When we become involved in an auto accident and suffer personal injury, we find ourselves having to do much more than recovering. As a matter of fact, victims of auto accidents often deal with insurance companies that aren’t always attentive to their needs. As the medical bills pile up, victims feel hopeless. At those moments, when consulting a personal injury lawyer seems like the best option, we go online for help.
While searching online you might start with terms such as “best personal injury lawyer near me,” location alone might not give you all the details you need to make a smart decision. And that’s because internet searches sometimes produce lists of professionals who aren’t as reputable as we might think. That’s why it’s important to do our homework before we settle on a particular attorney.
Below are three steps you should take to find the best personal injury attorney in your area.
1- Check The Lawyer’s Avvo Rating
The Seattle-based Avvo is an online tool that helps people who are in search of legal help, giving users lawyer referrals based on their performance. When looking for an attorney, it might be helpful to look for his or her Avvo rating, especially if you don’t personally know anyone who has used the attorney’s services before.
2- Check If The Attorney Has The Resources To Take On Your Case
Serious or catastrophic personal injuries often lead to lawsuits that might be expensive to take to court. Depending on how serious your injuries might be and who are the parties involved, your attorney might require the help of expert testimony. If your attorney doesn’t have the staffing and financial resources needed to take on the endeavor, he or she might end up cutting corners to keep expenses low. In the end, the attorney might even pressure the victim to take an inadequate settlement if he or she runs out of money.
Finding a lawyer with the resources to take on serious cases could significantly improve your case’s outcome.
3- Pick Someone With Experience
When looking for an attorney, experience might make a real difference, especially if your personal injury case involves catastrophic injuries.
An attorney with 100 cases under his or her belt has represented enough clients to know how to better navigate the legal system. This is clearly an advantage over the potentially less effective novice attorney.
That’s why knowing how long the attorney has been handling personal injury cases is important. Especially if you’re stuck between two choices with similar Avvo scores and enough resources to take on your case.
