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7 Things to Consider When Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer

Feb 23, 2022

Recovering from an accident or injury can be a daunting experience, especially if your injuries result from another person's neglect. You may suddenly find yourself paying numerous medical bills or suffering income loss as you recover from your injuries. Additionally, you may experience emotional trauma from the accident.

If you have sustained injuries through the recklessness or negligence of others, you can hold them accountable for the damages by filing a personal injury claim. If you have never filed a personal injury claim before, seek legal counsel to help and guide you through the process. Hiring a good lawyer can make the difference between getting the financial compensation you deserve or suffering under the weight of unanticipated medical bills and emotional damage.

Find out seven things to consider when hiring a personal injury lawyer.

1. Relevant Experience

Before choosing a lawyer, browse through their website to ensure they have dealt with numerous personal injury cases similar to yours. Such a lawyer will have the necessary skills and expertise to help you maximize your compensation.

2. Reputation

If previous clients have received excellent representation from a certain lawyer, then so will you. A good way to know an attorney's reputation is by checking out client reviews and testimonials. This will help you know how they relate with their clients, which is an easy way to determine if they are the right fit.

3. Costs and Fees

While you want to get good legal representation, you don't want to go broke from paying service charges. Before choosing your attorney, discuss their billing practices and payment plan. Most personal injury lawyers agree to deduct their fee from the settlement amount. However, you must remember to ask how much money you will owe your lawyer if you do not recover money from the personal injury claim.

When you know your prospective personal injury attorney's charges, you can hire one who works within your budget.

4. Trial Experience

While most personal injury cases are settled out of court, some cases may go to trial. An attorney who lacks trial experience may settle for less compensation to avoid a court battle. To avoid that, choose an attorney with extensive trial experience to see your case to the finish.

5. Winning Record

A good personal injury lawyer should have more wins than losses inside and outside the courtroom. Before meeting a lawyer, visit their website to get statistics of the cases they have settled and the specific compensation amounts they have won for their clients. If that information is not on their website, make sure to ask for it when you meet your attorney.

An attorney who is a skilled negotiator and can make compelling arguments in a trial is your best bet to maximize your settlement. Such an attorney is likely to have a winning streak inside and outside the courtroom.

6. Discipline History

Before hiring an attorney, make sure they have a clean track record. The New York court system has publicly available attorney discipline records; therefore, finding a prospective attorney's discipline history is easy. Steer clear of an attorney with a history of disciplinary issues.

7. Accessibility

You deserve an attorney who responds to your queries promptly and always keeps you informed of your claim proceedings. Therefore, before making a hiring decision, ask how an attorney communicates with clients, how you can reach them in case of questions, and how often you can expect updates.

Good lawyers can be hard to find. But at Schonberg Law Offices, we commit to making our clients a priority to ensure they receive the compensation they deserve. Contact us today for a free case evaluation and legal representation on all personal injury and accident cases.

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