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How to Find a Personal Injury Attorney You Can Trust

• Posted by Guajardo & Marks May 29, 2019 - Filed in Legal Topics - #Personal Injury Lawyer  - 1,345 views

  If you have been hurt in an accident, you will probably want to hire a good personal injury attorney you can trust. Of course, you should not turn to just any lawyer for assistance. You should find a personal injury attorney who has experience in handling your specific type of claim, one you feel you can trust. How does one find such an advocate?

     

  How to Find Experienced Attorneys

   

  There are many ways to get excellent referrals to experienced personal injury attorneys that are familiar with cases such as yours. Once you have gotten a few names, you should compare them to each other. Meet with each one to talk about your claim before you sign anything. Be prepared to be rejected, too. There are many personal injury attorneys who will not take a case if it falls under a certain recovery amount or if liability is not very clear.

   

  Here are the best places to find referrals to good personal injury attorneys you can trust:

   

  • Friends and acquaintances: Speak with your friends and coworkers who have been represented by a personal injury attorney in the recent past. If the friend or coworker says positive things to you about an attorney, you should put that lawyer on the list of people to talk to. Of course, different people will have very different views about the same attorney. It is advised that you not hire an attorney until you have met him or her and made your own personal assessment.
  • Lawyer directories: There are many lawyer directories out there in most states that list experienced, skilled personal injury attorneys in your area of law and near your location. Take advantage of these resources.
  • Referral services: Almost all local bar associations have legal referral services where the names of good attorneys are available and arranged by the legal specialties. However, you may not get much information from a referral service about details such as whether the attorney offers a free initial consultation or about how aggressive the attorney is during a trial.

   

  Choosing Your Best Attorney

   

  To determine whether the attorney is a good fit for you, sit down with him or her and discuss your claim and the various legal ways of handling the matter. You should bring copies of all documents pertaining to the case, including police report, medical records, income loss data and all information you have exchanged with the insurance companies.

   

  After you have talked about your case to the attorney, you should find out several things from the attorney:

   

  • How long has the personal injury attorney been practicing?
  • What is the percentage of the attorney’s practice that involves personal injury?
  • Does the attorney work primarily with plaintiffs or defendants? It is best not to be represented by a person who has experience defending personal injury clients if you are the plaintiff. Their manner of thinking may be too similar to the ways of the insurance companies, and they may not fight as vigorously for your legal rights.
  • Would the attorney handle your claim or will it be passed on to someone else? Find out which attorney is going to have the majority of responsibility for your case and which attorney you will work with daily.

   

  Settlement Goals

   

  Once you have decided on an attorney for the most part, you should talk to the attorney about what they think the case is worth. This is the point where you should tell the attorney what you want: It may be to ...

   

  • Get a certain amount of settlement with as little money spent and as little hassle as possible, or
  • To get a higher amount than what the insurance adjuster is offering, or
  • To get as much compensation as possible, no matter the timeframe.

   

  If you feel very confident in the attorney’s experience and are comfortable with how they will proceed with your case, chances are high you have found the personal injury attorney for you. Our firm, Guajardo & Marks will be happy to hear the details of your case and answer questions you may have during a free initial consultation.