6 Things You Should Consider When Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer
If you are involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, life can suddenly become very overwhelming.
You have to make regular trips to the hospital, you have to add different mobility access to your home, you may have to take time off work while you go through rehabilitation, and you may even have experienced a life-changing injury.
It is completely understandable that you want to seek compensation. So, today, we are going to talk you through how to find the perfect representation.
#1 – Chose An ABA Certified Firm
The ABA (the American Bar Association) is an organization that all law firms and practicing lawyers should be registered with.
Every practicing lawyer in the US should have also trained in an ABA-certified Law School (even people who trained abroad will have had to requalify).
Sadly, there are people out there who try to take advantage of people when they are most vulnerable. They may offer to represent you without a qualification, take your money, and then disappear.
To avoid this, make sure they are certified by the right people. Most firms have this certification proudly displayed in their offices.
#2 – Avoid Ambulance Chasers
Ambulance chasers are a term given to lawyers who like to make their money by pushing others to make huge personal injury claims and then charge them a lot to do so.
They will often pursue new clients quite doggedly and make offers that sound too good to be true. They will often try to charge a percentage of your winnings if successful or a flat rate if unsuccessful. This flat rate will typically be very high.
What is dangerous about these types of lawyers is that they will take on any case, even the ones they know will fail because people agree to pay them in the hope of the big payouts they promise.
#3 – Pick A Firm With A Good Reputation
If you have a big case or you are trying to take on a big firm that wants to fight you, then it is worth investing in a lawyer that has a great reputation.
A firm like Hach & Rose in New York City has a great reputation, tons of experience, and the resources to take on a large case.
The risk you take when taking on a firm with barely any reputation is that you do not know what kind of service you are going to get. You can avoid this problem by taking on a firm with a good reputation.
#4 – Pick A Firm That Specializes In Personal Injury Cases
As well as making sure the firm has a good reputation, you want to make sure that they are specialized in the right subject and they are registered in the state you are suing in.
There are many different types of law, you don’t want to ask a divorce lawyer to take on your personal injury case. While lawyers do study everything at law school, to be successful in a field they need to specialize in one topic.
For the best results, hire a personal injury lawyer.
#5 – Make Sure They Have Realistic Expectations For Your Case
If a lawyer tells you that you can win a large claim that seems too good to be true – then the sad news is that it probably is.
Many people do get generous personal injury settlements, but you don’t want to believe anyone who tells you that you can win an unrealistic amount of money.
You and your lawyer should also be prepared for the case to take a long time to get to court. Especially, if the company or the person you are taking to court is planning to fight you on every point. Some companies do that in the hope that you will give up before you get to court,
#6 – Make Sure They Take You Seriously
Our final piece of advice is to make sure that you get on with the lawyer that you picked. As we mentioned above, personal injury cases can take a long time to get to court and you don’t want to be working with someone who doesn’t take you or your injuries seriously.
You want to work with someone who is going to completely support you, treat you with respect, and who will give you well-thought out advice.
Not getting on with your lawyer can make the process even more difficult than it already is.
