What Makes a Good Personal Injury Attorney?
The lawyer you select for your personal injury case will, in part, determine the outcome of the case. Experience and personal attention are major factors that can influence how much money you get. When it comes to selecting a personal injury attorney, you have to take the time to research and identify the right person for you.
Many people will select an attorney based on where the lawyer went to law school. But law school education can be deceiving. While a prestigious, high profile law school might look good on paper, it says nothing about a lawyer’s practical experience navigating the complicated nuances of the personal injury legal process. In addition, be careful if a law firm states that they are “full-service” and specialize in more than just a few, related areas of practice. If the firm is spreading itself out to cover diverse areas such as family law, sports law, and personal injury, your lawyer may not be as experienced as you would like.
Personal attention, however, is probably the most important factor in determining what lawyer is right for you. You should interview with a few law firms and select the one that best fits with your personality. You will be working with this legal team for three or four years, so it’s important that you feel comfortable communicating with them. The size of the law firm does little to indicate how much personal attention you will get from your lawyer. A large firm might have a large staff that is able and willing to answer all of your questions in a timely manner. Or a large firm might treat you like a number. The same is true of a small office of just a few people. You could be highly valued as one of just a few clients or you could be overlooked by the overworked staff.
If you don’t like your lawyer, you are less likely to call or visit. You won’t feel comfortable sharing the details of the accident or your subsequent injuries. You are less likely to listen to the lawyer’s advice. In short, the more comfortable you are with your attorney, the more likely the case will be successful.
Personal injury cases take years for final settlements. You are likely to be calling the office on a weekly basis and visiting on a monthly basis. If you don’t like the office on your first visit, you probably won’t like it on your 25th visit. Take a few weeks to pick the right law firm for your case.
