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Not all attorneys are equally appropriate for you. There are certain qualities a personal injury lawyer should possess in order to be the best choice for your case. Let us explain.
What Do You Mean by Qualities for Personal Injury Lawyers?
When you experience an injury or illness due to an accident, medical malpractice, negligence in the workplace, or a number of other scenarios, you may face expensive medical costs in addition to lost wages due to missed work. You may even have to quit your job altogether. Medical expenses don’t just refer to time in the hospital, but include any home health care and therapy required in the recovery process. Sometimes, your condition may become chronic and require you to go to therapy and have help at home for months or years.
These and other costs resulting from your injury are known in the legal world as damages. In these situations, it is often beneficial to find a lawyer who can fight for you to receive compensation for such damages. But you shouldn’t just do a search and hire the first lawyer you find. You need to be discerning to make sure the lawyer you hire is well-suited to fight on your behalf with favorable results. Here are some of the top qualities you should look for when hiring a personal injury lawyer.
1. Licensed and in Good Standing
It goes without saying that, before everything else, you want a lawyer who is properly licensed and in good standing in your state. You can find out this information by checking the bar association database.
2. Case-Specific Experience
There are so many lawyers out there with varying levels of experience. You want to pick an attorney who is heavily experienced in your kind of case. If you have a medical malpractice case, you want an attorney with at least a decade or more of experience in medical malpractice. If you have a work injury, you want an attorney you feel confident is well-practiced in dealing with the nuances of labor laws and worker’s comp.
3. Trial Experience
Though we tend to think of lawyers as going before a judge and jury, many lawyers settle the majority of their cases and avoid going to trial. Trial experience is important because insurance companies know which lawyers are afraid to do anything but settle and which have the gumption to fight for what their clients deserve. Make sure the attorney you hire will do whatever it takes to get you your due compensation, even if it means taking the case to trial!
4. Track Record
You don’t only want a lawyer with experience, you want one that wins cases. Do some research into the statistics on the lawyer you are considering for your case. Make sure he or she wins or favorably settles the majority of cases, so you can feel confident you are in good hands.
5. Personal Attention
Law offices are busy places, but you want a lawyer who will give you the personal attention you need. You don’t want to be stuck constantly speaking to a paralegal or legal assistant instead of your actual attorney.
6. Fees Protocol. Find out how your attorney handles lawyer fees. Will you have to pay up front or do you not owe any money until your lawyer wins money for you in a settlement or on trial?
7. Honesty
You want an attorney who is honest with you about the potential of your case and how realistic your expectations or desires are. You don’t want to get sucked into a legal battle only to realize you never had a chance.
8. Location
This may seem obvious, but make sure the attorney you hire can practice in your state, and that you can get to your lawyer’s office when necessary.
9. Resources
Working on a legal case can be costly and involved, as experts often need to be hired. It is also helpful when there are other legal staff members who can be utilized. Make sure the attorney you hire has the appropriate amount of staff and is able to hire whatever experts are necessary to work on your case so you can be successful.
10. Satisfied Clients
Ask to speak with past clients to hear about their experience using the attorney you wish to hire. Make sure those past clients are more than satisfied with your attorney and have recovered a satisfactory amount of compensation.
At the end of the day, you have to do your research and decide which qualities are more important to you. Donald Goldberg and Mark Chase are top lawyers with a combined experience of 80 years who have merged together to create a powerhouse firm. They focus on personal injury, including medical malpractice, and criminal law. At Goldberg and Chase, you will receive personal attention as we fight for your proper compensation.
