Nothing is more important after an accident than choosing a personal injury attorney. A good attorney can build a strong case for compensation and negotiate a very favorable settlement. A good personal injury lawyer should also be prepared to go to court and defend your rights if necessary Law tutoring.
An inexperienced personal injury attorney, on the other hand, can be a disaster, costing you time and money. To help your search go as smoothly as possible, we present these tips for hiring a personal injury attorney.
Get referrals from personal injury attorneys
You may have never met a personal injury attorney , so you have no idea where to start.
Start with the phone book. Look at the Yellow Pages ads and write down the names of any attorneys who claim to represent personal injury victims.
You can then complete this list
Ask friends, family, or colleagues if they have ever used a personal injury attorney. Someone’s child may have been in a car accident or injured in a slip or fall. Ask them if they would recommend your lawyer.
Contact a lawyer referral service and get the name of a personal injury lawyer. The Indianapolis Bar Association offers a referral service .
Search on the internet. Type “best personal injury lawyer near me” or “personal injury lawyer and [your city].” Some names should appear.
Check each attorney’s website
Every full-time lawyer should already have a website for their law firm. Connect and check it out. Pay close attention to the following:
How much personal injury experience does the attorney have? Do you work solely in the personal injury field or in other fields such as criminal or family law?
How long has the lawyer been practicing? Has he just left law school or has he been there for a few years?
Does the website look professional? Does it have a clean design and clear wording? An attorney with a sloppy website could be just as sloppy when representing you.
Does the lawyer have useful information on his or her website? Are they up to date with changes in legislation?
Cross out the names of any attorneys or firms that do not have significant personal injury experience and a professional website. Chances are, you still have a few names left on the list. If not, go back and get more references.
Check a lawyer’s disciplinary history
The legal profession is highly regulated in Indiana. If a client is dissatisfied with the treatment received, she can file a complaint with the Disciplinary Commission of the State Supreme Court. Disciplinary Commission that investigates allegations of attorney misconduct.
If a lawyer has violated the ethical rules, the Commission will sanction him. You can view any attorney’s disciplinary history by visiting the Commission’s website. Enter the name of the lawyer and check if any sanctions appear. Also consider how long ago the violation occurred. A violation from 10 years ago may not say much about the attorney’s current ability.
Arrange a consultation with lawyers
You probably have time to schedule up to 3 or 4 consultations. Review your list and choose the attorneys you think are best suited.
Most personal injury attorneys offer a free consultation; others charge a small amount. Call the lawyer and ask if you can meet with him. They may ask you for more information before the meeting and may send you a form to fill out. Consultations are important.
You want to hire the best personal injury lawyer, and it is difficult to find out who they are without meeting face to face. A consultation should not last more than half an hour, and you must arrive on time. Ask the lawyer or assistant over the phone what you should bring on the agreed day.
Write questions in advance
A consultation is an opportunity for you to explain how you were injured. But it’s also an opportunity for you to get answers to any questions you have. Keep in mind that lawyers are very busy, so don’t ask something that you can find the answer to on the Internet.
(Questions such as “What law school did you attend?” should be answered on the attorney’s bio page on their website. Here’s an example .)
Instead, ask questions like
Have you ever dealt with a case like mine? If so, how did the case end?
What is the most realistic outcome for my case? Attorneys cannot promise an outcome, but they can use their experience to discuss likely outcomes.
What percentage of cases have you taken to trial? What percentage reaches an agreement?
You should also discuss how the attorney charges for his or her services. Personal injury attorneys work on a contingency basis, which means they take a percentage of their client’s settlement or court judgment, up to 40%.
If they lose the case, they get nothing. You should discuss the details of your query. After meeting with the attorneys on your list, choose the one that best suits your needs. This is a subjective analysis, but you want someone you feel comfortable with.