Lots of people suffer injuries in situations or accidents that weren’t their fault. From these situations, they may sustain emotional trauma, physical injuries, and even financial losses as a result of the incident. Majority of the time, the injuries could have been avoided had it not been for the negligent actions of someone else.
If this is something you’ve experienced, you should begin filing a claim for an injury as soon as possible. The first step is choosing the best lawyer for your case. They can answer your questions, guide you through the process, and will also help to achieve a positive outcome for your claim.
Know Where To Begin Looking
You can start the process of getting a personal injury lawyer by identifying an individual who has the knowledge and ability to handle the specific nature of your personal injury claim. If your claim involves medical malpractice then you must hire a lawyer who has substantial experience in handling this case type.
In many circumstances, you can find lists detailing the case types that a lawyer will handle on the website of the specific law firm. It’s also a wise choice to directly ask the lawyer about their specific area of practice during the first meeting. This will give you first-hand insight into the experience they have with handling similar cases.
Verify Their License
Before you schedule an initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer you must check that they are qualified to actively practice law in your state. You can do this by using the American Bar Association (ABA) website to discover specific information about the way that lawyers gain their licenses in different states.
Meet For A Consultation
Your next step will be to directly contact the firm to schedule your consultation with a personal injury lawyer. Most will provide this service completely free of charge, which means you won’t have to fork out any cash for this initial discussion.
Not only is this a great chance for both you and your chosen lawyer to learn more about one another, but it’s also a prime time for the lawyer to learn about the injury claim you want to make. You can also find out more about where you stand in terms of your legal rights.
Prepare Questions And Documents
As well as familiarizing yourself with your lawyer, the initial consultation is another way of obtaining legal advice. After all, the more details and information about your claim that you can present to your lawyer, the more thorough their advice will be!
Before you go in for this consultation, you should write down any burning questions that you may want to discuss with your chosen lawyer. These could relate to the lawyer’s track record, your case, or even their overall experience handling relevant cases.
It is always a good thing when an established law firm features lots of staff available to jump on different cases at any given time. But you will need to establish whether the lawyer you choose will be directly supervising your case or whether it will be passed to a paralegal or an associate. After all, you’ll want to know exactly how they’re going to handle your case.
Whenever your meeting is, make sure to bring a copy of any insurance claims, any medical and accident reports, and other relevant documents that may help to deepen the lawyer’s understanding of what actually happened.
Discuss Attorneys’ Fees
Lots of personal injury lawyers will accept cases based on contingency fees. This means that you have the chance to hire a relevant lawyer without having to fork out to cover any upfront lawyer’s fees. In this instance, you will only have to pay the fees once the lawyer has successfully recovered compensation for the claim.
The fee that they receive is entirely based on the percentage of recovery in the case. If the case goes to court, you must clarify whether the percentage sees a change or not.
In the consultation, you should discuss who is responsible for paying for all of the costs. This is because lawyers will handle costs in different ways – so it’s always a good idea to make sure you’re on the same page. You should also discuss the individual that will have to cover the overall cost of the claim if the lawyer is unable to recover any amount of money from your claim.
After Your Consultation
After your consultation, you should keep the following factors in mind:
- If they effectively communicated with you and the individual circumstances of your case.
- Whether the lawyer listened to you and truly answered your concerns or questions.
- If you were able to be open and honest.
- Trustworthiness.
- Whether the lawyer was impatient or calm, and if they treated you with respect.
- Did they have compassion for you and your case?
You must have a great working relationship with your personal injury lawyer. After all, the overall success of the case is dependent on your ability to communicate with your lawyer. If you had any worries or felt uncomfortable in any capacity, you may want to continue your search for a personal injury lawyer.
Don’t make any major decisions about getting a personal injury lawyer while you’re sitting at your work desk. Instead, take a couple of days to reflect upon the information you gained during the initial consultation.
If have confidence in your lawyer then you should make contact with the law firm immediately to set an appointment up to retain your preferred lawyer.
You could carry out a more detailed research about the lawyer at this stage if you choose to. You can also search for reviews and recommendations from previous clients or peers to legitimize and verify the reputation of your chosen law firm. You can even ask for proof of your lawyer’s accreditations.
If you find think of additional questions or find any issues that you want to bring up, you can call the lawyer and clear these up before meeting up to sign a retainer agreement.
Summary
These are the basic steps you must take if you’re planning to file a personal injury claim. With the help of a qualified and knowledgeable lawyer guiding you through each stage of this process, you could receive the best possible outcome.
