Although hiring a personal injury attorney is not overly difficult, you need to consider some very important factors. After all, the level of expertise provided by your attorney will have a direct impact on the outcome of your case. Hiring the right attorney is especially important in cases involving severe or life-changing injuries.

If you have sustained injuries at the hands of another individual, carefully consider the factors listed below as part of the hiring process.

  • Initial Consultation – It is highly recommended that you talk to attorneys who offer a free initial consultation. During this time, you have the opportunity to conduct an interview. As a result, you will learn about the lawyer’s education, area of specialty, experience, and percentage of successful cases and whether you feel comfortable with and confident in this individual.
  • Area of Specialty – Every attorney works within a special area of the law. While some lawyers focus on just one area, others overlap into multiple areas. For you, it is imperative to hire an attorney who has solid experience and knowledge in personal injury. Typically, this attorney will not only have personal injury experience but also a tremendous amount of insight into how insurance companies operate, which is vital to the case.
  • Experience – As mentioned, when hiring a personal injury attorney, you need someone with experience. This provides confidence in the lawyer’s ability to handle every aspect of your case, including dealing with the insurance company. Often, when an insurance company sees that an attorney has experience in litigation, it tends to back down somewhat.
  • Past Successes – When hiring a personal injury attorney, you have both the right and responsibility to ask about past successes. Obviously, a lawyer with a record of negotiating favorable settlements and winning verdicts is exactly who you want in your corner. A skilled negotiator and litigator will make you feel more secure and produce a positive outcome.
  • Strong Negotiator – Keep in mind that while some personal injury cases go all the way to jury trial, many are settled through negotiations. Therefore, any attorney being considered needs to be a strong negotiator, someone who can stand up to the insurance company and secure fair monetary compensation.
  • Fee and Billing Structure – In most instances, a personal injury attorney works on a pro bono basis, meaning the lawyer only gets paid if you receive financial compensation, whether through negotiation or settlement. Although the fee and billing structure is not necessarily a major criterion when hiring a great lawyer, it is something that should be fully understood.

The Bottom Line

By spending some time asking questions and conducting research, you will have no problem identifying the right personal injury attorney for your case.