Choosing to pursue legal action for a personal injury can be a difficult decision. Maybe you’ve been in an accident or your child was injured, and you’ve decided you need help in order to recover from your losses and damages. Once you’ve made this choice, picking your attorney is the next step. We’ve put together some advice to help you navigate the process of picking a personal injury lawyer that’s right for you and your situation.
Step One: Check out Client Reviews.
While Google can be a great resource for initial searches and basic information, there are a few other websites you can use to help you choose your personal injury law firm. To find car accident attorneys or personal injury attorneys, we recommend two websites: Avvo.com and superlawyers.com. These websites offer general legal advice, but also provide a platform for clients to leave reviews of attorneys nationwide. You can use these websites to read reviews of attorneys in your area, and get a sense for other client’s experiences and case results.
Step Two: Interview Lawyers.
After reading client reviews and making a list of attorneys you may be interested in, call and schedule a consultation. Most personal injury lawyers will offer this initial consultation free of charge. During this meeting, it’s important to be thorough with the attorney in giving details about your case and asking any questions that you have. Make a list of questions before the appointment with a range of topics. It’s important to know about their qualifications, their pricing structure and any additional fees, whether they have the staff and financial resources to be handling your case, and how they will contact you about case developments.
Step Three: Consider the Results you Want for your Case.
During the interview, you should ask whether the attorney has handled cases like yours before. When talking to the lawyer about their experience, qualifications, and case results, it’s important to remember that many cases don’t chalk up to a clear win or a loss. Many cases will settle before even going to court. Think about what kind of result you’d like in your case, and if the lawyer has gotten that result with cases like yours.
Like in any other situation where you’re purchasing a product or a service, you have to find someone who is qualified and right for you. It’s a big decision-- make sure to do your homework!
To learn if we’re the right fit for you,
please call us at (319) 826-2250 for a free initial consultation.
The above information is meant to be helpful, but is not meant to replace the legal advice of an attorney with whom you have an attorney-client relationship.