What should you know as you begin your search for a personal injury lawyer? First and foremost, understand that lawyers aren’t one and the same, and getting an excellent lawyer can be the difference between winning your case and losing it. This isn’t meant to stress you out, but rather to illustrate that some lawyers will offer you services that are substantially inferior to those offered by other, more successful professionals with greater credentials and a better track record of winning. You should be searching for a lawyer who you’re comfortable with and who you trust, as not being able to regularly talk to them in a confident manner will doubtlessly impact your case for the worse.
If you peruse a list of tips for hiring a lawyer, you’ll see that one of the most commonly shared pieces of advice is to rely on legal professionals who have helped your friends and family out in the past. This is because the firsthand testimony of those individuals is invaluable; if they say their lawyer is great and produced results, you know you can trust them because of your personal connection. Alternatively, if they warn you to stay away from a certain attorney, you’ll know that their reputation precedes them in the worst way possible and to avoid paying for their services.
After finding somebody recommended by others who you feel comfortable with, it’s time to assess their credentials. Where did they obtain their qualifications, and more importantly, have they worked on cases similar to yours in the past? Know that groups like the Davis Law Group will be more reliable than individuals with unproven success records. If you’re pursuing a personal claim pertaining to an automobile accident, for instance, you’ll want a lawyer who has won auto collision cases in the past. It’s estimated that there are over 90,000 personal injury lawyers in the U.S., so don’t be afraid to shop around until you find one with a record you can trust.
It’s important to review a number of mistakes that can be made when choosing a personal injury lawyer. Some of the most common mistakes made when hiring a personal injury lawyer include uncritically accepting everything they say - always double check the claims they make, as they could be leading you into a court battle you’re not well-prepared for. Alternatively, don’t believe them when they dismiss your chances of success if you know you’ve been seriously wronged and have the evidence to prove it.
Speaking of evidence, take time to carefully catalog every text message, email, photo, and piece of information related to your claim. This is one of the first things that a good personal injury lawyer will tell you to do, as you’ll need to be able to back your claims up with concrete evidence proving that somebody else’s negligence left you harmed or wronged. Never be afraid to ask your personal injury lawyer for advice on the documentation and preservation of evidence.
Finally, interview different lawyers before finalizing your choice, as you should never pick a legal professional without first surveying the many options at your disposal. Follow this advice, and before long you and your personal injury lawyer will be making a successful claim.