How to Find a Personal Injury Lawyer
When you have been injured in a collision or another type of accident, you will likely have a range of questions about what to do next.
How long will it take to physically recover? Where will the money come from when you need to cover the costs of medical bills and lost wages?
Most people are unsure of what to do after they have been hurt in an accident.
The good news is that a personal injury lawyer can help you to financially recover and take the right steps to move forward. A qualified personal injury attorney will advocate for your best interests, allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries.
Hiring an accomplished legal professional will give you the best chance of securing compensation. If you have been hurt because of someone else’s negligence, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
In the following post, we will provide a few tips about how to find the right personal injury lawyer to represent your best interests.
Table of Contents
Get a Referral From Someone You Trust
Above all else, when you’re choosing a legal representative, it is imperative to find someone that you can trust.
Getting a referral from a trusted friend or family member is an excellent way to find an attorney who might be right for you.
Gathering referrals from people that you know can give you some insight into what your experience might be like if you choose to work with a particular attorney.
Even if your friends and family members don’t know any lawyers personally, you can still seek a reliable referral. Lawyer referral services are designed for this exact purpose. The State Bar of Texas can provide a list of certified lawyer referral services in your area.
When you contact a referral service, you will need to give them some basic information about your case and your legal needs. You can be sure that all the attorneys that are recommended by these services are in good standing with the State Bar of Texas.
Do Your Research
Whether you get referrals through personal contacts or through a service, you will still need to do some research on the lawyers and firms on your own. Just because an attorney worked well for one of your family members or colleagues doesn’t mean that they will be a good fit for your case.
Be sure to gather some information before you schedule your initial legal consultation.
You should consider the following:
Areas of Legal Specialty
In the same way that doctors have certain medical specialties, lawyers often focus on specific areas of the law.
If you have been hurt in an accident, it is important to find an attorney who is highly experienced in personal injury law. This is also known as tort law.
However, areas of legal specialty can be even more specific than that. You should seek out a personal injury lawyer who has experience in your particular type of case.
If you were injured in a truck accident, you should try to find an attorney who has plenty of experience in truck accident injury claims and will know how to deal with trucking companies. If your injuries were the result of a defective medical device, you will need a product liability lawyer.
Their Track Record
A lawyer’s case history should speak for itself. Specifically, you should ask potential candidates about results that they have secured in cases that are similar to yours.
If you have been hurt in a slip and fall accident, ask the attorney about the results of their past falling accident cases. While winning prior cases is not a guarantee of success in your case, a lawyer’s track record can give you a good indicator of their ability to handle a claim like yours.
Settlement and Trial Experience
Beyond a lawyer’s history of success in cases like yours, it is important to discuss the specific outcomes of their past cases. This will help you to know what to expect in your own case.
For instance, if you have a particularly complicated workplace accident case, your case might require that you file a lawsuit. You should know this upfront so that you can have reasonable expectations for the services that the attorney will likely provide to you.
Discuss Possible Damages
The goal of every personal injury claim is to recover compensation for the costs associated with your injuries.
To do that, your attorney will need to prove that your injuries are the result of another party’s careless, reckless, or negligent behavior.
It is important to find a personal injury lawyer who has the skills to argue your case, while also fighting for the highest financial recovery possible.
In personal injury cases, you can attempt to secure damages for the following:
- Past, present, and future medical bills
- Lost wages and missed income
- Long-term decreased earning potential
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional and psychological distress
- Pain and suffering
Find a personal injury lawyer who will fight hard to win a full financial recovery in your case. To do that, you will need an attorney who will be a strong and reliable advocate for your interests.
Your attorney should put your needs and interests first. As you speak with lawyers that you are considering, pay attention to how they communicate with you. A lawyer that is abrupt and doesn’t listen might be a bulldog in the courtroom, but they also might be hard to communicate with on a regular basis.
While it is important to gather all of the information discussed above, you should also consider whether you want to work with a given person or not. Your attorney will legally represent you. Because of this, you should choose someone that you trust and believe that you can work with. Like any professional relationship, communication and dependability are crucial.
Jason Stephens is a top-rated attorney with proven experience and a long record of success. When you hire attorney Stephens you’ll see the difference. He will stand by your side and fight for the compensation you deserve. Contact his Fort Worth personal injury office near you, or call him at (817) 420-7000 to discuss your case.
