Intro:
When you’re faced with a personal injury case, things move really fast, especially if the case is a vehicle accident. An estimated 17,000 personal injury claims go to court, but courts see at least 400,000 filings annually. Even if a case doesn’t go to court, the claims provide several opportunities for lawyers to find work.
The following are five tips on how to find the best personal injury lawyer.
1. Ask Friends and Family for a Referral
If you’re involved in a personal injury, you have to move things along with a sense of urgency. You might be under time constraints, but to find the best legal representation over personal injury cases, ask for a referral.
A referral from a friend or family member puts them on the spot. It’s their recommendation to you based on their credibility. You want to receive a referral that comes from a reliable source.
Otherwise, you’re reaching in the dark. No one in your immediate circle of trust may have experience hiring a personal injury lawyer. Therefore, we offer additional tips.
2. Complete Online Research
To find the best personal injury lawyer online, complete a local search. In this case, there’s no reason to search for a national lawyer. You want to find an attorney who is a member of your community; it lends to the professional’s credibility.
The majority of consumers complete an online search before purchasing a product or hiring a service provider. That’s why professionals have increased their online presence, including lawyers.
Look over the attorney profiles that pop up on the first page of the search results. Be mindful of the ones that submitted paid ads. Now you have a list of top contenders.
3. Check their Credentials
With your list of top potential best personal injury lawyers, start checking their credentials, including their schools attended, degrees completed, certifications, and licenses.
It’s nice if your potential injury lawyers attended a top law school. The year they graduated is more important. A new lawyer is still getting their feet wet. However, they do have enthusiasm on their side. Their graduation date helps you gauge their experience depth.
Some attorneys complete more than one degree, such as in law and business. Pertinent education is a plus too.
You want to ensure that your potential personal injury lawyer passed the bar exam. Additional certifications and licenses are more pluses for them.
4. Read the Reviews
Now you know each best personal injury lawyer on a professional level. It’s time to check what others are saying about them.
The search engines continue to search for ways to grow. They have developed business listings, online marketplaces, and ratings to help consumers make informed decisions.
Studies have found that the most helpful reviews are the two- and four-star. Four-star reviews are still solid, but they offer something the company can improve. It’s up to you to decide if you can live with that flaw.
Two-star reviews are mostly honest too, whereas the one-star reviews are simply venting.
Some attorneys can improve their bedside manner. The same is true for other professionals, including doctors. If a lack of bedside manner leads to finding a bulldog attorney in court who wins, can you deal with that personality and results?
5. Avoid Over-Promising
Personal injury cases involve legal representatives, medical professionals, and several investigators. In small cases, the teams investigating the claim are smaller, such as dog bite cases. When the cases involve workplace injuries, companies employ several resources to protect themselves against fraud.
Still, to find the best personal injury lawyer, find one who doesn’t over-promise. Instead, they highlight their firm’s experience, their legal team’s credentials, and the firm’s past success.
For example, JT Legal Group in California focuses on the amount they have collected for past clients, their industry awards, and offering a case evaluation with no strings attached.
Some lawyers know personal injury law inside out and they couple it with fierce litigating skills. However, successful attorneys under-promise and over-deliver for their clients.
Conclusion
Personal injury cases contain several layers of bureaucracy. The defendant in the case aims to find gaps in your case. Their attorney has several tools that take apart your claim. Therefore your personal injury lawyer must be the best, especially if your claim has merit.