Not many business people give enough thought to who they hire to handle their personal injury case. There are many different specialties within personal injury law, so finding the right personal injury lawyer to handle your case is imperative to help you get the best settlement or award possible.
There are a lot of factors to consider before you choose which one is right for you personally. Consider a mix between personality, style, experience, and specialty, and take the time to do some investigating before choosing which attorney you want to have defend you.
Factors that you will want to consider when hiring an attorney
Here are some factors that will help you in hiring the right attorney for your personal injury case:
1. Experience
The first and most critical component to finding the best personal injury lawyer for your individual case is not just how many years they have been practicing, but the experience they have with your type of personal injury case. Whether it was a traumatic brain injury or shoulder injury, you will want to find the professional who specializes in it to put on the best offense for your lawsuit.
An experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to advise you best about the litigation process and whether it is better to reach a settlement before proceeding to trial, or if escalating your case is in your best economic interests.
2. Fees
You will want to find a personal injury lawyer who will not charge upfront, and most of them will not. Most personal injury lawyers work on a “contingency basis,” which means that they only collect if you do. If they do win your case, they take a portion of the award for their fees.
Before you sign any contract to hire a personal injury lawyer, however, make sure that you understand what their percentage is and know what the industry standard is. Also, make sure that you know what your responsibilities are, to pay for your records, interviews and any doctors’ fees along the way.
3. Who they have working with them
Personal injury suits are very time-consuming. When choosing your attorney, make sure that they have the right team to back them up. It isn’t just about the lawyer you hire, but their team will also help investigate the case. The investigative team can be just as important as the lawyer who will represent you in litigation or court if it comes to it. Know who stands behind the lawyer who will be standing behind you.
4. Make sure they have a good rapport
A lawyer’s reputation does matter — not just in the sense that they have a good win record, but that they are also well-liked in the court jurisdiction where your case might be tried. If you hire a lawyer that is known to be argumentative or has a reputation of being disruptive in court, their reputation will affect you.
Try to find someone who is well experienced with other lawyers and court officials, so that whatever they have done in the past doesn’t reflect poorly on you or your case.
5. Know their win ratio
When interviewing your personal injury lawyer make sure you ask what their win ratio is. You will want to find someone who has a good ratio and a winning record. Likely, these will be the ones that won’t waste your time taking your case if they can’t prove it, and they will put on the best defense by presenting one that will win.
6. Personality compatibility
Personal injury suits can go on for a very long time. Make sure that you have a good relationship with whatever personal injury attorney you decide to hire. It’s likely that you are going to have to spend a whole lot of time together.
If you hire an attorney who doesn’t give you individualized attention, doesn’t address your concerns, or isn’t there when you need them or have a question, it can be a very arduous and hard road to the end. Try to find someone who you feel really cares about your case and is willing to invest their time in you personally.
Conclusion
Hiring a personal injury attorney is imperative to protect yourself when you are injured due to someone or something else’s negligence. Take your time to find the best one to represent you, however, because there are no “do-overs” in personal injury suits and claims.
To find the best lawyer in your area, ask for suggestions from fellow business owners and personally contact your local personal injury lawyers to see whether he/she is the right one to represent your best interests.