Top 5 Factors to Consider When Selecting Personal Injury Attorneys

In 2020, there were about 98 million unintentional injury emergency visits in the United States. If you are the victim of a personal injury accident, you may want to seek legal counsel in order to get compensated for your injuries, medical bills, and other pain and suffering. Before selecting personal injury attorneys to work with, consider these five important factors to ensure you are picking the best option for your case.

1. Find a Lawyer in Your Area 

The first thing that you should consider when selecting personal injury attorneys is finding a lawyer that is based in the same area where the accident took place. This is important because local laws vary in other areas across the US.  States laws are different from state to state, so you need an attorney knowledgeable about traffic laws in Los Angeles.

Also, having a lawyer closer to your area increases the ease of communication. You may need to go to their office for an impromptu meeting, so having a lawyer closer to your area can make your life much easier. Or, your specific situation may make it more difficult for you to travel to see your lawyer regularly. An example of this is if you are still in the hospital recovering from your injury.

2. Selecting Personal Injury Attorneys That Are Experienced

The next thing that you need to consider is what type of experience and success your potential lawyer has. Personal injury law is a broad spectrum, so ensure your attorney specializes in auto accidents.

Ideally, you are going to want a lawyer that has handled car accident cases like yours in the past and was able to obtain maximum compensation for clients. This can be confirmed with the law firm’s testimonials available on the website or through review sites, like Yelp and Google.

Make sure that your lawyer has the right history of cases before agreeing to hire them. With that experience, they have likely faced cases similar to yours several times. As a lawyer builds their experience with more cases in a specific area, it becomes more likely that they can develop a strategy that increases their chances of winning.

3. The Lawyer’s Credentials 

Along with experience, one thing that you should consider is what credentials the lawyer has. Examples of this can be what law school they got their degree from, what type of law the lawyer specializes in, and any specific past cases that they can reference. In addition, you need to ensure the attorney is licensed to actually practice in California.

Another thing that you may want to look for is specific accreditations that a lawyer has and if they are up to date such as from the American Bar Association (ABA).

4. Cost of the Lawyer

Like everything else in the world, the cost is going to be a factor for who you hire if you are on a budget. Sometimes, lawyers work on contingency, rather than an hourly rate.

Contingency rates are usually about 33% of the amount of money that gets offered to you, the defendant, as a settlement. However, that fee can be as high as 40%.

So, you need to ask a lawyer in advance how much of a fee they would want from your case. Some may ask for a higher contingency fee. Therefore, you need to determine if that lawyer is worth the extra money.

5. Read References and Reviews 

Pay attention to what people are specifically saying in these reviews. Also, note if there is anything that is negatively consistent about this lawyer. Some lawyers also use testimonials as references to their past success. These are usually from past clients or people that a lawyer has worked closely with before. Also, one option that a lawyer has is to use word of mouth.

Take Selecting Personal Injury Attorneys Seriously

These are just some of the things that you need to consider when you are selecting personal injury attorneys. Make sure that you find one in your area, you can actually afford the lawyer, find one with experience and success, and find one with good negotiation skills.

Do you want to find a good personal injury attorney? Schedule a free consultation with Angeleno Accident Lawyers today.