Finding the Best Attorney
When someone is injured in an accident they need an attorney to ensure that they are justly compensated. How do you go about finding the best lawyer for you and your case? An internet search can be an effective tool. You might search best lawyer, best accident lawyer, best accident attorney, best accident lawyer New York, top rated accident attorney, etc. But the results can often be overwhelming. How can I tell if they are the best attorneys for me? How do I know if this firm is really the best law firm for my case? Well, there are ways to help sift through the daunting task of choosing the right lawyer. I will give you some suggestions to help you find the best lawyer for you and your case. Whatever you do, don’t be afraid to ask questions.
First I will tell you what NOT to do. There are people who may show up at an accident scene claiming they work for a lawyer, there are people who work in ambulances, in emergency rooms and all over hospitals who may give you a lawyers card claiming they are the best lawyers. These people are called runners. They are paid (which is illegal) to refer cases to the lawyer or law firm. Do you want to trust your case to a lawyer who got the case by illegal methods? Are they really the best attorney if they have to stoop to these levels? If the lawyer gets caught they could face jail time and/or disbarment. If they go to jail or get disbarred, what happens to your case? Don’t be fooled. If you were sick and wanted to find the best doctor would you prefer a recommendation from someone paid by the doctor to say he or she is the best or would you rather do some research to find out about their experience and success rate?
Another method used by some attorneys and law firms is advertising. They spend enormous sums of money on television advertising, billboards, bus shelters etc. Just because they advertise, just because you see an attorney on TV does not mean they are the best attorney for you or your case. In fact, you might be surprised to learn that the attorneys that appear in the advertisements may never work on your case. They may even have arrangements with local attorneys to refer your case to lawyers who work under their name. Do some homework and research. Would you prefer to be one of thousands of cases handled by an office, or would you prefer to have more personalized attention? Would you like to know that the attorney you retain will be the attorney who will work on your case from the beginning through trial and appeals?
Experience is one factor to consider. How long has the attorney been in practice? Has the attorney handled cases similar to yours? What kind of results has the attorney obtained for other clients? Even though every case is different and there can be no guarantees that success on one case will bring about success on another case, you can get an idea of the magnitude of the cases handled based upon the results.
There are attorneys who handle cases for other personal injury law firms. There are attorneys who try cases for other personal injury firms. This is a VERY strong indicator of their abilities and reputation. If other attorneys entrust their cases to these attorneys that speaks volumes about their capabilities and experience. There are other factors to consider as well that will be covered in part II.