In 2017, personal injury law created $33 billion in revenue in the U.S alone.
And with over 100,000 personal injury lawyers, knowing how to find one can be a difficult choice to make. With such a big business, it can be a bit overwhelming.
But having a good lawyer is important. Without one, your case may not be taken as seriously. And it could also lose you the compensation you deserve.
Never fear though. This article will tell you exactly how to find a personal injury lawyer that works for you.
Read on to learn more!
1. Determine Your Needs
The problem with hiring a personal injury lawyer is that there are plenty out there for you to choose from. As mentioned before, there are thousands in the U.S.
To make sure you get the best lawyer for you, take some time to write down what you expect out of your lawyer. While more expectations can mean a more expensive bill, don’t list anything less than the best. You may be surprised what you can find.
You should make sure that potential lawyers are licensed in your state. And they should specialize in personal injury law.
You might even want to look for a lawyer that specializes in your type of personal injury. For example, if you were in a car accident, chances are that you can find a lawyer who takes mostly auto cases. Click here to learn more about auto injury accidents.
Here are a few other questions you should ask yourself when hiring a personal injury lawyer:
- How much experience do they have?
- Where did they get their law degree?
- Do they tend to win?
- Do they prefer to go to trial?
- Are they part of a firm, or do they work alone?
2. Read Reviews
Next, you’ll want to get online to start learning what lawyers are around you. Online reviews and their websites will give you a good idea of what they offer.
Try searching for some of the criteria that you’ve listed in the previous step. For example, instead of searching for just, “lawyers near me,” try, “auto personal injury lawyers near me.”
This will streamline your process and save you time. Not all lawyers will have great SEO, so don’t be afraid to check out some sites that don’t show up at the top of the Google search results page.
Don’t forget to check out sites like Avvo for reviews on your potential lawyers. You can’t always trust online reviews, so make sure to follow up with bad comments later.
Read reviews on a lawyer’s site, but don’t think they mean everything. Lawyers will only put good reviews on their site. But having reviews on their site tends to mean that they have a decent amount of experience.
3. Make a Short List
After you’ve researched a broad scope of lawyers, now is the time to make a short list of your favorites. Consider rates, specialties, experience, and location before picking.
Your short list can’t be a wish list like your list of needs was. Although you want the best lawyer possible, you should keep in mind your budget for a lawyer.
Shortlists shouldn’t be any longer than 5 people or firms. Try narrowing it down to three to get the job done quicker.
A short list will help you make sure that you’re only learning about the lawyers that seem like good fits for you. Just because a lawyer seems like a good lawyer doesn’t mean they will work with you well.
This doesn’t make them a bad lawyer! It just means they shouldn’t be on your short list.
4. Get Referrals
Let’s get serious about your research. Referrals will separate the good lawyers from the bad ones in a heartbeat.
Finding referrals isn’t as hard as it might sound. When you were reading reviews, you were looking at potential sources to talk to about the lawyer.
Find people who wrote negative and positive reviews and ask them if they’d be willing to talk to you on the phone or in person. If they took the time to write an online review, odds are they would be willing to speak to you.
If someone wrote a bad review, make sure to figure out the details of went wrong. It could have been something small or unrelated to your case.
You should also find out if the people you’re speaking to won or lost their case. This could be influencing the former client’s perspective, and it may be unfair to the lawyer.
5. Plan a Meeting
Don’t mark anyone off of your shortlist yet. Now it’s time to go meet with the lawyers.
Some lawyers may try to charge you for a consultation. But if they are a larger firm, chances are they won’t.
During this time, make sure to ask the lawyer about any negative reviews you may have heard or read. This gives them a chance to explain their side of the story.
When you go to the meeting, make sure to bring a list of questions that you listed by importance. You may not have any more than an hour or so with the lawyer.
6. Get Started!
Now that you’ve met with a lawyer and have your research, you’ll be able to tell whether you want to hire them or not.
Keep in mind that nobody is perfect, even lawyers. You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of each option.
After you’ve done this, choose your lawyer and get started working on your case!
Know How to Find a Personal Injury Lawyer Now?
After reading this article, you should know how to find a personal injury lawyer for you. This is one of the most important steps in making sure that you receive your compensation.
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