How to choose a personal injury lawyer
When it comes to handling personal injury cases, you want to work with an attorney who has a winning record in court and a big heart. Not only will they provide you legal advice on how to collect damages, but this is the person that you’re going to be talking to about how your life has changed since the accident, and that may mean talking about your personal or family life and about your daily struggles. Here is some advice on how to choose a personal injury attorney.
Find The Right Practice Areas
All attorneys go to law school and study mostly the same material, but at some point, there is specialization and then even more specialization within practice areas. Not all personal injury attorneys take all types of personal injury cases. So if you have been injured by a healthcare worker’s negligence, then you do not want to work with a personal injury lawyer whose experience fighting for clients to get the compensation to deserve includes mostly premises liability cases.
So before you hire a personal injury attorney, make sure they have experience specifically with your type of injury case. Within personal injury law, there are different specialties.
Medical Malpractice
Medical Malpractice occurs when a patient has been injured and victimized when a doctor or other healthcare professional deviates from the standard of medical care through an act of negligence or criminal intent. Examples of negligence include:
- Failure to diagnose or delayed diagnosis
- Improper medication dosage
- Failure to order appropriate testing
- Anesthesia errors
- Childbirth Injuries
Dog Bite
Each state has its own laws regarding who is liable for a dog’s initial bite and any subsequent bites or attacks. This is why you need to hire an attorney in the state where the dog bite occurred so that you get the most accurate help. In most states, the owner is not liable, however, if the dog was provoked by the victim before the attack.
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Some personal injury attorneys focus on getting compensation for injured victims of car, truck, and motorcycle accidents. The most common types of accidents include:
- Rear-end collision
- Sideswipe accident
- Intersection accident, otherwise known as an intersection accident
- 18 wheeler accidents
Wrongful Death
Wrongful death attorneys represent victims who have lost their loved ones and fight for them to receive the maximum compensation — experience matters in wrongful death lawsuits. You want to ask an attorney how much experience they have in this specific area and how much time they have to dedicate to your case. Establishing negligence and developing a strong argument is imperative for the wrongful death attorney, and it is important for survivors to be able to talk with their attorney rather than a legal aide whenever they have questions about their case. When looking for a wrongful death attorney, choosing a smaller firm, such as Murray & Murray, means that you get the individualized care and treatment you deserve.
Check Out Their Background
Something that is particularly meaningful to extremely satisfied clients of attorneys is their interests and pursuits in the community. Personal injury attorneys develop relationships with police officers and other professionals in the community. Attorneys who are involved in charitable organizations, mentoring programs, volunteerism, teaching at law schools, or serving on professional boards are typically intrepid and successful in the courtroom. A kind and compassionate lawyer who has volunteered with the elderly underprivileged in their community to provide pro bono legal help, for example, is the kind of lawyer with good character and most likely has an excellent reputation among their peers.
How do I pay my personal injury attorney? Can I afford an attorney?
It’s important to ask any potential personal injury lawyers that you are speaking with about how they expect payment. For instance, if you check with a top cumming injury law firm make sure to settle all the costs needed to remember. Most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis which means that they expect to get paid a portion of the amount that they win you in your case.
