Getting injured in an accident can be a very traumatic experience. You will be dealing with the physical pain and may also face piling medical bills, lost wages, and other financial obligations.
Fortunately, you may be eligible to recover compensation, especially if your injury resulted from an accident caused by someone else’s negligence.
While you can pursue compensation on your own, it is essential to let a reputable personal injury law firm handle the legal aspects of your case so you can focus on recovery.
But what should you consider when choosing a personal injury law firm?
1. Experience With Your Case Type
When picking a personal injury law firm, experience is the first thing to consider. An excellent way to identify an experienced law firm is by looking at their years of service, number of cases in a particular specialty, and their track record of success with your type of case.
The best thing about having an experienced law firm is that they are familiar with the ins and outs of the personal injury claim process and know what it takes to build a strong case or challenge the insurance companies.
Better still, they will have a network of medical experts, accident reconstruction specialists, and other professionals who can be helpful to your case.
2. Resources at Their Disposal
Besides experience, you need a law firm with all the legal resources necessary to prepare evidence, investigate your case, and build a solid argument to warrant compensation. In addition, of course, the law firm you choose must have a physical office, office furniture, equipment, and supplies such as computers, printers, dedicated business telephone, etc.
More importantly, they must have a team of experienced attorneys, paralegals, or private investigators. All these resources play a significant role in evidence collection, tracking down witnesses, and doing whatever it takes to help you get the compensation you deserve.
3. Expertise in Your Local Area
A good law firm must have offices in your region where you can easily visit for face-face communications rather than send an e-mail or make telephone calls.
For example, suppose you live in New York. In that case, you will want to hire a local law firm, such as the attorneys at Rosenberg & Gluck, to ensure you can easily visit their offices to discuss matters regarding your case.
Besides accessibility, a law firm in your region will have an in-depth understanding of the personal injury laws in your state, court procedures, and the personalities of the local judicial or administrative authorities.
4. Attorneys’ Communication
Effective communication is a critical factor for any attorney. After all, a lawyer’s job involves communicating with the opposing side, administrative authorities, and their clients.
That’s why you must pick a law firm with organized attorneys who can communicate understandably. But, more importantly, ensure that they show interest in your case, anticipate your questions or expectations and keep you posted on the new developments in your case.
If they are too busy for you, your case is likely in the hands of the wrong law firm.
5. What They Charge
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. That means clients only pay a certain percentage of the recovered settlement, meaning you don’t have to pay a dime if you lose.
In most cases, personal injury law firms take around 1/3, equivalent to 33% of the total settlement. However, this percentage may vary depending on the case’s complexity, risks involved, and who pays for litigation costs. That means a good law firm’s contingency fee should range between 20% and 40 %.
