7 Secrets of Choosing the Best Personal Injury Attorney
When it comes to making or breaking your personal injury case, one of the most important components is your attorney.
The right attorney knows personal injury law like the back of his hand. They’re ready to fight on your behalf for all the compensation you deserve, and they’re ready to put you and your case first.
But what are the signs of a great lawyer? How do you separate the winners from the losers? Well, here are seven of the sure signs of a top-notch personal injury lawyer—the ones who’ll give your case an edge.
1. Find a lawyer who specializes in personal injury law.
Personal injury law is highly specialized and has many specific, complicated practices and rules. Working with a lawyer who handles bankruptcies, divorces and wills in addition to personal injury cases means you’re getting a jack of all trades and master of none.
These types of lawyers don’t have what it takes to get the payout you deserve, period.
2. Pick a lawyer with a history of taking cases to trial (when necessary).
Want to know something scary? A lot of the lawyers you see advertising their personal injury law skills have never actually set foot in a courtroom.
These guys will take your case, pressure you to settle (for a lot less than you need), and call it a day. Meanwhile, insurance companies are extremely aggressive—when they see your case handled by a lawyer who’s known for settling, they’ll refuse to bargain. They know your attorney isn’t fit to play with the big boys, and they’ll walk all over your case.
If your attorney isn’t capable of fighting for you, then you have no hope of recovering the damages you deserve.
3. Choose a lawyer with a track record of full payouts from verdicts and settlements.
Not every case is going to award multi-million dollar settlements, but if you do have a case this serious then you need a lawyer who knows how to win big.
Some lawyers get nervous when they see big-time cases like yours, and they fold under the pressure.
Even if you don’t have a record-setting case, it’s important to look for attorneys who win their clients’ maximum allowed payout from their insurance company—in other words, these lawyers are making sure their clients get the maximum payout they’re legally allowed.
4. Find a lawyer who gives your case their full attention.
Some firms are overworked and understaffed, often handing your case off to a case worker instead of a real attorney.
You want to work directly with a lawyer—it’s the only way you can stay updated and make sure your case is getting the attention you really deserve.
5. Find a law firm with the resources to handle your case.
Take a look at your lawyer—do he and his team look successful? Are they doing well? Do they look confident enough to stand up for you in a courtroom? Are they dressed well? Not to sound materialistic, but if your lawyer doesn’t look successful, they probably don’t have the resources to properly prepare your case.
Big league personal injury cases can cost a small fortune to prepare, sometimes running north of $100,000 after all’s said and done. While your law firm doesn’t need marble tiles and a gold-plated fountain in their lobby to properly represent your case, they do need to be successful.
6. Pick an attorney who lets you talk with past clients.
If your attorney is good, they’ll happily give you references. A lawyer who refuses to let you speak with past clients probably has a good reason not to—either he doesn’t have any past clients, or he doesn’t have any past clients who would give a glowing review.
Another way to check up on your lawyer’s history is to browse their online reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google or Avvo—just about any law firm today has at least a handful of online ratings.
7. Choose a lawyer who doesn’t require you to pay anything up-front.
Good lawyers understand that when they meet a client, that person is hurting and in need of help. They aren’t going to nickel-and-dime you when your case is probably worth hundreds of thousands (or even millions) of dollars.
Great lawyers aren’t going to charge you for consultations or legal fees unless you win, and they have the confidence to say so because they win a lot. The best lawyers will even take care of your medical expenses as soon as they take on your case, but besides Montgomery and Steele, lawyers like that are hard to find.
Choose your attorney wisely.
Picking the right attorney will make or break your case, often meaning the difference between a huge payout that covers all of your expenses or a meager settlement that barely covers a box of bandaids.
Personal injury law is tricky business, and you need someone on your side who is ready and willing to fight for every dime you deserve. If you’re ready to work with one of those fighters in the Inland Empire area instead of another lawyer who’s better fit to sit at a desk all day, give us a call.
