The three things you need to know before hiring a personal injury attorney:
1. Do I need a lawyer?
2. How do I find the right attorney for my case?
3. Get a free consultation.
Do I need a lawyer?
Yes. You should hire a lawyer. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or medical malpractice, and it was someone else’s fault, then you should absolutely retain a personal injury lawyer. The two critical elements are: 1) Injury and 2) someone else’s fault. If you are not injured, then you do not need a personal injury lawyer (unless of course someone is suing you). If it was your fault, then you may need someone to defend you but insurance will assign a lawyer if necessary.
The reason you need a personal injury lawyer is they will guide you through the process and get you the most money for your claim. You may worry that if you get an injury lawyer, the legal expenses will reduce the amount of money you get in your pocket. Don’t worry. The fact is you will likely get more money from your claim, and more money in your pocket.
Secondly, getting a lawyer will ease your mind. You will no longer worry about filling out paperwork or what to write. You will no longer worry about saying the wrong thing to the insurance adjuster. You will let the attorney guide you through the process, request records from your doctors, write declarations, negotiate with the insurance adjusters, and file a lawsuit if necessary.
How do I find the right lawyer for my case
If I were hiring a lawyer for my own injury the first thing I would do is research online. I would look on the internet using searches like “personal injury lawyer” and “car accident attorney” and “medical malpractice attorney” depending on the type of case I had. I would click on the paid ads, the map listings, and the organic results. I would spend time reading Google reviews and Yelp reviews. I would look at Findlaw, Justia, Avvo, and Thumbtack to name a few directories. I would read their website and click through some of the internal pages to get a sense of the law firm and their attorneys. I would see if they’ve handled cases like mine, for how many years, how many cases, and whether or not they’ve had success. I would narrow down my search to two or three attorneys or law firms in my area. Having a local attorney is not necessary, but does have some benefits. A local attorney will be familiar with the local rules. They will know the tendencies of the local judges and local attorneys and local doctors. And if you need to drop by, you won’t have far to drive. And before you hire an attorney, you should absolutely get a free consultation. Almost all personal injury lawyers give a free consultation. Use it to determine if they are the right attorney for you.
