Top 7 tips to choose the best personal injury lawyer
Finding a personal injury lawyer for the first time can be complicated, and even stressful. They all claim to be the best, so how do you know? Well, first it is important to know why finding a “good” personal injury lawyer is important. A good personal injury lawyer can speed up the process, increase your compensation benefits, and most importantly, be responsive and inform you frequently in a manner that you can understand. There are several tips that may help you in your “quest” to find the best personal injury lawyer for your injury claim.
Number 1: Recommendations from people you know
Asking for a referral is a good old underrated technique that you might want to start with. It is the easiest and safest option that you can start with. If one of your friends had a similar injury and received his/her entitlements smoothly, and would use that lawyer again, then you may want to talk to that lawyer right away.
Number 2: Obtain a second opinion
Even if a friend has provided you with a recommendation or once you have contacted a personal injury lawyer there is no harm in obtaining a free second opinion. Take advantage of the free initial consultations that personal injury lawyers offer.
Number 3: Critical analysis of Google reviews
Google is trying to perfect its algorithm to get rid of fraudulent reviews and punish such accounts. You should check the reviews of your personal injury lawyer. Rankings are important but it’s not the biggest indicator; it’s better to read the reason for negative reviews to understand what can go wrong. Some lawyers do not want to take the case as they think that it’s impossible to satisfy the client’s needs, if a user complained about that and gave a 1-star review, it is not particularly a bad attitude, on contrary, it’s a good signal for the lawyer. It is also important to see the firm’s response to that review.
Number 4: Know your lawyer
You might want to know who is taking care of your injury claim and not just be happy with the person who spoke to you. Feel free to ask to meet your lawyer in person. Big law firms employ hundreds of new graduate lawyers, you should openly ask the person who is responsible for your personal injury claim and how much experience they have in a similar claim to yours.
Number 5: No Win No Fee agreement
Not all law firms have the same no win no fee policy and terms and conditions. For example, some lawyers offer no win no fee but they are only referring to their fees and not the disbursements they incur by funding your claim. A good no win no fee policy is one that includes both legal costs and disbursements which means you do not pay any of your personal injury lawyer’s legal costs or disbursements if you do not win.
Number 6: Free initial meeting
Most personal injury lawyers offer free initial meetings and even follow up meetings. Ensure you use it prior to signing to ensure you are comfortable with the law firm and personal injury lawyer handling your claim.
Number 7: Asking the right questions
The initial consultation is not purely marketing and should be used to ask all the relevant questions you may have until you are satisfied. For example whether or not you have a claim, the entitlements, time limits, expected resolution amount, expected resolution time period and details of their cost agreement.
Now it’s your turn
Now it’s your turn to find the best personal injury lawyer for your compensation claim.
