Top Considerations When Hiring A Personal Injury Lawyer

Before you take the first step in seeking an attorney, you set yourself up for the best outcome by being prepared and ensuring you have the preliminary information that they will want to see for your case, regardless of who you ultimately select. Your potential attorney will need to review this preliminary information to help determine your rights and how they can help you. Assemble as many of the following documents and information as you can, and have these ready for review by the potential attorneys you meet with regarding your case:

• Car insurance policy information for all involved parties;
• Relevant details about the incident (date, time, location, weather conditions, etc.);
• Official police accident report, if one was created;
• Pictures (of all injuries and any car/property damage);
• Medical records (of immediately following the accident and any related pre-existing conditions and test results);
• Medical bills or estimates; and
• Breakdown of lost income resulting from the accident.

 

FINDING THE RIGHT FIT

Now that you’ve assembled the key information and documentation needed to help an attorney evaluate your case, it’s time to seek professional support and representation. There are many legal practices out there, and they range from ineffective to excellent. Your selection process should focus on helping you determine the best fit to your needs.

We have assembled a checklist with questions you can explore with potential lawyers to help determine if they are the right lawyer for you:

EXPERIENCE/EXPERTISE

 

• Have they handled cases in the personal injury space you are in?
• Are they familiar with the law that governs the issue facing you?
• How many similar cases have they handled?
• Have they had success settling cases similar to yours?

REPUTATION

 

• Are they respected by their peers?
• Have they been asked to provide continuing legal education presentations for other lawyers?
• Have they been recognized in their industry for excellence?
• Can you get several references from satisfied clients whose cases were handled?

BENCH STRENGTH

 

• Does their firm have a deep bench of lawyers, paralegals, and other support staff who are capable of managing your case through? What happens if someone gets sick or out on vacation and you need help.
• Who is actually running my legal case?
• How will I be kept informed about my case?

FEES

 

• What fees do they charge (these typically run 20-40%, with 1/3% being fairly standard)?
• Do they advance costs or do you need to pay for any costs yourself or is all factored into any potential settlement?
• Will they help negotiate any medical bills you’ve incurred as a result of your injury ? Any medical bills and liens you may have should be negotiated and paid before you receive any of the money from your settlement or you could be on the hook for these bills later on.

It’s a confusing and upsetting time when you’ve been involved in an accident and have sustained injuries. Having a game plan in place to help you navigate the process of finding the right support to get you the best legal outcome possible will be one less stressor on you as you head down the road to recovery.

As a premier provider of personal injury services, Omni works with attorneys to help people get the medical care they need. Omni’s extensive network of certified medical providers can assist individuals in their local area. For more information about how we can help you in your personal injury business, please contact us