Have you had a personal injury in New York City? Are you looking for a personal injury lawyer? Then read our guide for tips on finding the best personal injury attorney for you…
Accidents happen. The consequences of accidents that involve personal injury or death often tend to paralyze the victim or the victim’s family regarding a decision to seek damages for such an injury or a death. The changes wrought in one’s life by a personal injury accident often require time for processing and grieving. If or when you seek legal help you will need a personal injury attorney with the experience and the understanding of what you are going through.
Choosing Professional Representation
If your personal lawyer happens to be experienced in matters relating to personal injury accidents all the better. Oftentimes this is simply not the case. Although you may have a longstanding professional relationship with a particular attorney, chances are that they are not prepared to advocate on your behalf in the area of personal injury – regardless of how professionally skilled they may be in other areas.
Since, rightfully so, large sums of money are often at stake in legal matters involving personal injury, and since the circumstances that lead to such injuries are difficult to ascertain you may find yourself in court opposing and contradicting insurance companies, property owners, fellow employees and unreliable witnesses. An experienced personal injury lawyer has dealt with these sorts of obstacles and circumstances countless times and has managed to win just compensation for accident victims such as yourself or the members of your family.
One clear indicator of a competent personal injury attorney is their record when it comes to an area known as “verdicts & settlements”. Many law firms that specialize in personal injury advertize their record of the verdicts and settlements that have favored their clients with substantial compensation for injuries sustained. This is a good place to start the selection process, but it’s only a start. Pay particular attention to the kinds of cases listed there. If for instance you find only medical malpractice examples in such a list and your case relates to a construction accident, you should consider another personal injury attorney.
A Truly Personal Personal Injury Lawyer
Most personal injury attorneys will agree to evaluate how likely it is that you have a legitimate reason to seek legal redress and compensation for a personal injury. If they only agree to do so for a fee, seek help elsewhere. If you end up talking exclusively to legal assistants or very junior personal, try another firm at the very least. If your request to verify certain claims made by a firm by talking to a personal injury lawyer who actually won a verdict is brushed off or if a request to speak with a former client is treated with suspicion that may not be the firm you need.
If at any point you feel undue pressure to move forward, remember that personal injury lawyers are rather plentiful, but finding a good one may involve some time and effort.
Other Indicators
An experienced personal injury lawyer may well mention in passing that many case like yours don’t even go to trial and are settled out of court. However, if a personal injury lawyer is too “verdict heavy” and light on the settlements their aggressive style of litigation may not be right for you. If on the other hand a prospective personal injury attorney keeps mentioning the possibility of settling before your case goes to trial they may not be that confident about their ability in the courtroom or they may not be willing to take the time and make the effort to advocate effectively on your behalf.
