How to choose a personal injury law firm

So you get lawyers, and you get lawyers. Yes, you get lawyers of all types, shapes, and sizes with very different practice styles and personalities.

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Personal injury law is an extensive area of the law. It covers a wide range of personal injury scenarios from birth accidents to car accidents, construction accidents and everything in between.

Personal injury cases can be complicated. A good understanding of the law and an excellent medical understanding of procedures and treatments are required. 

High-value claims often take months or even years to arrive at a resolution.  This means you may be in it for the long haul with your attorney.  If you choose a lawyer you cannot get on with, you could be in for an unpleasant experience.

Let’s delve into what you should look for in an attorney and law firm before deciding to trust them with your personal injury claim.

Attributes of the Perfect Attorney for You

Before you smugly point out that there is no such thing as a perfect attorney, I will concede that point upfront. You need to look for two main things in a personal injury lawyer.  Techno-legal ability and personality.

Techno-legal Ability

Personal injury law is a highly specialized area of the law.  Your attorney must be conversant with the intricacies of the law of tort. 

Choose a firm specializing in the area of personal injury law that applies to your case. Also, check out their actual experience in the area – the more experience they have, the better. 

It is best to find a lawyer in the state where the accident occurred, as the regulations differ widely between states. For example, different rules are applied in some states when the car accident wasn’t your fault.

Another critical difference between states is a variation in the time you have to launch your case. Your lawyer must also possess significant amounts of medico and medico-legal knowledge.

Since personal injury claims deal with injuries, and since the courts require proof of everything claimed by the injured person, an in-depth understanding of medical analysis, diagnosis and treatment is required. 

Medical doctors, surgeons, and medical specialists are often called as expert witnesses to give testimony in court. Your lawyer should have the experience and the qualifications to handle these situations. 

Personality Attributes

Find a lawyer that makes you feel comfortable. You will need to confide in the attorney, so choose someone who engenders trust.

It is a good idea to see at least two firms before deciding, so you have a sense of comparison. 

Discuss the element of legal fees upfront and assess how transparent the firm is towards your pointed questions about costs. Take note if you feel they are too vague or flippant with their responses.

A firm that is sympathetic to you and your injuries is always a good start.

In the personality area, it really is different strokes for different folks. Some people prefer a more aggressive lawyer that appears to take no-nonsense. Others prefer a much more cautious yet confident approach.

Go with the personality type that suits you, bearing in mind you may work with them for an extended time.

In Summary

It is a personal choice for which lawyer you would like to handle your case. However, it does help to approach the choice with a strategy and know what you are looking for. You and your lawyer should form a formidable team to maximize your award. 

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