So, it is important to come prepared with questions you may have about fees, statues of limitations, similar trials they have experienced, etcetera.

Do not just meet one lawyer and be content with what they say. You do not have to meet all ten, but this is not something to have buyer’s remorse over.

This is More Than Your Lawyer: This is Your Life

Needing or choosing a lawyer is never an easy task. In a perfect world, people would never need attorney. Everything would always be fair and just.

Unfortunately, that is not the world we live in.

How to find a personal injury lawyer that works for your needs can make or break every part of your life. If you have suffered a loss, do not continue to suffer by receiving poor legal advice.

Find someone who will work for you and will get you and your loved ones what you deserve.

Have questions about choosing if you need a personal injury or other legal advice?

Please feel free to contact us!