If you were injured in a personal injury event, don’t let the fear of hiring an attorney keep you from pursuing a claim. If someone else’s negligence caused your injuries, you have a right to seek compensation for your damages.
Choose an Attorney with Experience
One of the biggest mistakes people make when hiring an attorney is not finding one who has experience with cases like theirs. You want a personal injury lawyer who has taken similar cases to yours and won at trial. If you are meeting with a firm that primarily handles auto accident claims and you have a very complex defective product case, it’s likely not a good match.
Make Sure You’re Comfortable
You want to hire an attorney who makes you feel comfortable and who has a good personality. If the attorney makes you uneasy in the first meeting, imagine how it will be working on your case. Will you hesitate when emailing questions or calling their office? If you don’t feel comfortable with them now, how do you expect a jury to believe them and award money to you?
Do Your Research
Before interviewing different personal injury lawyers, spend some time researching them online. You can:
- Read their website bios and areas of expertise
- Review the case results sections on their website
- Check for online reviews
- See if they rank on attorney rating sites like Avvo or Martindale
- Use Google to see if there are other mentions
- Look up disciplinary actions on the Florida Bar Association website
What Questions Should You Ask?
Preparing questions ahead of time can help your consultations stay on track and ensure you don’t forget important things you need answers to. Some of the best questions to ask a personal injury lawyer include:
- Have you handled similar cases to mine before?
- How many years have you been practicing?
- What is your trial experience?
- How do you bill for personal injury matters?
- Will you be the assigned attorney to my case, or will I be dealing with other lawyers and support staff?
- What do you believe the potential value of my case is?
- Do you believe my case might resolve out of court, or will it likely be litigated?
- Am I responsible for any upfront costs?
- What is the statute of limitations on my case?
- What is your communication policy regarding how quickly you return client emails and phone calls?
- Is personal injury your specialty area or only a part of your practice?
Depending on your case’s circumstances, you may have more targeted questions that you want to ask as well. Retaining the right Florida personal injury lawyer can make the difference on how much compensation you receive in your case. Obtaining maximum compensation in a personal injury case is often dependent on choosing the right personal injury lawyer. Be prepared for your initial consultations, and ask the right questions. Then you can quickly figure out which personal injury lawyer is right for you.
