You might need to deal with a personal injury attorney at some point. Thus, knowing what to look for in one is essential.
So, how can you know you are engaging with the right personal injury lawyer? Here are six qualities to look for:
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1. Knowledge, experience and skills
According to Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc, personal injury attorneys need to have the ability to offer sound advice and be able to go through all the details of your case. They must also have many years of experience handling cases like yours. Also, they must possess the skills needed to be a lawyer. For example, they should know how to calculate damages and understand the legal system and what rights you have after a car accident.
2. Communication and Personality
An injury attorney must be candid in communications and carefully handle client inquiries. They should also be friendly and open to discussing their cases. Also, they should be willing to listen and help you understand the case no matter how many questions you throw at them.
You will need to deal with someone who can break down complex legal terms into non-specialists’ terms and clearly explain the process. The attorney should also be good at interacting with clients to understand what they are going through.
3. Availability
When seeking a personal injury attorney, you want to look for the one who will charge you less and respond promptly when you need them—because of this, choosing a lawyer who has an office in your area and is within driving distance is crucial.
Often, you might need to deal with a personal injury attorney throughout your case. Thus, they should be present in court and over the phone throughout the process.
4. Risks and Fees
When researching personal injury lawyers, you will be looking at how much money they make from a settlement for their services. Knowing what risks these fees entail is essential because it will decide how much you can get from a lawsuit.
For example, if you hire a lawyer entitled to one-third of your settlement, you will not get all the money and may lose some or even all of it. Also, understand that no lawyer can guarantee they will win a case.
5. Reputation
In most cases, personal injury attorneys only take cases on a contingency basis. Thus they will often ask for a percentage of the total settlement at the end.
Knowing this, look at their history and how many cases they have won in the past. Also, research the personal injury lawyer’s background and see if they have a good reputation within your community.
6. The Lawsuit Process
When choosing a personal injury attorney, you will want to ensure that the lawyer is familiar with all the steps involved in filing a case. This means that they can handle most case types efficiently and effectively.
With a car accident, know that you must gather evidence of the accident as soon as possible and have the lawyer file your case. This means they need to know what kind of evidence to look for, where it can be found and how to collect it. Also, ensure that the lawyer has experience in dealing with such cases and knows when to take action in a case like yours.
