How To Choose the Best Personal Injury Lawyer

Stephen Schultz | October 3, 2023 | Personal Injury

When you hire a personal injury lawyer, you are putting your financial future in their hands. You know you want to choose the best lawyer, but a quick internet search can soon leave you feeling overwhelmed. Fortunately, a little planning goes a long way.

When you know what you’re looking for, choosing the right personal injury lawyer for you doesn’t have to be a headache. Asking the right questions and taking certain steps will help guide you to the lawyer you feel confident about trusting with your case.

Identify Your Goals

The first thing you need to identify is what you’re trying to achieve. If you need a personal injury lawyer, you’re probably trying to recover compensation. Before you can do that, though, you need to identify what type of case you have and what you’re hoping to accomplish.

Were you injured by falling on a slippery restaurant floor? If so, your goal is probably to recover slip and fall compensation through a premises liability claim. Were you hurt in an Uber accident? In that case, you’ll need to file a car accident claim to recover compensation from the driver and possibly the rideshare company as well.

Once you know what type of compensation you need, you know the kind of lawyer you should be looking for.

Get Organized

Successfully recovering personal injury compensation often depends on evidence. You need documentation that shows how someone else caused your injury, as well as proof of how your finances and quality of life have suffered as a result.

When choosing a personal injury lawyer, you’ll need to attend some consultations and hear what they have to say about your case. However, if they don’t have a clear understanding of the accident and your losses, it’s hard for a lawyer to give you an accurate assessment.

Collecting as much documentation as possible, organizing your papers, and bringing them along to a consultation makes it much easier for a lawyer to assess your case. That, in turn, makes it easier for you to compare the advice you get from different lawyers while making your choice.

Research Lawyers Online

Once you know what sort of claim you’re dealing with, it’s much easier to begin your online research. In addition to your case type, you might also have additional considerations to keep in mind. If your injuries were severe, you might want to look for lawyers who handle both your case and injury type.

Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries are two common examples of serious trauma that often requires additional experience. Injuries like these often leave you in need of additional forms of compensation, like lifelong attendant care costs or anticipated future earnings.

As you search online for possible personal injury lawyers, consider the types of cases they handle. Make sure to look at their case results to see what sort of outcomes they achieve, and read online reviews to hear about how past clients felt about their representation.

Make a List of Top Picks

It’s time to start narrowing your choices to a few promising options. Based on all you’ve learned, make a list of a few personal injury lawyers you think would be best for your case.

Personal injury compensation can be time-sensitive. On the one hand, it’s best to get a lawyer involved in your case as soon as possible to avoid missing any deadlines. On the other hand, you don’t want to rush into a contract with the first lawyer you talk to.

Once you have a few possible lawyers selected, schedule free consultations as soon as possible. The sooner you hear about your options, the faster a lawyer can get started on your case.

Attend Some Free Consultations

Finally, it’s time to meet your personal injury lawyer candidates. As you sit through consultations, consider what each lawyer has to say about your case. While a lawyer probably wants your business, they also don’t want to take on a losing case.

Most of the time, a personal injury lawyer will give you an honest assessment of your likely outcome. However, not all lawyers have the same level of skill and experience. One might tell you that proving liability is too difficult, while a more experienced lawyer might see a way to make a winning case.

A good sign to look for is when a lawyer clearly explains the different options and allows you to decide for yourself. This tells you that they are putting their legal knowledge to work for you while still allowing you to remain in control.

Assess Your Options

Once you’ve taken the time to meet a few personal injury lawyers, it’s time to choose the one you trust to take on your case. If you received very different assessments of your case value or your chances of winning, consider why this might be.

If all the lawyers you spoke with gave you a similar assessment, you can further narrow the options by considering how they interacted with you. Were they patient or rushed? Did they explain things clearly? Did they have a sense of humor or show sympathy for your situation?

Factors like a lawyer’s communication style and personality might not seem like a big deal during a short consultation. However, they can have a significant impact on how well you work together as your case moves forward.

Make a Choice

Once you’ve considered your options, it’s time to make your choice. After you decide which personal injury attorney you want to represent you, you can call their firm and let them know you’re ready to move forward.

You’ll probably be asked to come in to sign a contract, which will include your lawyer’s fee agreement. Take the time to ask any questions you have about how payment is arranged and what their next steps will be.

Begin Searching For the Right Personal Injury Lawyer Today

Choosing the best personal injury lawyer for your case is a big job. Fortunately, a little planning helps you feel confident that you’ve put in the work and chosen the lawyer right for you.

Now, it’s time to sit back, focus on healing from your injuries, and trust that your case is in experienced hands.