When you’ve decided to pursue a personal injury claim, you most likely will want to retain a personal injury lawyer to help with your case. However, you probably don’t want to hire just any lawyer; you will want an experienced personal injury attorney that you can work well with. Here are some tips to keep in mind when trying to find the right personal injury lawyer for your case.
Not Every Lawyer Can or Will Take Your Case
Ideally, you will want to work with a lawyer who has specialized experience in personal injury law; you probably won’t want to hire a lawyer who primarily writes contracts or files patents. In addition, it can be helpful to find a personal injury attorney who has extensive experience handling the type of personal injury claim that you have, whether that be a car accident claim, product liability claim, or medical malpractice claim. Although you may not want to work with a lawyer who typically represents personal injury defendants and insurance companies, it can be helpful to have a lawyer with some experience on the other side of personal injury claims.
However, you should also keep in mind that not every personal injury attorney will want to take on your case. Most personal injury lawyers handle plaintiffs’ cases on a contingency fee basis, which means the lawyer does not get paid until they secure compensation for the client in a settlement or at trial. If a lawyer doesn’t think you have a particularly strong case, they may not want to represent you since they may not get paid for their work. Or if you only have minimal expenses or losses, the attorney may also decline your case since a contingency fee means the lawyer gets paid a percentage of the total compensation they recover for you.
Options for Finding Prospective Personal Injury Attorneys
You may not know where to even turn to begin finding prospective attorneys to talk to about handling your personal injury case. Some sources that you may be able to rely on include:
- Attorneys you know or have worked with: If you know or have previously hired an attorney, even if that attorney works in a completely different area of law, they may know personal injury lawyers that they can refer you to.
- Friends and family: You may have a family member or acquaintance who has had a personal injury claim. If they had a good experience with the lawyer they worked with, they may be able to provide a useful recommendation. However, just because they worked well with a particular attorney does not automatically mean you will as well.
- Online and bar association directories: There are various reputable websites that maintain directories of personal injury attorneys, sometimes even breaking attorneys down into subareas of personal injury law. Your state or local bar association can also refer you to attorneys.
Questions to Ask When Evaluating a Lawyer
You should ideally talk to a couple of personal injury lawyers before choosing one for your case. Most attorneys will offer a free, no-obligation consultation lasting about an hour. Although the consultation will help the attorney understand the basics of your case, it is also an opportunity to ask the attorney questions to help you decide if they are a right fit for you. Some questions you may want to ask include:
- How long have you been in legal practice? How long have you been practicing personal injury law?
- What percentage of your practice is personal injury cases? What is the breakdown between plaintiffs’ cases and defendants’ cases?
- How many cases like mine have you handled?
- What percentage of cases do you recover compensation in?
- How often have you gone to trial in personal injury cases? What percentage of those cases did you win?
- Who is actually going to handle my case?
- How often can I expect to be updated about my case? How quickly will my calls and emails be responded to?
Contact a Fort Lauderdale Personal Injury Lawyer to Discuss Your Case in Florida
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries due to an accident in Florida? Don’t let the medical bills pile up while you wait for the negligent party or their insurance company to do the right thing. Right now, you need an aggressive personal injury attorney on your side, fighting to get you the compensation you need, want, and deserve. The skilled attorneys at Lawlor, White & Murphey represent clients injured in Coconut Creek, Plantation, Pompano Beach, and Pembroke Pines, and throughout Florida. Call (954) 525-2345 or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case. We have an office conveniently located at 2211 Davie Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312, as well as offices in Pembroke Pines, Weston, Coconut Creek, Plantation, and Pompano Beach.
The articles on this blog are for informative purposes only and are no substitute for legal advice or an attorney-client relationship. If you are seeking legal advice, please contact our law firm directly