Personal Injury Lawyer Quick Selection Guide

By Eloise Hewitt


When you have been injured at the fault of someone else, it is often necessary to seek legal representation and bring the case to court. The personal injury lawyer you choose is important. A bad choice can make the whole situation worse and wind up costing you a lot of money. There are some important things to consider when you are looking for the right one.

A big factor for many injured people is the method or payment. There are a few attorneys that will require a retainer fee up front. Most of them, however, put everything together on contingency. For you, this means that you do not have to pay for anything up front and the attorney only gets paid when you are awarded a judgment or if a settlement is accepted. In either case, you should make sure that you read every inch of your agreement, keeping an eye out for hidden terms or fees.

The right attorneys offer a free initial consultation. This is the point where both parties gather information. You provide details about your injuries and circumstances. The attorneys answer questions, you ask about their ability to represent you sufficiently. It is your opportunity to gather information about the lawyer's abilities and how they can represent you in the best way.

You should also be interested in the education and experience level of the attorneys you are considering. He or she should satisfy your particular requirements for education and experience. Consider their success rates and average case loads. It may also be necessary to be particular about the number of cases he or she has taken to court. Some attorneys have minimal experience in court rooms.

Make it a priority to check the licensing of each attorney that you are considering. A legal network called the Martindale-Hubbel network and the American Bar Association can help you with looking up attorneys and also with locating some in your area as well.

An attorney should have an understanding of which court is appropriate for overseeing your case. For example, if you live and were injured in Gulfport, MS the attorney should not file your case in another state court system. It should also not be filed in criminal court if it is a civil case. He or she should be able to apply knowledge and experience to choose the proper venue.

Do not choose a lawyer based on inflated claims. Even the strongest open and close cases have many variables that prevent the best attorneys from making any guarantee for specific results. Any attorney that makes a definite promise of a win or a specific amount of money should be avoided. Also, there is no real way to determine how long your case will take from start to finish. The attorneys can only give you broad estimates of the time frame and how much money they are minimally asking for.

Ultimately, only you can determine which attorney will feel right for you. Sometimes an attorney will feel right but through the progression of your case he or she does not seem to be representing you as you would like. In these instances, you may need to hire a different one and you have the right to do that. If this occurs, you should understand that the previous attorney can take his or her fees from your award with the court's assistance.




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