how to pick an injury lawyer

Make a list of factors that go in to choosing a good personal injury lawyer.

• Location. You will need to find an attorney who is licensed to practice in the state that you were injured.
• Focus of Practice. Just like doctors specialize in certain areas of medicine, lawyers usually focus their practice in certain areas of the law. ...
• Reputation. ...
• Years of practice. ...
• Disciplinary record. ...
• Trial experience. ...
• Winning record. ...

Full Answer

How to choose a good personal injury lawyer?

Make a list of factors that go in to choosing a good personal injury lawyer. When you begin the process of choosing a personal injury attorney, you will want to understand what makes a lawyer good. With the following list in hand, you can begin searching for lawyers that meet your criteria. Location.

When should you hire a personal injury lawyer?

This article has been viewed 50,982 times. Personal injury lawyers will represent you when you are bringing a case against someone else for injuries they may have caused, or they may represent you to defend against someone bringing a similar case against you.

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.

How do I choose the best attorney for my case?

Prepare a list of questions to ask your best candidates. Before meeting with your top candidates, prepare a number of focused questions that will give you the answers you need in order to choose the best attorney for you. Use the following questions, and any others you feel are appropriate, when you sit down for an initial consultation:

What percentage do most injury lawyers take?

33-55%Unlike many other lawsuits, attorneys in personal injury cases are most often paid through a contingency fee agreement. If you're asking what percentage do lawyers take for personal injury services, the answer is they usually receive 33-55% of the award as payment fees.

What is an attorney called?

In the United States, the terms lawyer and attorney are often used interchangeably. For this reason, people in and out of the legal field often ask, “is an attorney and a lawyer the same thing?”. In colloquial speech, the specific requirements necessary to be considered a lawyer vs attorney aren't always considered.

What's the difference between a lawyer and an attorney?

People often confuse the words attorney and lawyer, believing them to serve different functions. However, the only real difference between the two is the region in which the word is used. They are effectively the same thing in terms of law, whether that be commercial, corporate, commercial law or contract law.

What are lawyers not allowed to do?

“An Advocate shall not solicit work or advertise, either directly or indirectly, whether by circulars, advertisements, touts, personal communications, interview not warranted by personal relations, furnishing or inspiring newspaper comments or procuring his photograph to be published in connection with cases in which ...

How long does it take to become a trial lawyer in Florida?

In Florida for example, a board-certified attorney must meet the following requirements within three years of applying for application. 50% or more of their case history must have been in civil trial law.

Do lawyers speak at conferences?

Lawyers who speak at conferences are respected by their peers, Nace said. Also, an attorney who does substantial pro bono work or other volunteering shows a commitment to the community and not somebody who is hiding from a bad reputation, Pope said.

Can a personal injury lawyer take a case?

It’s very common in personal injury law for a lawyer to take a case they are not prepared to litigate. As soon as they get the case, they refer it to another firm in exchange for a potential referral fee. “Before you hire someone, you want to know if they will be representing you in court,” Nace stressed.

Can an attorney negotiate a settlement with two defendants?

An attorney can negotiate a very good settlement with two defendants, then go to court with the third and lose, but the client may have received a very favorable recovery.

Does Pope have a trial record?

Since the vast majority of cases are settled out of court, however, Pope doesn’t place as much emphasis on a record of going to trial. “You want an attorney who has definitely tried a lawsuit,” he said, adding that a strong track record of successful settlements is also important.

Who said you want to hire someone who is a specialist in whatever field you are looking for?

Bryan Pope. “You definitely want to hire somebody who is a specialist in whatever field you are looking for,” Pope said. In other words, if you are involved in medical malpractice you want somebody who has had a lot of experience with that, and not largely auto injury and only one or two medical cases.

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.

Find 3-5 attorneys to approach. And then make the most of that free initial consultation

By this point, you should have in mind what you're looking for in a lawyer. View potential lawyers for your personal injury case through the filter of these questions we've prepared, which you're going to use to probe deeper in an interview later.

Call the lawyers you have selected to set up appointments

Really? Why not just submit your case details via the web form for each lawyer?

Interviewing personal injury lawyers – a checklist of questions to help you evaluate attorneys

When you set up your meeting with the attorneys who may potentially represent you, be prepared with questions to ask. Print out our interview worksheet and take it along.