how to find an honest personal injury lawyer

Finding the Best Personal Injury Lawyer.

• Seek an Experienced Lawyer. Lawyers tend to be specialists or generalists. Look for a lawyer who specializes in personal injury and accidents. This ...
• Ask About Their Success Rate.
• Ask for Referrals.
• Work on Contingency.
• Choose Someone You Can Get Along With.

Full Answer

How do I find a good personal injury lawyer?

The preferred way to find a good personal injury lawyer is to ask friends and family for a referral to an attorney who represented them in the past. Who to ask to find attorneys: friends, Google, Facebook, directories. Online reviews are the new word of mouth. Tweet this

Should I hire a personal injury lawyer?

You are likely to receive more personal attention from a small law office, and many of the best personal injury lawyers choose to work in a law firm with only a few lawyers. Make sure, however, that important work on your case is not left to less experienced lawyers or staff.

How do I make an appointment with a personal injury attorney?

Make an appointment. A personal injury attorney should offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case, usually 30 to 45 minutes. Take your case journal so you will be prepared to give a broad overview of your situation. Be on time. Give yourself plenty of time to find the office and park. Aim for 10 to 15 minutes early.

How does a personal injury lawyer work?

Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. (See " Managing Lawyer Costs & Expenses in a Personal Injury Case ".) This arrangement means that the lawyer's fee is a percentage of what you ultimately receive in compensation. And if the amount you are likely to receive is small, most lawyers won't take on the claim.

What percentage do most personal injury lawyers take?

33%As a general rule, the personal injury lawyer will receive 33% of the final settlement amount in the case. However, cases that go to trial often incur different costs. The goal of this fee structure is to minimize the client's financial risk in hiring an attorney to represent them.

Can I negotiate an injury settlement?

Indeed, it means you're ready to demand the compensation you deserve for your suffering and losses. If you are determined to seek fair compensation for your losses, you must be prepared to negotiate with the insurance company (or, more specifically, the claims adjuster) to get what you want.

How do you ask for a bigger settlement?

Let's look at how to best position your claim for success.Have a Settlement Amount in Mind. ... Do Not Jump at a First Offer. ... Get the Adjuster to Justify a Low Offer. ... Emphasize Emotional Points. ... Put the Settlement in Writing. ... More Information About Negotiating Your Personal Injury Claim.

How much pain and suffering should I ask for?

For example, if you had $50,000 in medical costs and other hard costs, and your suffering was rated at about a 3, then the pain and suffering damages should come to about $150,000 (3 x $50,000 = $150,000).

What documents do you need to bring to a personal injury lawyer?

Bring copies of all the documents you have concerning your claim: police report, medical bills, income loss information, and all correspondence with the insurance company, including your demand letter if you have reached that stage. Most personal injury lawyers don't charge for an initial consultation.

How does a lawyer's willingness to listen affect your ability to make good decisions?

A lawyer's willingness to listen and ability to understand you may affect how much you can help the lawyer and whether you can control somewhat how the lawyer does the job. A lawyer's willingness and ability to explain what is happening in your case will likewise affect your ability to make good decisions .

Can I hire a lawyer for a small claim?

However, even if your case is too small to have a lawyer take over the entire claim, it may still be possible to hire the lawyer on an hourly basis to give you advice on particular parts of your claim.

Can a personal injury lawyer work in a small law firm?

You are likely to receive more personal attention from a small law office , and many of the best personal injury lawyers choose to work in a law firm with only a few lawyers. Make sure, however, that important work on your case is not left to less experienced lawyers or staff.

Do large law offices spend money?

Also, large law offices are in the habit of freely spending money on expenses that may use up much of your potential compensation. Also, insurance companies know that large law offices often do not put as much time or concern into a typical personal injury case as do smaller law offices.

Should I choose a lawyer solely on the basis of someone else's recommendation?

But don't make any decision about a lawyer solely on the basis of someone else's recommendation. Different people will have different responses to a lawyer's style and personality.

Can you ask a lawyer to change tack?

As the case goes along, you are always free to ask the lawyer to change tack. You may get tired of the whole process and want the lawyer to wrap things up as soon as possible. Or, the cost of taking your case through the lawsuit process may begin to eat up too much of your potential compensation.