After suffering an injury, the last thing on your mind is choosing a personal injury lawyer. However, through the post-injury carnage, this should be one of your top priorities. That being said, there are countless personal injury lawyers out there and they will all tell you they’re the best. This can leave you feeling overwhelmed and confused. Fortunately, there are things you can do to narrow the search down and find the right one for you. Throughout this article, we will tell you what to look for in a personal injury lawyer.
Referrals
With the number of people getting into accidents, there’s no surprise that personal injury law is common. Therefore, there’s a large chance someone you know has used a personal injury lawyer. So, before you start your research, ask your connections if they have any past experiences. You need to be tactful, but find out if their needs were met and whether they were rewarded a fair payout.
Research Attorneys
Alongside obtaining referrals, you should search online and find the most renowned personal firms in your state. Once you’ve found a quality law firm like this Allentown personal injury lawyer at Munley Law, you need to check for peer review sites to see if other people have had success with them.
Decide What’s Important to You
Not every lawyer will fit your needs, so you need to formulate a list of criteria which are important to you. For example, if you only want to work with attorneys that work on a contingency fee, you can scrub a portion of firms off your list and narrow your search. Another metric could be years of experience, which will tighten your search further.
Analyze Their Credentials
Once you’ve cross-checked the lawyers in your area with your criteria you can start to pick apart each lawyer’s credentials. The following is what you need to check:
- Make sure they’ve completed the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)
- Check their graduating school is accredited by the American Bar Association
- To practice in your state, they will need to take the Bar exam if they’re from elsewhere
- Continued professional development is being followed – usually required every 1-3 years
- Search for lawyers with board certification in personal injury litigation – this backs their expert personal injury claims
On top of checking for the accreditations above, you need to make sure that their previous track record is a success.
The Final Step
Once you’ve got your list of attorneys and checked they match your criteria and hold the necessary accreditation, it’s time to approach the firms. Ideally, you should choose a handful of lawyers to talk to. Find out what they have to say in person. You should opt for the one that can estimate the most but who also has a successful previous record.
Being injured is never ideal and looking for an injury lawyer won’t be your top priority. To help alleviate the stress, knowing what to look for in a successful personal injury lawyer is important.