Getting injured in accidents or situations that are not your fault can be overwhelming. You may be left dealing with the physical toll, the emotional trauma, and accompanying financial losses. The good news is that, with firms like JTL, you can get justice and secure fair compensation on your personal injury case.
This compensation should cover your medical care expenses, cover the loss of income, and the quality of life, as well as any other damages resulting from the injury. Indeed, seeking compensation is, without doubt, the how to live with a serious injury.
For a hassle-free experience, here is a simple guide to follow when hiring a personal injury lawyer
1. Find the Right Lawyer
There are several areas of specialties in law. Some lawyers specialize in criminal law, others estate law, and others family law. You want to limit your search to attorneys specializing and with experience in all things related to personal injury law.
That being said, personal injury law is also quite expansive. Cases involving car accidents, slip, and fall accidents, and construction cases fall into this area. As such, you want to choose a lawyer with experience in the specific type of accident you were involved in. Be sure to ask about relevant experience and similar cases handled when doing your research.
2. Verify Licensing
Take your due diligence a little step further even before you can engage a lawyer, by verifying if they are licensed. You can use the “find a lawyer” feature on the Bar’s website.
The search results will show you the lawyer’s bar number and when they were admitted to practice in your state. No amount of advertising can be a substitute for working with a fully licensed attorney. You will no doubt have more confidence working with a licensed attorney as licensing is proof enough that the lawyer met the minimum requirements to be allowed the mandate to represent your case or similar.
3. Schedule a Consultation
Many lawyers offer a free, obligation-free consultation. Confirm if that is the case, or you will have to pay for the consultation before you get in touch to book an appointment.
Take this preliminary consultation as an opportunity to know the attorney better. The attorney will use it as an opportunity to know more about and assess the particulars and merits of your case. Be sure to ask the right questions so you have an idea of what to expect if you engage the services of the lawyer. This includes the attorney’s experience handling cases similar to yours, and their track record as far as winning such cases go. It helps to take time to come up with these questions and write them down before the meeting.
Again, be sure to do a post-meeting review, focusing on what you were able to pick from your consultation, in terms of their being able to handle your case, and how well you communicated.
4. Take Time to Make a Decision
By all means, schedule a consultation with several attorneys and find out what each has to offer. The last thing you want to do is to decide to hire an attorney while you are at their office. You have every reason to take a day or two to consider which attorney you will hire for your personal injury case.
Only after giving it a proper thought should you confidently go ahead with hiring an attorney. Take this time to do further research, and particularly, reviews from other clients who have worked, or are working with the attorney.
5. Set up Follow-Up Appointment
After making your decision, you will want to communicate the same and go about retaining the services of the lawyer you choose. Schedule an appointment with the attorney, and discuss the specifics of engagement, including, but not limited to attorney fees and payment methods. Ensure you are on the same page about the payment plan. Most attorneys go with a contingency fee plan, where you don’t pay any fees upfront, but will do so if the attorney recovers compensation for you, and the fee will be charged as a percentage of the recovered compensation.
Be sure to find out if the percentage of your compensation owed to your attorney changes if the case is litigated. Read the fine print before signing the papers and committing to a relationship with the attorney.
Final Thoughts
Finding the right attorney to handle your personal injury law case is crucial. Take time to research and find a lawyer who specializes in personal injury law and has not only experience handling cases similar to yours, but one with a proven track record. After settling on an attorney you are convinced is the right fit for you and your case, go ahead and take time to ask questions about each party’s responsibilities going forward even as you embark on your case.
