Personal injury lawyers represent people who have been injured in automobile accidents, as the result of medical malpractice, because of dangerous products, and in a variety of other ways. Hopefully you will never need a personal injury lawyer.
You will probably want a lawyer who has had years of experience and handled hundreds of personal injury cases to represent you.
However, if you are involved in an accident, it is important to have a good personal injury lawyer who can see that you receive all the money that you are entitled to. Insurance companies are not in the habit of paying more money than they have to - your lawyer should see that they pay you all the money that you should receive.
How you go about choosing a personal injury lawyer may determine whether your claim is handled properly. The United States Supreme Court has said that lawyers can advertise. I strongly suggest that you not choose a lawyer just because you have seen his advertisements on television or elsewhere. Advertising gives lawyers an opportunity to tell the public what types of cases they accept. Unfortunately, the law allows all lawyers - good and bad - to advertise. It is possible for lawyers who have never tried a personal injury case, or who haven't tried one in twenty years, to advertise themselves as personal injury lawyers. Before retaining a lawyer in a personal injury case, ask him or her how many such cases they have successfully tried and when they last went to court with such a case. You may further want to ask if the lawyer has ever lectured or written on the subject of personal injury law and whether they have been involved in novel cases that require imagination in ingenuity.
Since no lawyer can give a guarantee of the results he or she will obtain for you, it is best to select a lawyer with a good reputation and a proven track record. Do you have a friend who has a similar case? Was he satisfied with his lawyer? Layers' reputations are usually based on the type of results they get for their clients. You will probably want a lawyer who has had years of experience and handled hundreds of personal injury cases to represent you.
Rules that I would suggest you follow in selecting a good personal injury lawyer are the following:
1. Does the lawyer have the experience and competence to handle your case that can be gained only by taking such cases to court?
2. Has the lawyer had enough years of experience to competently handle your case?
3. Has a friend been satisfied with the lawyer's services?
4. Is the lawyer willing to take your case to court if the insurance company will not offer a settlement you are satisfied with?
