From a previous post, I talked a little about how hiring an attorney can usually get an injured accident victim more money for their claim versus their going it alone. So, if you have looked at the stack of medical bills coming in, have been dealing with pain and suffering and lost wages from work, you might very well be thinking it’s time to play hard ball with the insurance company that will low ball you. What characteristics do you look for if you’re trying to hire a lawyer to represent you for your car accident claim?
To explain it, I created this handy video on what to look for when searching for a personal injury attorney. Here’s the gist of it.
You want to look for two key things:
What is the lawyer’s track record for finding results for his or her clients? Can you see a long list of case studies showing the lawyer’s results? Every lawyer has got to start somewhere, but typically if someone has their own firm they’ve been around the block a few times and know how to be aggressive with insurance companies and compassionate with clients. I’m tooting my own here by linking you to my own results page, which describes cases I’ve handled and the compensation I worked to get my clients.
Has this lawyer been to trial? It isn’t because your case is likely to go to trial – most personal injury cases settle out of court. It’s because an attorney who has earned a reputation as a trial lawyer who wins cases has leverage against the insurance companies. They know a lawyer who is skilled at trial might take their case all the way to court and win. They don’t want that – it means they might very well have to pay a lot more money in the end, both to the injured party and to their own in-house lawyers. Having a lawyer who’s got this leverage is a great help to getting your own fast, fair and full settlement.
If I can help you on your case, I’m just a phone call away. Reach me at 360-303-0601, or through the chat window in the bottom right of this website. You can send me an email here. Please note that all first-time consultations are free with no obligation to hire me, but a great time to ask questions and hear a few ideas on what your best next steps might be.