Everyone has accidents now and then, and they’re perfectly normal. But sometimes the accident isn’t your fault and when those situations occur, then it’s best to claim the compensation you deserve. The best way of doing this is by hiring a personal injury lawyer as they know and understand the law like the back of their hand. Having someone beside you that’s as knowledgeable as they are will not only fill you with confidence but also give you the best chance of winning your case. How do you go about choosing the best lawyer for you?
Research
First and foremost, you must do your research. Finding the best lawyer possible is essential to building a successful case that’s going to guarantee you a win. There are plenty of resources online that will help you with this, but you can also ask around your friends and family to see if they’ve been through any similar situations. Having recommendations from friends is good because you know it’s coming from a trusted source.
Testimonials
Every law firm website will have a testimonial page, check these for a host of success stories. You’ll also be able to see how the law firm treats its clients and how they went above and beyond to help them.
Use testimonials as the positive, but remember there are always two sides to every story. Make sure to check online resources to see if a firm’s record is in the positive or the negative, just because they have 200 positive reviews doesn’t mean their loss record isn’t more.
Trial Experience
When you have a lawyer that’s not afraid to go to court, everyone knows about it. Most cases get settled outside of court first, but there is the odd occasion where you’ll have to end up in court. In these situations, the professionals from the firm Mushkatel, Robbins & Becker emphasize that having a personal injury lawyer that has a wealth of experience being in court and winning will have an enormous effect on your case. The court can be intimidating for fresh lawyers and not all of them want to go. Saying the wrong thing can be detrimental to your case and will end up with negative effects moving forwards.
Practice Specific
The majority of law firms will offer a large number of different services, and whilst that’s standard, it’s important to know if there’s going to be a lawyer from that firm that specializes in personal injury that will represent you. There will usually be a bio for each lawyer on their website that explains their specialties and how successful they’ve been. They might even detail specifics so they can truly show off their skill.
You don’t want to get caught in a situation where you find yourself with a lawyer that doesn’t actually know the area of law and makes the wrong decisions. You need someone with your best interests at heart that will make the right decision with you in mind.
Communication Is Key
When you first meet with your lawyer you should lay out some questions based on how they are going to communicate with you. They must be able to answer your questions as and when you ask them, and if they can’t right away, at least set up a meeting or a call to answer them.
If a lawyer seems a little shady about answering questions, or they seem as though they are too busy to concentrate on your case then they might not be the best candidate for you.
Talk About Money
The majority of lawyers work on a no-win-no-fee basis and therefore will work as hard as they can to ensure you get the win. This is because if they don’t, they aren’t going to get paid. During the initial stages of your meetings with them, there should be an outline of all the fees that will occur throughout their representation of you. There shouldn’t be any hidden fees that pop up halfway through, and if there are, you might not have gone for the right lawyer.
Being open and honest from the get-go is the best way to form the best relationship between you and your lawyer. This will help you win your case.
Sometimes the situation requires an immediate need of a personal injury lawyer, but it’s important to know and understand the process before heading into an office. Ensure you do the research first and check out their success rate. From there you can talk about money and what you expect from the case. Don’t leave yourself hurting from an accident that wasn’t your fault.